Dinara Kasko: So Good

It's funny to watch when singers try their hand at acting, because more often than not it's a great flop. Some people should stick to what their good at. But in the case of architect Dinara Kasko, experimenting with baking was probably the best thing to happen to the culinary world.

Ever creative Dinara Kasko started out her career in architecture and design and worked as so for several years before discovering baking; which she now does as more than a hobby, taking masterclasses over Europe to share her passion and delicate hand with many the avid baker.

It's insane to think that these delicious looking edibles are the handy work of a home taught pastry chef, but her eye for detail and the minimalist (courtesy of her background in architecture and design) is definitely a key factor that benefits her food experimenting. In true architect style Dinara Kasko utilises an appreciation of texture, shape, composition and form to create her delicious desserts that appease the eye in the way that a stunning structure would. Angles are perfect, lines are straight and the finish is more than stellar. Maybe more architects should try their hand at baking and patisserie.

If you'd like to read more - or most definitely see more - of Dinara Kasko's gorgeous edibles than her new concept 'Geometry' features in #16 of SoGoodMagazine where you can find her recipes to try your hand at, or even just to appreciate the effort that goes in to making these flawless masterpieces.

A Toast... to Toasteroid

I'm a sucker for a good Kickstarter project (hell, I've backed more than my fair share of stuff that's totally awesome but totally unnecessary too) and this new project from Toasteroid is no exception. 

This nifty kitchen appliance makes mums post-it note lunch doodles seem feeble in comparison, as it gives you the ability to turn breakfast time in to a fun doodling work shop. The Toasteroid is a smart toaster that allows you to print any drawn design on to your bread. Using the Toasteroid app you create your design and send it wirelessly over to your toaster, whenever you want! You can customize your image, unlike other printing toasters that have stencil slots... meaning the possibilities really are endless. And it's not just a pretty creative bit of kit, the Toasteroid is durable; made out of die cast aluminium this thing will stand the test of time and blend seamlessly in to your smart kitchen. 

The Toasteroid not only thinks about enjoyment, it also raises the game of the average toaster, removing all those aspects of the normal toaster that you loathe so much. Such as removing crumbs, the Toasteroid has a crumb removal tray. And fitting long and thick slices of bread in to your toaster is an easy task thanks to Toasteroid's ingeniously wide slots. (Seriously, why don't more toasters do this stuff?!?)

Why not wake your other half up with a weather alert printed on their toast using the Toasteroid's Weather Forecast Synchronization technology (I'm not joking, this is a thing!)? Or get the kids to draw funny cartoons on their toast to make meal times a little bit easier and a lot less hectic. 

The Toasteroid is a timeless design that I sincerely doubt you'll run out of uses for and it comes in to sizes. The first being the Toasteroid Mini which browns two slices of toast whilst only singing your design on to a single slice; this is offered as a reward on Kickstarter for $65. Or the regular Toasteroid which cooks two slices of toast with your creation printed on both slices. This comes in at $85; practically a steal for what they're offering. 

Great concept, great use of interactivity, can't wait to see how the world is going to utilize this product. 

Famous OTO

Tomorrow morning kids all over the world will be waking up eager to rip in to layers upon layers of wrapping paper, and if you've got 'em one of these bad boys you better be careful they don't tear clean through the cardboard. 

Famous OTO are a small, New York based toy company who aim to bring enjoyment to kids with nothing more than illustrated cardboard. These cardboard playhouses for kids offer unlimited hours of play with their top quality prints and easy assembly and storage capabilities. So now those hooligans you love to hate can sell ice-creams and taco's galore with these awesome playhouses. 

Each truck comes with a fold-down window for kids to serve food from and they are plenty spacious so your little one's can set up shop and play for real. And if you want to get your hands on an OTO Taco Truck or OTO Ice Cream Truck then all you need is £40. And if you're not a kid person and cats are more your bag, then they even do a smaller sized OTO Ice Cream Truck for your cats to burrow away in. 

