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[Great Singapore Sale 2013]- Nespresso

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We’re into the final month of the Great Singapore Sales 2013 [GSS2013] and in this entry, we will be featuring Nespresso’s awesome PIXIE coffee machine, and the three popular limited edition Variations that has become part of Nespresso’s permanent Grand Crus range!
The Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine.

The three most desired limited edition Variations- Vanilla, Dark Chocolate and Caramel will be brought back as part of Nespresso’s permanent Grand Crus range. The three flavours will be re-introduced as Vanilio, Ciocattino, and Caramelito Variations Grand Crus.

A month ago, we had the privilege of having a Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine loaned to us and it sports a new sleek, stainless steel-panel.

To collect our review set, we went down to the Nespresso Boutique at Ion Orchard and the place is really classy.

The Nespresso Boutique has quite a number of accessories that Nespresso Club Members can purchase and some of them include coffee cups and saucers.

These are not the colourful Nespresso coffee capsules. They are actually coffee cups.

There are different types of Nespresso Coffee Machines that are retailing at Nespresso’s Boutique Shop @ Ion Orchard and you will definitely be able to find one that will cater to your budget.

For the more trendy coffee connoisseurs, you can consider this “bling bling” Nespresso Coffee Machine.

After our rendezvous with the friendly people from Nespresso, we lug this huge amount of goodies home.

We were given a full set of Nespresso Coffee Capsules and they are really colourful. Due to the generosity of the friendly people at Nespresso, we have quite a couple of Nespresso Coffee Capsules leftover.

A milk frother was also loaned to us and it really comes in handy for making hot beverages like cappucino, mocha, and latte.

Using the Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine is a breeze. It takes only 25 to 30 seconds for the Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine to heat up and prepare a Nespresso Grand Cru Espresso or Lungo Coffee.

The addition of a black mat handle enhances the stylishness of the Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine.

The Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine is super easy to operate.

All you have to do is just lift the handle, pop the coffee capsule in……

Push down the handle, press the appropriate button, and there you go, a freshly made cup of hot coffee in less than a minute.

Like we mentioned, the Nespresso Aeroccino does comes in handy and you can use it to heat milk suitable for making a latte……

Or to heat up the milk to form milky froths and make a cup of Cappucino or Mocha.

From Nespresso 2013

We love having a cup of coffee served with Danish Butter Cookies! It’s heavenly!

Seriously, if you’re a coffee lover and you’re someone whom absolutely must have a cup of coffee every morning, you might want to consider getting the Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine. Not only does it satisfy your craving in an instant, the Nespresso PIXIE Coffee Machine is eco-friendly and saves energy too!

With the GSS2013 coming to an end soon, don’t miss out on Nespresso’s GSS Special because when you purchase any Nespresso Coffee Machine during this season, you can receive a $50 Club Credit that you can utilise to buy Nespresso’s Coffee Capsules and other accessories as well.

So hurry down to the nearest Nespresso Boutique near you!

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For All You Foodies Out There- SAVOUR 2013: Come Celebrate the Delicious

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This is for all you foodies out there because if you love food, SAVOUR 2013 is one food event that you must not miss out on!
SAVOUR 2013 will be taking place from 11th April 2013 [Thursday] to 14th April 2013 [Sunday] at the F1 Pit Building and Paddock!

[Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

If you don’t know what SAVOUR is all about, it is a one of its kind concept in Singapore to relentless pursuit to unite the best in food and drink with a wide range of unique activities that is accessible to all. During last year’s SAVOUR 2012 event, it brought together over 14,000 like-minded food enthusiasts into one exclusive purpose-built venue where they enjoyed a day of Michelin-starred dishes, expert master classes, live demonstrations, fun workshops and culinary shopping.

