SWEET DREAMS

Dust off your cake pans, POH LING YEOW’S new baking book will have you cooking up a storm!

Masterchef fan favourite Poh Ling Yeow takes us into her delicious world of baking with her book Poh Bakes 100 Greats. Here, we take a sneak peek inside her home kitchen and learn the importance of keeping long-life milk in the cupboard!

Who inspired your love of cooking?

From a young age, I loved watching my Great Aunty Kim and Mum in the kitchen. I was always surrounded by obsessed cooks on both sides of the family. I wasn’t allowed to help much in the kitchen as a kid. It was only in my late 20s when I got cable TV and discovered Nigella, Carluccio and Stein – who all write and speak beautifully about food – that something in me was sparked.

How would you describe your kitchen?

It’s very much like the rest of my house – chaotic, eclectic, warm and very used. There’s garlic, pans, art work, knives hanging off the walls and everything out ready to be grabbed. That concealed seamless look of a fridge camouflaged as a cupboard is my nightmare. I like things very utilitarian.

What would we always find in your fridge?

Parmigiano-reggiano, parsley, Italian prosciutto, at least 1kg of butter, cream, wombok, fermented soy beans, chilli bean paste, milk, cucumbers and a jar of Mum’s sambal belacan.

What are your pantry essentials?

Eggs, flour, rice, sugar, pasta, vanilla extract, capers, anchovies, garlic, onion, ginger, tinned tomatoes, and long-life milk if I get caught out and need to bake.

Favourite appliance?

My Kitchenaid, because baking is one of the most fulfilling things in life!