Deliciously Morbid

I have no idea what on earth possess these two men to melt the faces off of these cute chocolate bunnies but whatever the reason the effect is oddly breathtaking. These two artists and filmmakers, Lernet & Sander have collaborated on many a project, but this video by far takes the chocolate... There's something almost artistic in their horrifying act of melting chocolate bunnies to nothing more than a puddle of dilapidated chocolate. In fact, it's actually quite amusing to watch irons, hair dryer's and space heaters slowly melt the life out of the bunnies eyes. 

Lernet & Sander use humor and wit to create this fantastic film, and if you're left wanting for more then you can always purchase a print of the bunny in pre-melt stage as he stares his fate straight in the heating element. This film is fun and sadistic and everything you need to traumatize Easter for the neighborhood kids. 

Saving the world one beer at a time- casually

How much energy is wasted each year powering our fridges and keeping our soda's, beers and ciders cool? Well I know it's a lot when you consider that you could be keeping your beverages cooled naturally.

eCool is a product developed by four guys from a small town in Denmark that utilizes the damp and cold of the earth to keep your drinks chilled. The eCool system is placed deep in to the cool earth (about a metre underground) and uses the natural dampness and cold atmosphere of the soil to keep each 33cl can refridgerated all year round. 

The eCool is a perfect camping accesory for those who want to crack open a cool beer in front of the fire with their friends, and it would also be perfect for storing fizzy drink cans at a family barbeque with its 24 can capacity. It's a convenient and organic way of storing and cooling your drinks and as it requires no electricity think of all the oil you're preventing from being fracked. All you need to do to get a cool drink is crank the handle and rotate the belt that keeps the cans stored, and suddenly all the cool berevages you could possibly want all for the cost of $369.

I'm having a pity party; so make that cake for one please

Birthday's just aren't what they used to be - all the cake and bouncy castles and friends (do you remember those?) - well, at least you can still have the cake.

Introducing the Sparkling Wonder Cake that caters to all those who want to give a little pizaze to their otherwise grumpy day; cake is the cure for all. Well, unless you're wheat intollerant, in that case the Sparkling Wonder Cake probably isn't for you, that is of course unless you like imminent bloating... Your call.

But for those who want to have their cake and eat it, just strike a match, light your sparkler and sit back and watch your birthday go off with a little fizz. It's quite underwhelming actually but hey, that's what happens when you get older. And when the excitement has died down, simply crack open your tin of Sparkling Wonder Cake and stick your fork in it. Everything tastes better out of a tin, doesn't it just?!? 

And this cake isn't just for the lonely bastards on their birthday's... You can have a little slice of your own misery whether you're saying 'Thank You', 'Happy Birthday', 'Sorry', 'Good Luck' or spreading the 'Love'. Perfect for every occasion. And guaranteed to put a smile on your grumpy mug when you're sitting their being a self depricating son of a gun and all for just £6.99.

I can be a creep of every day of every week

All faint hearted look away now because you're about to see some of the grossest yet yummiest cakes and treats all created at the hands of the slightly disturbed Conjurer's Kitchen. Consider yourself warned... 

Presenting the gruesome edible art of Annabel de Vetten, the master sculptor and artist behind Conjurer's Kitchen, who produces cake treats that'll make you say "that's edible?!?" 

Annabel de Vetten performs culinary sorcery on her cakes, using a medley of horrifying shapes and finishes to create anything from organs to bones to innards that are bound to make you throw up and salivate all in one instance. 

The cakes at Conjurer's Kitchen start at £100 and go up and up depending on your budget; though they promise to give you what you pay for. And for artistry like this you'll definitely get what you want and more. Just one example of their commissioned cakes is the Dexter cake made especially for Fox; featuring a life sized version of Dexter on the morgue slab, ready to be cut up in to a million delicious pieces! 

And if you can't commit to a cake because you're too afraid you'll lose your lunch, then head on over to the Conjurer's Kitchen Chocolate Shop where you can buy animal and human chocolate remains for roughly £15 which will make you question whether they're real or not. A great treat for the gory hunter out there!

These chocolates and cakes are demonically delicious and totally something you'll want to get your teeth stuck in to after you've gotten over the fact that they're a little creepy. They do cakes for every occasion and for every theme you could possibly create; such as their haunting wedding cakes covered in chocolate skulls and flesh detailed icing, ready to test the stomachs of all in attendance. 

Chocolate!?!

