Mochi Mochi and more Mochi!

It was my first attempt in making mochi from scratch. Whenever I go for froyo, mochi is often a must along with blueberries and other seasonal fruits whichever appeal to me at that moment. Charging me a fortune for fruits I can understand but mochi is something that I cannot truly justify yet I still order it thanks to my lack of self-control when it comes to mochi. I have no one to blame but myself when it comes to frozen yogurt! I followed a youtube instruction on how to make mochi in 30 mins and the result was ... humm ... well, it was a good experience and I am sure my next attempt would be much better! I would try to make plain mochi instead of red bean paste mochi because I want to bring my own mochi when ordering my daily froyo fix! Please check out my mochi attempt on my >>> prochats.she.com/tastes channel <<<

My 7 Links (Blogosphere Project)

Not only am I excited but I am honored to be invited by e_ting to be part of this Tripbase's My 7 Links Project! Not only does the project "unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again," it serves as a timely self-reminder on why I started blogging back in 2009 and my commitment in sharing my travel and dining experiences.

The Pleasures of Taste (Random)

While reading a recent post by HK Epicurus, his name reminded me of a few passages by Alain de Botton which I came across quite a while ago on the subject of ... general philosophy.  The philosopher's name Epicurus (or its verb Epicurean) has been associated more than often with good food and wine, but there is more to Epicureanism than simple enjoyment of culinary excellence. Epicurus philosophy focuses on the attainment of "happiness" with a strong emphasis on sensual pleasures which includes the pleasure of taste thanks to his love of excellent food.

The beginning and root of every good is the pleasure of the stomach. Even wisdom and culture must be referred to this. - Epicurus 

Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates and Patisserie (Vancouver)

On a sunny Thursday morning, a light breeze blew across my hotel room from the balcony which I left opened the night before. Waking up this way by the wind instead of annoying alarm tones certainly made a huge difference in term of my mood. It was certain a smile or a gentle grin on my face even without checking it with a mirror. Holding a cup of not-so-great machine brewed in-room coffee from Starbucks, standing out on the balcony under the warmth of the morning sunshine, I can't help myself but to feel rather lucky, happy, thankful, glad and ... very lucky? :) A picture is worth a thousand words but when it comes to joy and happiness, it can only be best described either by action or ... by the one's "glow". In any case, it brings me to yet another happy topic, chocolates! Some say Chocolate can help fight depression, some say it can be part of a wonderful diet plan and some say it can help lower your cholesterol. Forget it I say, as long as it makes you happy by eating a piece of chocolate or drinking a cup of hot chocolate, go for it!

Double Down by KFC (Toronto)

So what exactly is a Double Down by KFC? Simply put, it is an ordinary cheese + bacon burger but with the two buns replaced by two big slabs of KFC original recipe chicken breasts! Oh yes, not that ordinary right? My friend A dared me to give it a try and being who I am, I am all in! I have seen the commercial on TV for a few times and tempted to give it a try. As warned by many, prior to eating this, one should arrive with an empty stomach and ensure one has high sodium tolerance. I was quite nervous for some reasons, perhaps because it seemed to be a challenge or maybe just because of the verbal pressure I have been receiving about this Double Down.