
2 minute read
TOUCHING HEAVEN
from VOCA Vol.1 No.6
by Kréhon
Chocolate fudge Brownies
QUANTITY: A small baking tray
Advertisement
30g Cocoa powder 60g Cake Flour (All purpose) Pinch of salt 3ml Baking Powder Handful chopped nuts (optional) 115g Butter 200g Granulated sugar 2 Eggs 7.5ml Vanilla essence
METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Sift together the dry ingredients and add the nuts into a bowl. In a separate glass bowl, melt the butter and add the sugar, and stir it. Allow the mixture to cool off before adding the vanilla essence and eggs. Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Do not over-mix the batter. Line a deep baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease. Pour in the batter and place into a hot oven set to 180°C for 20-35 minutes.
― VIRGINIA WOOLF
DYK?

YOU'VE LIKELY BEEN SAYING "CHEESE" for the camera since you were a kid. However, in the early 19th century, people attempted to capture the ideal expression by saying "prunes." Apparently, the cue helped keep subjects' mouths "prim," according to the Washington Post. Former Full House stars Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen have reportedly used the same trick for years in order to present the perfectly relaxed pout to the paparazzi.

PLENTY OF PEOPLE LIKE TO ENJOY A LITTLE WASABI with their sushi—or a lot, depending on their tolerance for the stuff. But it turns out that real wasabi is pretty pricey (around $160 per kilogram), which is why 99 percent of what's called wasabi in the U.S. is actually a mix of horseradish and hot Chinese mustard, plus green dye to give it the right colour, according to a report published in The Atlantic.

THERE'S A REASON WHY IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LAUGH when someone is tickling you—and it has nothing to do with the situation being overwhelmingly funny. Instead, your body is likely employing a natural defence mechanism. Scientists from the University of Tuebingen in Germany found that when we're being tickled, the part of the brain that anticipates pain is triggered. Because our brain thinks we're in trouble, we might strike at whoever is tickling us or we might laugh, which is a sign of submission.