Forgive me for making your mouth water but forget that diet you're on for a minute, give in to temptation and dribble over your screen as you marvel over this new Cadbury's bar. 

This limited edition chocolate bar by Cadbury's is their Dairy Milk Spectacular 7 which features a row of each of their seven dairy milk flavours; perfect for those chocoholics out there who can't make up their mind and end up with more chocolate than they rightfully should have. Asides from the classic whole Dairy Milk chocolate, you get a row of Turkish Delight, Oreo, Daim, Caramel, Whole Nut and Fruit & Nut. A row for each mood! 

Except for the fact that you probably wouldn't dare to dip in to this sweet temptation as only 50 bars are being made. (I know, it hurts me too). And the only way to get your hands on one is to follow the Cadbury Twitter page and wait for contest details! 

Tofu Cute!

For all things kawaii, UK based shop Tofu Cute sell the most amazing Japanese gifts and tasty snacks to keep your sweet tooth happy. They sell anything from stationary to DIY candy kits to crazy flavoured Ramune soda, so you'll definitely find something to make an awesome gift out of. 

First off Tofu Cute have blown my mind with their speedy delivery; I ordered Wednesday night and got my delivery first thing Friday morning. And when you open your box to see it packed to the brim with yummy yet wacky flavoured treats and cute little kawaii gifts, you can't help but turn in to a fan girl. 

With Wasabi flavoured Pocky and Grapefruit flavoured chewing candy you really are spoiled for choice with Tofu Cute. By far the cutest of their range are their plush collection; they've got Alpaca plushes, Red Panda plushes and Tofu plush phone holders, more plush than you could get your hair bunches around! And if you want to peruse their items with your own two (maybe three) eyeballs, then Tofu Cute travel around the UK doing comic conventions and other events; so you can get your hands on them with experience. 

Beer with me a second

Enhance your Summer garden experience this year with a super cold cap on your beers thanks to the Frozen Beer Slushie Maker by Kirin Ichiban. 

The Frozen Beer Slushie Maker is designed to add a whipped and frozen foam top to your beers, keeping them cool this summer. And if you don't believe it's potency, the Frozen Beer Slushie Maker was a big hit for Kirin (one of Japan's top drinks manufacturers) when it opened its beer gardens in Tokyo. 

The Frozen Beer Slushie Maker would be the perfect accessory for any garden party you've got planned, helping to keep friends and family refreshed during the heat. I'd also love to see these in restaurants up and down the country, and to see if you could add different liquids to the machine to make slushie caps for all sorts; maybe margaritas and other cocktails. Any how it would be a good companion to have this summer!

CANDY, CANDY!

We may not be able to read the labels - and know the secret additives they put in to this stuff to make it so addictive - but somehow we still love the cute candy happenings that come out of Japan. And here's a great way to get your hands on some sugary, savory, and just downright odd candy fresh from Japan;

Japan Crate are a sweet company that give you your Japanese candy fix in the form of monthly boxes; you simply subscribe to their services and each month they deliver a box to your door with a new batch of unique and funky candy from Japan. The monthly subscriptions start from $12/month for a mini box, $25 for an original box and $30 for a premium box in which you're guaranteed a funky flavoured and coloured Japanese drink. And postage is from to the US and roughly $10 to everywhere else. 

If you're the type who loves rare and interesting candy; Japan Crate is the thing for you. And if you're still unsure, just head on over to Japan Crate to check out some of their awesome Past Crates which were chock-a-block with cool candy. 

Sandwich Book

When it comes to Sandwich making we're all connoisseurs in our own right; there's the way we layer the gherkins - to touch or not to touch - and the right sequence of ham, cheese, tomato and then ham, to mayo or to not mayo, that is the question?!? But this Sandwich Book by Pawel Piotrowski will put any sandwich you've ever made to shame. 

The Sandwich book looks to challenge convention, bringing a visual treat to the hobby of reading and as you turn the pages of this book you'll find yourself examining the many layers of a sandwich. 

You start with the front cover of the book, which is a high resolution picture of a bread slice, and as you turn over you get the filling, enough filling to stuff your chops with, page upon page of cleverly cut tomato, onion and 3D lettuce. 

