Tiramisu a la Teacup

Tiramisu & Me (taken by Domkeykong)

I've been my family's designated tiramisu-maker for well over a decade now. Over the years, I've adapted a recipe that my mother's Italian teacher passed on to her. In keeping with my preference for simplicity, I've pared it down to six quality ingredients: eggs, mascarpone, lady's finger biscuits, a sweetener like sucanat or xyla, espresso, and cocoa powder. 

Tiramisu ingredients (missing coffee & xyla)

While I occasionally experiment with substitution, I haven't been terribly adventurous. When I first started making tiramisu I was a little young for alcohol so as a result, I've grown used to not including it in my recipe. I've often thought about including the traditional brandy, marsala, or rum in my recipe, but I somehow always end up following my same trusted recipe. I don't think mine is the best tiramisu out there, yet I believe there is something to be had of a recipe that is simple, tasty, and unfailing.

Adding xyla to the egg yolks

Ingredients for a large tiramisu (roughly serves 12)
Eggs (3 large ones)
Xyla/sucanat or your sweetener of choice (2 tablespoons or more depending on your taste)
Mascarpone (500g)
Lady's finger biscuits (1.5 packets)
Espresso/americano for dipping
Cocoa powder

1. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks and the whites into two different bowls.
2. In one bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.
3. In the other bowl mix the xyla or sucanat and mascarpone with the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth.
4. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
5. Dip the lady's finger biscuits into the espresso/americano mixture and layer them in a dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with coffee-dipped biscuits. Next, layer the mascarpone mixture on top. Then add another layer of coffee-dipped biscuits. Finally, layer generously with the mascarpone mixture on top (depending on size of your dish, you can layer 2 or 3 times).
6. Place the tiramisu in the fridge and allow to set overnight. Add cocoa powder on top before serving.

Kilo @ Pact

M. with her hat on while examining the menu

Today I had post-gym brunch with M. and D. at Kilo at Pact. Since moving back to Singapore I've been meaning to try out some new cafes and restaurants and write about them, but have put it off until now. Hopefully this will change.

Kilo's Orchard Central location was definitely a plus for the three of us since it is in such close proximity to our respective gyms and yoga studios. On this particular Saturday during the long weekend, the cafe was thankfully not too crowded. All the tables in the space were occupied, but the bar area was fairly empty.

The weekend brunch menu

M. was disappointed to learn that the lunch set combo inclusive of a drink, dessert and a salad or sushiro or bowl is only available on weekdays. However, they did have the brunch menu since it was the weekend.

Salmon Avocado Sushiro

M. settled for the Salmon Avocado Sushiro. It seemed to be more similar to an asian-style rice burrito than a typical sushi roll. We were surprised by the size of the portion, since M. and I expected a single sushi roll despite the waitress saying that it is actual quite a substantial serving.

Pork Belly Bowl

D. ended up going with the pork belly bowl that is served with sweetcorn, radishes, sugar peas, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, avocado, shimeji mushrooms and avocado sprouts. The balance of the protein and veggies is appealing, but D. felt that the sauce was a tad too sweet for her liking. I had a taste and found it tasty enough, but sure enough a little overly saccharine especially considering that the sweetcorn and cherry tomatoes have a natural sweetness of their own. This might just be a matter of personal preference though.

I ordered the Shakshuka off the brunch menu. My love for Shakshuka is so great that I typically order it whenever I see it on a restaurant's menu. Alongside Eggs Norwegian (a variant of Eggs Benny), it's my go-to brunch staple.

Shakshuka

As a result, I was a little disappointed with my order. I felt it was lacking some bite and couldn't taste the usual spices that one finds in a Shakshuka. It wasn't bad by any means, but it certainly wasn't tempting enough for me to finish the entire bowl. Perhaps the Portobello Benedict would have been a better choice.

The verdict: the ambiance at Pact was nice and it was interesting to take a peek at the adjoining hair and nail salon and shop. However, as much as I'm tempted by the sound of the mentaiko spaghetti tossed with cod roe and spring onions or the ebiko cream angel hair pasta with sauteed prawns on the dinner menu, I'm not exactly in a rush to go back to Kilo anytime soon.

Kilo@Pact
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central #02-16/17/18/19
Open Tuesday-Sundays 11.00-22.00 (closed between 15.00 and 17.30)
http://www.visitpact.com