8 things you didn’t know you loved about Poh

We already know we love Poh Ling Yeow for her fan-worthy talents in the kitchen and on the canvas, but in her brand-new show, Poh & Co., we've discovered a few more endearing idiosyncrasies about the cook and artist that we can't help but love. She's a little bit of a truant, a little bit of a perfectionist, and slightly obsessive in the kitchen, which all makes for some excellent eating.

Source: Poh & Co.

1. She bribes friends with cake

Poh understands that you will catch more flies with honey or, in this case, brown sugar. She goes on the charm offensive with her deliciously simple moist chocolate and brown sugar loaf in the hopes that her mate, Andre, will divulge his gardening tips. It works.

Moist chocolate and brown sugar loaf Source: Poh & Co.

2. She skives off gardening duty to eat Calabrian focaccia

The cake bribe paid more dividends than just a little advice. Andre shows Poh how to make a beautiful, golden Calabrian focaccia in his wood-fired oven, using ingredients from his abundant garden.

Focaccia Source: Poh & Co.

3. She makes up for her truancy with noodles

Skiving off gardening duty to tuck into fresh-made focaccia means Poh has some making up to do with her partner, Jono. Her Yeow family classic of dark hokkien noodle stir-fry does the trick.

Dark hokkien noodles Source: Poh & Co.

4. She makes dumplings like a Poh pro

Poh gives us some hot tips for dumpling success, including, among nimble fingers, using hot water for the skins, choosing a fatty mince for extra flavour, and pan-frying before steaming for crispy bottoms. We’re not about to argue, these pork and cabbage pot stickers are beyond moreish.

Pork and cabbage dumplings Source: Poh & Co.

5. She gave her fridge a tattoo

Ever the artist, Poh comes up with a cool hack to restore the aesthetics of her beaten fridge. Taking to its stainless-steel door with a nail and hammer, the resulting cosmetic solution is pretty cool, but the tuna rice she whips up with the less spritely contents inside is just as savvy.

Tuna rice Source: Poh & Co.

6. As a kid she was obsessed with crimping curry puffs

Poh confesses that as a kid she’d spend hours perfecting the crimping technique for curry puffs using Playdough. A little obsessed, maybe, but it certainly paid off. Don’t worry if you haven’t perfected your crimp, these golden crescents are addictive even with a less-than-perfect edge.

Curry puffs Source: Poh & Co.

7. She doesn’t back out of a challenge

When her friend, Andre, challenges Poh to cook a service at his restaurant Andre's Cucina & Polenta Bar, she gets into her chef whites and gets stuck-in. She manages to impress Andre, and cook up this red polenta with goat ragu!

Red polenta with goat ragu Source: Poh & Co.

8. She sticks up for gnocchi

Recognising that gnocchi gets a bad rap for being tricky to make, Poh bestows on us some of her tips for making these pillowy mouthfuls to perfection. Soft and full of flavour, Poh’s gnocchi with fresh tomato and basil sauce is on our must-make list at SBS Food HQ.

Gnocchi with tomato and basil sauce Source: Poh & Co.

Poh & Co. Season 2 starts Thursday 19 May 2016 at 8.30pm on SBS. To find out more about the show, check out the episode guide, or scroll through recipes, head to the Poh & Co. website.

 

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