Let's welcome spring with tulips!
We are offering an origami workshop, making tulips and a small bunny too! We will put them in a flower pot. The flower pots will be decorated (using acrylic paints) by the participants too!
Date: Mar 16th (Wednesday)
Time: 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Place: the ikebana shop
Cost: $8 + HST. All materials included
Max 10 persons.
Advance registration required. First come, first served!
Please call or email to book your spot!
Hope to see you there.
We are offering 2 workshops on March 14th, Monday. We will be decorating cupcakes!
The venue will be at our studio above the shop.
1. Cute Animal Cupcake Decorating Workshop
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Date: Mar 14th, 2016 (Monday)
TIme: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $10 + HST per person. All materials included.
2. Totoro Cupcake Decorating Workshop
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Date: Mar 14th, 2016 (Monday)
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 + HST per person. All materials included.
Max 10 persons per workshop.
Advanced registration is required. First come, first served!
Please call or email us to register.
Let's enjoy decorating cupcakes together!
Please note that the workshops are not nut-free. Please alert us to any allergies.
I love using pussy willow branches. They are so versatile that every time I use them, I tend to bend and curl them to create beautiful curves.
This time, I challenged myself to use pussy willow branches in straight lines only.
I also chose a container with many corners to show mass and lines. Here is the whole arrangement.
Pussy Willow, Oregonia, Green Hypericum & Baby's Breath
I hope you like it. --Miyako
"Ganmodoki" can be loosely translated as "that which resembles goose". Not a very appetizing name eh? But it is quite yummy. Ganmodoki is one kind of "shoujin-ryori" (精進料理), the food that Zen monks eat. They do not eat meat and so they have this kind of food made from tofu and other non-meat ingredients.
Portuguese filhós. (Click to see source.)
n the Kansai region, this dish is also called "Hiryouzu" (飛龍頭)...literally translated as "flying dragon head"...but really, it is just the Japanese phonetic equivalent for the Portuguese snack called "filhós" -- a kind of fritter made from flour, eggs and, oftentimes, pumpkin. In Portugal, they are a traditional Christmas dessert.
They do look similar!
Our version of this dish uses ingredients readily available in Halifax (and North America, in general) whilst hopefully still preserving its Japanese-ness. It brings together simple yet savoury ingredients including shrimp, bacon, green onions and mushroom, all in a tofu base. The tofu's neutral flavour helps tone down the intensities of each filling, while allowing their distinct flavours to come out and be appreciated. These patties are also highly versatile; you can customize your ganmodoki with the ingredients of your choice. Once you master the base, make it your own and experiment with different ingredients. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients (makes about 10-12 fritters):
The Fillings (finely chopped):
fresh green onion
fresh shiitake mushroom
shrimp (pre-cook)
bacon (pre-cook to crunchy!)
fresh coriander leaves
etc...
Cooking oil for deep frying
The Base:
1 block [450g] tofu (firm)
1 egg
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
pinch or two of salt
The Dipping Sauce:
soy sauce
ginger
Procedure:
Itadakimasu!
Sometimes we come across old calligraphy...and wisdom!
This one says: 『積善余慶』(Sekizen Yokei)
"One's accumulated good deeds shall bring blessings even to one's descendants."
This is our pilot (trial?) Japanese home-cooking workshop!
We thought: Why not introduce Japanese food? ...the ones that are not well-known outside of Japan. Of course, you can always search up the recipe online but wouldn't it be more fun to have someone show you how it's done? :-) Besides, you might not be able to find all the authentic Japanese ingredients in Halifax. Our big advantage: we know how it should taste like! So we will suggest appropriate substitutes and still remain true to the spirit of the cuisine.
We will introduce "Ganmodoki" (がんもどき) in our first workshop.
"Ganmodoki" can be loosely translated as "that which resembles goose". Not a very appetizing name eh? But it is quite yummy. Ganmodoki is one kind of "shoujin-ryori" (精進料理), the food that Zen monks eat. They do not eat meat and so they have this kind of food made from tofu and other non-meat ingredients.
Portuguese filhós. (Click to see source.)
In the Kansai region, this dish is also called "Hiryouzu" (飛龍頭)...literally translated as "flying dragon head"...but really, it is just the Japanese phonetic equivalent for the Portuguese snack called "filhós" -- a kind of fritter made from flour, eggs and, oftentimes, pumpkin. In Portugal, they are a traditional Christmas dessert.
They do look similar!
Our version of this dish brings together simple yet savoury ingredients including shrimp, bacon, green onions and mushroom, all in a tofu base. The tofu's neutral flavour helps tone down the intensities of each filling, while allowing their distinct flavours to come out and be appreciated. These patties are also highly versatile; you can customize your ganmodoki with the ingredients of your choice. Once you master the base, make it your own and experiment with different ingredients. The possibilities are endless!
Workshop Details
Let's make ganmodoki* with ingredients available in Halifax!
Date: Feb 21st, 2016 (Sunday)
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Venue: the ikebana shop
6417 Quinpool Road, Halifax NS B3L 1A7
Cost: 12.50 + HST
Up to 4 participants only. Pre-registration is required.
Participants are asked to bring with them a whisk, a spatula and an apron (optional).
We will prepare all the ingredients and other utensils.
Then, we taste our cooking together. (We'll show you how to make the sauce that would go with it too!)
Register by phone 902-407-0487 or email. Hope to see you there!
*Note: Not strictly vegetarian.
Itadakimasu!
Chyrsanthemums, carnations, and pom-pom mums to create mass....
...and a big block of driftwood!
There is a sense of flow coming from the driftwood. The mass of blooms extend this flow.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Our friend from Chile, Ana Luisa, shared with us her ikebana inspired by a recent trip to Kyoto where she met maiko. Thank you, Ana Luisa!
Two Japanese artistic expressions: Ikebana and Maiko.
Elegance, finesse and serenity...
Beauty in both.
Ikebana: Dutch lilium, aspidistra leaves, & dried Canelo* branch.
The container looks to us like a celadon incense burner. Ana Luisa purchased
it at a flea market in Kyoto. What a wonderful treasure to find!
＊ The Canelo is a tree native to Chile and is considered sacred by the ethnic Mapuche people.
It has very curly branches.
* All photos courtesy of Ana Luisa Quiñones.
Guess what this giant cupcake-like thing is? :-)
Gently lift the top and twist open....
...and take a peek inside. We've filled it with 10 assorted chocolate truffles!
Lovingly hand-made in-house, right here in Nova Scotia! The fabric is from Japan. The chocolate truffles are from Truffini (made in BC). Of course, once the chocolates are gone, you can still use the box!
Available for a limited time at the shop. Get one for this year's Valentine's gift!
Sometimes, it is interesting to create ikebana with unconventional materials. Such material could draw out the charm of flowers in a different manner compared to those using only plant material. It is precisely because the material is unconventional that we are able to come up with a unique expression.
I set my sights on the wrapping paper that we use at the shop. This paper is used to protect fragile, ceramic items like teacups, bowls, etc.
The paper, when stretched, produces a lattice-like pattern with a rough but soft texture.
I used the paper together with daisy mums and some dried branches.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