An example of the fun workshops that will be conducted is the recent Nespresso Atelier Class that I attended. Click the following link to find out more: https://awinsomelife.org/2013/03/28/nespresso-atelier-class-savour-2013-preview/

SAVOUR 2013 is divided into three main exclusive areas, namely, Gourmet Village, Gourmet Market, and Gourmet Auditorium.

Gourmet Village

Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

The alfresco Gourmet Village will feature over 25 leading chefs and 18 award-winning restaurants serving up a global tasting trail. The 2013 line-up will feature chefs with over 10 Michelin-stars between them in addition to top-100 ranked restaurants, including representation from South America and Africa. Overall, over 60 signature dishes will be on offer for you to create your very own culinary adventure. Click the following link to view participating chefs and restaurants: http://www.savour.sg/gourmet/chefs-restaurants-bars

Gourmet Market

Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

[Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

SAVOUR would not be complete without the two-storey Gourmet Market, a 10,000 sqm international showcase of a plethora of food and drink exhibitors. The Market also includes Savour Event Arenas which will host complementary workshops, tastings and product demonstrations conducted by renowned experts. Sample hundreds of quality products from an array of top producers, and take part in fun activities at the Wine Theatre, Baking Arena and even the Kids’ Corner.

Gourmet Auditorium

Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

Credits to SAVOUR 2013 for the Image]

Expect the best chefs from around the world as well as Singapore’s top talent to put on master classes to remember at the Gourmet Auditorium, SAVOUR’s bespoke 300-seater air-conditioned arena. SAVOUR 2013 will see a expanded schedule of master classes covering an increased variety of topics. Click the following link for the latest schedule of master classes: http://www.savour.sg/activity/event/activity_date_id/1/activity_date_detail_id/1

Tempted to go to SAVOUR 2013 yet?

Now, here’s 8 compelling reasons that I have gotten from SAVOUR 2013’s Website about why you should go to SAVOUR 2013!

1. Celebrate the all-new Gourmet Village
Singapore’s biggest gourmet festival packs a mighty punch, all in one 32,000sqm purpose-built location. The Gourmet Village in 2013 not only features the finest in food and drink, but an all-weather experience under additional shelter, including a brand new air-cooled dining pavilion.

2. Celebrate the Stars
Get up-close and personal with over 30 award-winning international chefs from here and around the world as they cook off against each other at the Gourmet Village. With over 12 Michelin stars across 18 top restaurants, find yourself served by some of the best chefs in the world.

3. Celebrate global cuisine at first class prices
Go on a tasting trail and sample over 60 award-winning dishes at the Gourmet Village because SAVOUR 2013 dishes are now priced lower, from S$6 to S$18. You can feel free to create your own unique culinary journey like starting with a molecular-fusion appetizer from Hong Kong, moving on to a main course from South Africa, and finishing off with a delicate Peruvian dessert

4. Celebrate SAVOUR at its great location
Savour a great dish, grab a drink and enjoy culinary workshops with friends and family members right in the heart of the city. Spend a day or three at SAVOUR, soaking up the exciting atmosphere, or simply coming for a fun, friendly day out.

5. Celebrate being inspired
Learn tricks of the trade from the very best in the culinary world. Attend FREE chef master classes and cooking demonstrations in the comforts of the 300-seater indoor Gourmet Auditorium. SAVOUR 2013 will give everyone the opportunity to immerse in an inspiring behind-the-scenes experience with their favourite chef.

6. Celebrate Market flavours
Visit the Gourmet Market and shop for top quality ingredients and produce sourced from around the world. Connect with an entire ecosystem of quality brands, food and wine producers, and attend live workshops, demonstrations and FREE sampling sessions. There’s over 300 different activities that are available for you to attend for that complete sensory experience.

7. Celebrate new discoveries with Savour Itineraries
Not sure what to experience first? Solve your culinary conundrum by picking up one of the many SAVOUR Itineraries customised to specific themes. Follow your nose on a fascinating tour of the World of Wines, satisfy your sweet tooth by taking on the SAVOUR Pastry Journey or delve into the the origins of exotic coffee on the SAVOUR Coffee Trail. The only problem you will have will be choosing between them all!