The Sandwich Book may not be useful, but it'll sure look quirky sitting on your shelf, or make a pleasant companion for the kitchen; making people think about book's in different ways. 

Miso Happy

So okay, we've all seen those bath towels that have the cute pictures on them that look totally awesome laid out on the beach for everyone to see, but they're not as effective once rolled up and put away. Now these kawaii looking Sushi Towels are just the opposite; they look awesome once sushi rolled and stacked on a shelf, so yummy looking and fitting for that deep-sea bathroom theme you've got going on. 

They're fun and fabulous, and the clever folding technique that designer Jenny Pokryvailo has come up with manages to make each sushi towel look like our favourite fish based Japanese food. Just awesome! You can either roll the towel to be seaweed wrapped, or alternatively you can create a rice outer layer; yummy! 

Chocolate Mill

You can never have enough chocolate; and this Chocolate Mill by designer Wieki Somers proves just that. This handy chocolate scraping appliance is adapted from a cheese cutter and layer by thin layer reveals a series of different geometric chocolate patterns. The shavings are served to observers as more and more of the chocolate surface is revealed; by applying pressure to the shaver as it's rotated, it creates great curls of chocolate perfect for both eating and adding geometric decoration to a cake. 

Chocolate Mill was an instillation in the Vitra Design Museum that allowed visitors to eat and enjoy the fantastic artistic display of new chocolate layers being uncovered. Wieki Somers teamed up with Swiss chocolatier Rafael Mutter to create this mouth watering device, and the one thing I want to know above all else is how they make the layer the chocolate patterns? And after viewing the main event, a smaller Chocolate Mill was available in the gift shop for visitors to take home and indulge themselves with when the need to feast arrives. 

Scratch'N'Sniff

Feeling fruity? Or in the mood for a pop of colour? Well, why not jazz up your interior with these clever Wallpapers designed by Michael Angelo that bring both pop art and a fruity scent to your every day living? 

Cherry Forever is a shiny wallpaper with a cherry design that actually smells like cherries! So if you're not afraid to look foolish, you can lean forwards, give the wall a little scratch and sniff and go back to days when everything was funky and carefree. 

The flavour paper can be delivered on a variety of chrome backgrounds to continue with that pop art theme, such as Yellow Chrome, Black Myler and Scented Blush.

And if you're more interested in smoothie scents than lush fruity ones, the Banana Wallpaper is the one for you. 

B-A-N-A-N-A-S! is a cooky banana print with the scratch and sniff option that is layered on to either white, cyan, copper or silver shiny paper. What I love about these papers are the vibrant patterns and colours that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but the scents are great for the senses. 

And wouldn't they make for awesome feature walls? How about putting some life back in to a room by buying strips of the wallpaper and putting them on to boards or frames for the lively wallpaper in moderation?  

Holy crepe!

Although pancake day has been and gone, pancakes are in no way, shape or form out of mind; and what better way to have breakfast like a true king than to print your face in a pancake? 

PancakeBot can fulfill all of your yolky needs, as clever mechanical arms move across the hotplate to print your own pancake design on to, that draws the outline first and then fills in, providing a full picture pancake with colour definition. 

It includes user friendly software that allows you to trace over your own image to create a unique pancake design, and by simply loading the drawing on to an SD you can order the PancakeBot to print you something amazing. 

Not only is this a great product for the average household, it would also make a great companion for any cafe, restaurant and party to allow customers to become more involved in the creativity of their food. Heck, a company launch party would be fantastic if you have the PancakeBot set up and printing out your company logo.

At roughly £120 to print your own pancakes, the PancakeBot is more than well worth the price for hours of entertainment. If you're interested in owning the PancakeBot you can head on over to Kickstarter where there's the option to buy PancakeBot by the bucket load. 

Product Designer: Rui Pereira

Rui Pereira is a Portuguese industrial designer best known for his contemporary style and quite alternative design whilst making products. He's teamed up with several other artists in his career to create some amazing designs that I can't help but appreciate and here are just a couple examples:

a) For those who struggle to know how much carbs we need to consume per day and if it's five pieces of fruit or seven now, then the Wheel of Nutrition is the plate for you. This handy plate is essentially a coloured pie chart advising on the portion sizes to have of each different food group. The plates come in three different styles: Diet, Extra Ordinary and Super-size, so you can pick and choose your level of food nutrition dedication. 

