Monsieur Truffle.

In Melbourne, Chocolate havens have been all the rage for quite some time now. In 2008, Australians have spent an estimated 1.4 million dollars on chocolate alone. I suppose that encouraged the growth in the chocolate sector or did the chocolate sector encourage the spending? But which ever it is, egg or chicken first, what is wonderful about these chocolate stores is that they are unabashed about being high end and made for the sophisticated palate.

Monsieur Truffle at 90 Smith St, Collingwood is the featured chocolatier. They started at first in Prahran Market and now they have their own store. I love their interiors, old fashioned green walls, a simple and nostalgic interior; bearing a little resemblance to a cafe in the 70s. They teach chocolate appreciation classes, sell all sorts of chocolates (from single plantations to blends and also those with candied fruits and not forgetting truffles.) and pastry & desserts. This makes an excellent place to have a spot of tea and to have a few pancakes or chocolate treats in an unadulterated gratification to the soul.

 

The interior.

The display counter.

The many types of hand made truffles.

The freshly baked croissants and pastries.

More chocolates for tasting.

Their lovely old-fashioned shelves housing their tea for ones.

The many different types of chocolate bars that they make.

The bigger chocolate bars before they are wrapped.

The wrapped up chocolates. Love their wrapping.

Another view of the delectable chocolate bar.

A few pictures of the different products available.

Erika Kuhn.

First, I must admit, I know nothing about Erika Kuhn except the fact that she is from Mexico and she is an artist. These are some of her work that she has done in moleskins. I love how beautiful they are and feeling that I get from seeing her work. It is almost like seeing Gustav Klimt's work for the first time. 

The difference is that there is more relevance to the modern world in terms of choice of media and tools.

She has a blog and a flickr page both in Spanish.

Check out her other works in her flickr page and be like me; clueless about the artist except for the emotions that her work translates.

Inspiration Boards

Been thinking of getting my own inspiration board for quite a while now. There were so many ideas that popped out, like ornate or simple, magnetic, cork or blackboard? It's so refreshing to have a inspiration board that keeps changing. It's like a piece of evolving "art".

While I am still trying to figure that all out, I've decided to put up some pictures of inspiration boards as well as two pictures that would have definitely made it on my board.

Drew Barrymore's Inspiration Board.

Fiona Richards of Cartolina Cards' Inspiration Board.

Handmade Detroit's Inspiration Board. Love the collage of old and new scraps.

Inspiration Board from Shabby Vintage Mom, an etsy shop. Love the frame and vintage buttons.

Arugula Press's Inspiration Board made from chicken wire. Love how the scraps are pegged on.

Love the picture of this bedroom. Simple and beautiful with a little bit of vintage spirit injected into it.

An old Mitsubishi Fan. Every one that grew up in the 80s would recognise this.

Here's Looking at you, Baby.

One of my closest friends, Ju has given birth to a lovely baby girl and I have been wondering what to get her. It's a toss up between something to pamper her or something for the baby. Then there is the occasional thought of getting her something practical. Here are some items that have caught my fancy.

Dr Brown's Baby Bottles. They help reduce colic, spit ups, burping and gas. They also help maintain vitamins A, C and E.

Cath Kidston Mini Bud Nursery Melamine Set. This makes a great first feeding set. 

Cath Kidston Washed Roses Kids Wellies. Wished they came in adult sizes for these wellies. Playing in the rain never looked more fashionable.

Chloe Dusty Pink Pinny Dress. This is so beautiful. So Chloe.

Missoni Diaper Bag. A diaper bag doesn't get more fabulous than this. Love it!

10 Corso Como.

10 Corso Como Milan, also dubbed, the Milan temple of style was founded by a gallerist and publisher, Carla Sozzani in 1990. The complex started with an art gallery and a bookstore and in 1991, a fashion boutique was added, in 1998, a cafe and in 2003, a 3 room bed and breakfast was opened. 

Now it sells everything, from furniture to clothes to even memorabilia. It is a showcase for top notch Milanese designers. It's a pity that I couldn't find any photos of the hotel itself. It is gorgeous. If there is anywhere that I could pack my bags and just move into, this must be it. To be surrounded by beautiful things and good food constantly would be living in a dream, my dream.

By the way, famous  Tunisian designer, Azzedine Alaia has teamed up with 10 Corso Como to open his own 3 rooms hotel, designed as an extension of the designer's own flat. Famous models - Linda and Naomi - have spent the night here, sleeping on mattresses right on the floor. Alaia's idea was creating a night's lodging where everyone would feel like they were at their Paris home. The details of the décor are constantly changing and transforming, just the way it is with every flat. The interior is perfect, just like Alaia's collections, and combine objects from the past and present. What makes the three apartments special is the unique collection of XX century furniture. Breakfast prepared in the designer's nearby flat, is served by his personal chef. Yum.

