Category Archives: Inspirations

Rice Cube

This is a late post…

My boss gave me the Rice Cube set for Christmas. I was happy that I now knew what to make for my Christmas party that was coming up shortly. Finally, something that was unique and interesting – but not overly complicated or unhealthy.
I started sketching out some roughs on what I ingredients I would put in each one. I came up with 2 simple types.

It took a bit of time to make each one, but the reaction for them was priceless. Everyone was pretty impressed. I’ll use it for another potluck that is coming up in spring :) Yay!

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Tadaaa! Impress all your friends with the quick and simple Rice Cube!

Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie in Kits

Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie on Urbanspoon

Since my German friend has gotten really hooked on making his own chocolate, we decided to check out Thomas Haas. Every time my friend made chocolates and gave them to people, they always suggested that he open his own chocolate store. So, to learn more about the business, we checked out how the pros did it – from a German pro.

Thomas Haas Chocolates are made every week by hand – no lines or mass production, using local ingredients, even to the point of sourcing some products directly from the farmer. No preservatives or artificial flavours are used! :D Thomas is a fourth generation pastry chef who grew up in his family’s pastry shop in the Black Forest village of Aichhalden, Germany.

 

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Inside the cafe. A unique honeycomb like ceiling.

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Small cake $5.80

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Chocolate for $1.30 a piece

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Cafe latte $3.60

The cafe is modern and clean – reminds me of places in Germany. We went on Saturday afternoon. It was very full and busy!! Never seen a cafe this crowded! I was also amazed at how much people were willing to pay for chocolate and pastries!

One piece of chocolate cost $1.30, latte $3.60 and tiny mango cake $5.80. I only had the latte and one pastry and it was already close to $10! The packaging designs displayed on the shelves were very simple and very European, the styles I like.

Since it was a nice day out, we sat outside on the small patio.

We were surprised to see that Thomas himself cleaned up every table. By doing that, he had the opportunity to chi chat a bit with each customer. However, unlike my German friend who was super outgoing and would make friends with every stranger on the street, he was a bit more reserved. My friend didn’t get an opportunity to chat up with him, but he said it was ‘inspirational’ to see his cafe.

Great cafe. Chocolates and cakes are not too sweet. Good latte. I’d definitely recommend.

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Teddy Bear and IDEA Rabbit Omlette Rice

Recently, I had the chance to cook up a time consuming meal. I saw a video on YouTube by ochikeron on making Rirakkuma Omurice. It was super cute and amazing at the same time. I wanted to give it a try…

I followed most of the steps. The first ‘test’ run, I didn’t have any cheese for the snout, ears and paws, but it still turned out pretty well. I was pretty stoked.

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The next time was the real run, and I made the bear for a guest, while making the rabbit for myself. It was really time consuming, but kinda fun at the same time. It’s been a while since I’ve been crafty and artsy, so it was a way of brushing up of my skills – not to mention in cooking too, though this dish doesn’t really require anything complicated.

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Give it a try yourself and amaze your family and friends. They’ll love it! Check out ochikeron’s video >> here