Love at first bite: V-Day recipes for lovebirds!

When Cheryl Miles-Nixon wrote her cookbook, Smitten in the Kitchen: 60 Recipes for Love (facebook.com/smitteninthekitchen), she brought together two of her favourite subjects: food and love. As a Eurasian of mixed ancestry with Portuguese and British roots, food has always been a big part of the former radio presenter’s life. “I started cooking around the age of 13. For me, cooking is about the memories you create around it. To this day, my mother and I still bond over cooking, and it serves as an expression of love. Food tells a story, and knowing how to recreate your family recipes keeps traditions alive.”

It wasn’t until Cheryl got a kitchen of her own in her 30s that she began experimenting, adding her modern twists to local dishes. “Food is love – first for myself, then for others. Many people hesitate to cook for just one or two people because they think it’s too troublesome, but cooking for myself, becoming smitten in my kitchen during my single years, filled my belly and my heart!” Cheryl continues, “They say you can’t love someone until you love yourself. But also, you can’t cook well for someone or love the body you’re in until you start nourishing yourself with food you make with your hands.”

When she met her husband, Matthew, in 2016, they bonded over their love of great meals, with Cheryl whipping up some easy date-night dinners in her kitchen while they were dating.

The fact that Cheryl and Matthew both come from a long line of proud home cooks provided a unique foundation for Smitten in the Kitchen. Featuring recipes from Cheryl’s Eurasian Singaporean background, Matthew’s Midwestern American heritage, and original dishes created by Cheryl herself, the book includes a gorgeous mix of recipes alongside relationship advice, love lessons and anecdotes.   

Says Cheryl, “Cooking is a way to bond and build new memories, so grab a loved one – whether that be your partner, friend, or kids – and get in the kitchen!”

ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU

Carrot Ginger Soup with curry oil

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 50 minutes

“According to relationship experts, the first year of marriage is the hardest – even if you’ve been living together or dating for many years before you tie the knot. The smallest issues and quirks are amplified when you suddenly realise you are ‘stuck’ with each other for life. I wish someone would have told me that because our first year of marriage in 2018 was riddled with silly squabbles. Thankfully, we’ve since learned how to work through any challenges together. Carrot and ginger are a powerful pair that are good for the heart and full of antioxidants to help you grow old together gracefully. Drizzle with curry oil (this stuff is amazing) for extra domestic bliss.”

FOR THE CURRY OIL

• ½ cup olive oil
• Handful of curry leaves, stems removed
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tablespoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon pink himalayan salt

FOR THE SOUP

• 1.4 kg carrots, roughly chopped
• ½ kg potato, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 knobs ginger (about 50g), sliced
• 10 cups water (add more if necessary)
• 3-5 stock cubes
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Olive oil, for cooking

MAKE THE CURRY OIL, in a small pot on low heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the curry leaves, minced garlic and mustard seeds. Keep stirring. Turn the fire off when the garlic turns golden brown. Allow to cool before straining and
storing in a glass jar. This infused oil can now be drizzled over soups, used to level up pastas, hummus, and really anything your heart desires.

TO MAKE THE SOUP, roughly chop
the carrots, potatoes, and onion. Mince the garlic and slice the ginger into thin strips. In a large pot, heat some olive oil and sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger until fragrant. Add the carrots, potatoes, and water, then boil over medium-high heat until tender. Cook for about 40 minutes, then allow to cool before transferring to a food processor, blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot over low heat, add the stock cubes, salt, and cayenne pepper to taste. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of curry oil over the soup and mix thoroughly.

SERVE HOT with a drizzle of curry oil and a sprinkle of parsley.

BE MY VALENTINE

Vongole Pasta

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes

“Many of my recipes are inspired by mine and Matthew’s travels and this one reminds me of our trip to Kansas City. I was especially ecstatic over finding bottled clam juice and gleefully brought a bunch of bottles back to Singapore in our suitcase. If you can’t find bottled clam juice, white wine helps to extract more flavour out of frozen clams. I’ve added chillies here but you can use less or skip them altogether!”

FOR THE PASTA

• 500g spaghetti, cooked in salted water (2 teaspoons salt)
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 10g dried chillies, chopped (about 15-20 pieces) or chilli flakes to taste
• 1kg clams in shells (I use frozen clams)
• 500g of frozen clam meat
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups clam juice or 2 cups pasta water
• ½ cup pasta water
• ½ lemon, zested
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• Olive oil, for cooking

FOR TOPPING

• 30g flat-leaf parsley
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

COOK THE SPAGHETTI in salted boiling water until al dente, then reserve about 4 cups of pasta water. Once done, drain and set aside.

FOR THE SAUCE, sauté the garlic in the same pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once it turns golden, add the chopped dried chillies. After 2 minutes, add the clams, white wine, and clam juice (or 2 cups of reserved pasta water). Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 4 minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed. For added balance between carbs and protein, stir in the clam meat. Remove the lid and add ½ cup (or more, if necessary) of reserved pasta water, lemon zest (to enhance the flavours), and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly

TOSS IN THE COOKED PASTA and stir to combine. This pasta soaks up all the sexy juices so add a splash more of the reserved pasta water if needed. Store any extra pasta water in a bottle and refrigerate for warming up leftovers on the stove (never in the microwave!).