Exterior of 10 Corso Como.

The boutique.

The cafe.

The courtyard leading back into the store.

Restaurant De Kas, Amsterdam.

I think that a restaurant that cares about the quality of their food enough to grow or breed their own produce must be a good restaurant. Of course, this is me generalising things. Only recently that this is becoming a trend. Nowadays, chefs are not just the hardworking, kitchen toiling individuals, they are also the farmer. 

Terms like heirloom vegetables (a cultivar that was commonly grown during earlier periods in human history, but which is not used in modern large-scale agriculture as they need to pollinated openly) , which has long been wiped out of our dictionaries and gardens have slowly been resurfacing. This makes it really exciting for foodies like myself to actually have the opportunity to taste such rare varieties of vegetables and fruits. Recently, one of such restaurants which has adopted the "grow your own vegetables scheme" is Circa, St Kilda. They were featured in a recent article of The Age.

However, the one of the earliest pioneers is Restaurant De Kas. In 2001, top chef Gert Jan Hageman, who had earned a Michelin star in Dutch haute cuisine, found a new direction for his own career and a new purpose for the old greenhouse that belonged to Amsterdam's Municipal Nursery. The greenhouse, which dated from 1926, was due to be demolished. With a lot of luck and, most importantly, with help from the municipality and his family and friends, Hageman succeeded in converting the unique 8-metre high glass building into a restaurant and nursery.

Situated in Frankendael Park, between the Rembrandt Tower and the nineteenth century facades of Watergraafsmeer, De Kas is an oasis of calm for the fifty-thousand guests who dine there each year; either in the breathtaking dining room designed by Piet Boon, or at the chef's table in the kitchen, or  if weather permits,  outside in the herb garden.

De Kas serves one fresh, daily set menu priced at € 49.50. The five-course menu is based on what they've harvested that day, and always consists of a selection of small starters, followed by a main course and a dessert.

For those who like to be at the heart of the action may prefer the exclusive chef's table in the kitchen, where dinner is at the mercy of the kitchen brigade (€ 125 including wine).

At lunchtime, they serve a four-course menu for € 37.50 By the way, it is also possible to order only ala carte.

For those picky eaters out there who need to know if they are organic, yes they are.

View of the exterior at night.

View of the main dining hall.

Another view of the dining hall.

The private dining room.

The nursery.

Circa, St Kilda's vegetable and herb patch at Albert Park. They are currently growing more than 50 types of fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs.

CB.

Christopher Brosius' Manifesto.

I hate perfume.
Perfume is too often an ethereal corset trapping everyone in the same unnatural shape
A lazy and inelegant concession to fashionable ego
Too often a substitute for true allure and style
An opaque shell concealing everything – revealing nothing
A childish masque hiding the timid and unimaginative
An arrogant slap in the face from across the room
People who smell like everyone else disgust me

* * * * * * *

Perfume is a veil that reveals the soul
Perfume is the fanfare of our individuality sounding differently to everyone who listens
Perfume is a signpost to our true selves – a different journey for the brave to travel
Perfume is the weather of our inner world bringing life to a personal landscape
Perfume is an art that shows us who we can be if we dare – an invisible portrait of who we are
Perfume is discovered fully only by our lovers when we are together - naked

* * * * * * *

Do I agree with him? Yes. Terribly. Do I think that it is oxymoronic? Yes. How can one hate perfume for its lack of individuality and yet "mass" produce his scents to sell? I can't understand. Maybe it is just the thought of spreading his believes, that spur him to contain his "art" in a bottle.

Do I feel nostalgic when I smell "Winter 1972" or "At the Beach 1966"? Yes I do, I feel as though I were transported to that day and experiencing it with him. I love the feeling of familiarity in a bottle. It's amazing how scents can actually trigger the imagination. It makes me realise that it is possible to bottle an emotion.

Which do I love so far? "Teal Rose", "Winter 1972" and  "Russian Caravan tea". I must admit that I haven't smelled enough to comment on all the scents. However, the scents are true to their names. Spookily accurate. Why not put on "Gathering Apples" or "Burning Leaves" to intrigue your date? It just might make an excellent talking point.

The different scents available.

Gathering Apples.

Winter 1972.

Memory of Kindness.

Mr Hulot's Holiday.

At the Beach 1966.