Having the different colours on the plate make it both aesthetically pleasing and informative, acting as a subtle reminder that you should eat more greens; and if you turn the plate over, on the ceramic underside is written the colour key for each food group. So if you're a little bit neurotic about what goes in to your body, the Wheel of Nutrition would be a perfect nutritional guide for you. 

b) As a testimony to the way that new companies are launching furniture at as faster than we can chew, Rui Pereira and Ryosuke Fukusada thought it would be ironic to literally 'feed' us our furniture. 

The Furniture Pan allows for the consumer to make cute spongy pieces of furniture that you can sprinkle, top and decorate in any which way, and when you're full of your furniture, you can dispose of it and start all over again; clever, right?

And not to mention how great this would be for making furniture for a ginger bread house! But what I love about Pereira's work here is the outdated use of metal casting, preferring to use traditional methods of design rather than deferring to 3D Printing and other modern styles.

c) Now this has to be probably the best of Rui Pereira's and Ryosuke Fukusada's designing power; Inrou is a solid and powerful backpack capable of keeping your belongings secure.

The two designers dug in to a solid brick of cork to create a hollow big enough to protect a laptop and perfectly shaped the backpack so that it looks less like a chunky block of cork and more like a functional and attractive backpack that I can't help but want to own.

What I like best about Inrou is the way in which the natural material of the cork is on full display, keeping the organic texture of the cork as the main feature; it's simplistic, raw and great at communicating a new for sustainability in today's plastic age. 

196° Below

With the likes of Heston Blumenthal and other gastronomical chefs out there bringing science and art to food, it was only a matter of time before someone made artistic food that can be sold out the back of a van. 

Well, technically 196 Below operate out of a pop up store, but it's still fast food, right? 

196 Below are the geniuses that paired nitrogen with gellato-anglaise (basically liquid ice cream) to form almost instant ice-cream that has no preservatives, colors or stabilizers and is probably the creamiest texture achievable in an ice-cream. It's clever as it really is instant ice-cream that can be made on demand, and guess what? IT GLOWS! 

Yes, this nitro gellato glows like neon lights in the dark; giving ice-cream a clubbing vibe. This would be perfect for a summer party in the park and would be a great companion for night festivals. So here's hoping that it takes off in the UK. 

Grubs up!

To pay homage to the new selection of housemates that are taking on the 'I'm a celebrity get me out of here' jungle, Iceland have produced this fun family game that encourages you to play along too.

The Bushtucker trial game gives you the opportunity to suffer similar punishments to the celeb; such as eating Wichetty grub, Wriggly worms, Snot balls, Monkey Vomit and a couple of other gross delicacies. Of course it's not the real thing, but it sure is really gross.

It comes in the form of a snakes and ladders game where the landing on a worm means you've got to eat a gross food. On the plus side for every ladder you scale you either get a brownie or a marshmallow snack.

Suffice to say the game (despite all it's gruesome tastes) is quite a laugh and hands down one of the most hilarious forms of entertainment out there. For just £5 it's definitely worth the money for a couple of hours of amusement. Although it did produce mass debates when one person ended up eating nothing but treats and I had to suffer more than my fair share of punishments. 

Iceland also have a meat pack full of other 'Australlian' themed meats for you to try at home. Their Exotic Meat Feast pack features Kangaroo burgers, Crocodile Burgers, Ostrich Burgers and Ostrich Fillets; a meat selection for those who want to be adventurous and taste something new. 

Ah Sweet!

You thought chilli chocolate was a bit out there? Well wait until you get a load of this! 

Cybercandy are the UK's largest retailer of American candy and other quirky food items that are bound to blow your mind. 

These bizarre flavours are just a few of the choices that Cybercandy offer and I must say they taste the part; blueberry stack chocolate, bubblegum chocolate, and my favourite homage to Doctor Who; Fish finger's and custard chocolate!

But the awesomeness (is that even a word?) doesn't end there as they also sell strange candy that will completely blow your mind. From Nutella bready to  HelloKitty soda to Birthday Cake M&M's; truly amazing gifts for any food junkie out there!