BECAUSE I SAID SO

Coconut Panna Cotta with Berry Compote 

• Serves: 4
• Prep: 30 minutes
• Set: Overnight 

“This super-easy dessert can be crowned with a variety of toppings – honey, fresh fruit, coconut flakes – or this decadent boozy berry compote. My favourite option is a sprinkle of cacao nibs. A healthier alternative for chocolate lovers, it is higher in antioxidants and lower in sugar. Plus it’s rich in minerals like iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. For a vegan-friendly version, substitute agar-agar for gelatin. I hope you will enjoy my spin on this creamy Italian dessert that uses rich coconut cream instead of the traditional dairy.”

FOR THE PANNA COTTA

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 cups coconut cream
• ¹⁄₃ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 gelatin leaves (or 1 teaspoon agar-agar for vegan version)

BERRY COMPOTE

• 8 fresh or frozen strawberries
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• ½ cup Southern Comfort (or substitute with bottled orange juice)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of ½ lemon
• Mint leaves, for garnish

ALTERNATIVE TOPPINGS

• Dark chocolate
• Orange
• Blueberries
• Cocoa nibs
• Coconut flakes

PREPARE GELATIN/AGAR AGAR Soak gelatin leaves in cold water. Once softened, squeeze off excess water as much as possible. If using agar-agar, just spoon out 1 teaspoon and set aside. 

MAKE THE PANNA COTTA In a small saucepan add coconut milk, coconut cream and sugar on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Once done, add the vanilla extract and stir for another minute. Turn off the heat and add the prepared gelatin or agar-agar, stirring until dissolved. (Agar agar melts at 85°C/185°F so use a kitchen thermometer or you’ll get grainy panna cotta!) Transfer liquids into ramekins or glasses. Allow it to cool at room temperature. Place the cups in the fridge and let the panna cotta set for 2 – 3 hours, or overnight

FOR THE BERRY COMPOTE, add all the ingredients, except the mint leaves, to a small saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture from burning at the bottom. Once cooled, use an immersion blender to roughly purée the mixture, keeping it slightly chunky.

TO SERVE, top with various goodies – fresh fruit, shaved chocolate with orange zest, cocoa nibs with coconut flakes, or berry compote. Sharing, optional!

I’M GOING TO MARRY THE CREPE OUT OF YOU with Sunny Eggs & Ham

• Serves: 2, makes 4 crepes
• Prep: 40 minutes
• Cook: 15 minutes

“My best friend from my former girl band lives in Perth and it’s where Matthew decided to pop the question in the middle of Leederville just before Christmas. On our trip there she brought us to her favourite breakfast spots in Swan Valley – Maison Saint-Honoré, a French macaron and cake factory that opened in 2016, just two years before he popped the question. I remember after devouring the best crepes I had ever had, promptly buying a crepe pan back to Singapore to replicate the recipe. This is one of two breakfast dishes that remind me of this quaint little bistro that looks exactly the same as the last time we visited it in 2024.”

FOR THE CREPES

• 3 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup buckwheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup whole milk

FOR THE TOPPING

• 4 eggs
• 150g ham, cubed
• 150g comte cheese, cubed
• 150g brown button mushrooms, sliced
• TO GARNISH
• cherry tomatoes
• alfalfa sprouts
• avocado, sliced

LET LOVE MAKE YOU BATTER, NOT BITTER. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add the rest of the other crepe ingredients. With a hand held blender or whisk, beat everything up until you get a smooth batter with no lumps. Let it rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes. It is important to let the batter rest so that you will get lovely, soft crepes not rubbery, crap ones. For best results, leave it in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours or overnight. If making way in advance, note that the batter keeps for 2 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.

GOOD BATTER, BEST, YOU’VE GOT TO LET IT REST. While the batter is resting, prepare the other ingredients. Sauté the mushrooms and ham, then set aside.  When it’s time to make the crepes, get everything ready because crepes cook really fast. You will need an 8-10 inch crepe pan or skillet, measuring cup and spoons, butter, a pastry brush, the toppings and serving plates. Fire up the pan on medium heat until the pan is scorching hot. Brush some butter on and once it has melted, turn the fire off. To get uniformly thin crepes, scoop 3-4 tablespoons of batter into a cup, then pour this portion evenly onto the pan. Keep swirling the batter around the pan so that it is evenly coated.

‘COS I’M A CREPE… Turn the fire back on to medium heat and cook up the crepe for 40-50 seconds or until the edges start to brown. Flip it over with a large spatula then carefully crack an egg over and top with 3 tablespoons each of the cubed cheese, ham and mushrooms. Once the egg starts to cook, turn the fire off and leave it in the hot pan for about 1-2 min more to further cook the egg and melt the cheese. Transfer to a plate and repeat this process for the next 3 crepes. Serve with cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, avocado and a glass of juice to someone who will give you more than occasional hugs as a token of love.

NOTE: You can also use this recipe to make plain crepes to which you can add some jam, sliced fruit, maple syrup or lemon curd. Simply cook the crepe for 40-50 seconds on one side in a buttered skillet, flip over and cook for another 20 seconds on the other side.

CHERYL MILES is the founder of “The Smitten Collection by Cheryl Miles” featuring candles, cookbooks and other scrumptious things.

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