8. Celebrate great value, with a time extension
The SAVOUR Premier Pass is priced at $55 (Lunch Session) and $65 (Dinner Session), inclusive of SAVOUR Dollars to buy food and drinks at the Gourmet Village, and produce at the Gourmet Market. Extended opening hours at the Gourmet Village and Gourmet Market means a combined total of 7 more fun-filled hours to spend at SAVOUR 2013. It’s definitely fulfilling!

Well, it’s less than two weeks away to SAVOUR 2013 and looking at Sistic’s Website now, tickets for Saturday’s SAVOUR Pass [access to Gourmet Market only] and Sunday’s SAVOUR Pass [access to Gourmet Market only] are sold out! Also, tickets to Friday’s SAVOUR Premier Pass [Dinner] (access to Gourmet Village and Gourmet Market) and Saturday’s SAVOUR Premier Pass [Dinner] (access to Gourmet Village and Gourmet Market) are selling fast!

To purchase tickets to SAVOUR 2013, you can click here <–

Don’t miss out on SAVOUR 2013 and get your tickets soon! Baby and I have already purchased Saturday’s SAVOUR Premier Pass [Dinner] (access to Gourmet Village and Gourmet Market) so if you’re there too, do hook us up! 🙂

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Nespresso Atelier Class [SAVOUR 2013 Preview]

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Recently, I was invited to attend the Nespresso Atelier Class, which is also a preview of the classes that are available at SAVOUR 2013. I will be sharing more about SAVOUR 2013 in a separate blog post but meanwhile, take a look at the Nespresso Atelier Class that I attended with other Bloggers like Magdalene, Dawn Yang and Juliana.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

To begin with, coffee isn’t a subject that is totally alien to me. Back then when I was a scrawny-looking youth and was working at McCafe as a Barista, we didn’t exactly have any formal training. It was 100% on the job training [also known as OJT] and within a short period of 3 months, I acquired the necessary knowledge to make espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, frappes and other types of beverages. Knowing how to make these coffee beverages were what I was good at, but what I probably lacked was the knowledge of coffee appreciation as an art.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Similarly, many of us enjoy drinking coffee to stay awake but what we probably didn’t know is how we can appreciate coffee. As coffee is an acidic beverage, it is highly recommended that we take in some food before drinking coffee. As such, we bloggers were treated to a sumptuous spread of canapes before we went on to learn about coffee appreciation.

Bacon with Artichokes

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Scallop with Truffles

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Cheese with Tomatoes

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Mini Lasagna

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Here we are happily eating all those yummy canapes that were served.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

After we were done eating, we were ushered to the desk where it was set up for all of us to learn about coffee appreciation.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Allow me to introduce you to the Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machine that we used for the Nespresso Atelier Class.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

What I like best about the Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machine is that it is really eco-friendly. The aluminium of the panels is made of 98% recycled Nespresso Capsules and it is really energy-efficient as it auto powers off after 9 or 30 minutes. Though it is eco-friendly, it doesn’t compromises on its performance and heats up in only 25-30 seconds! Moreover, it is rather stylish and comes in 6 different colours. You can also purchase a separate milk frother to create interesting coffee beverages like cappuccinos and lattes.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

The Nespresso 16 Grand Crus Coffee Capsules that can be used in all Nespresso Coffee Machines are produced from an exclusive selection of the finest green coffee grown in the world. Only an estimated 1-2% of the coffee grown globally meets Nespresso’s specific taste and aroma profiles. Hence, you can be assured that every Nespresso 16 Grand Crus Coffee Capsules are of the highest standards for quality and sustainability.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Our trainer for the evening, from whom I gained lots of insights into coffee.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

My learning space for the evening. Extremely professional and personalised.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Here are the 3 out of the 16 Nespresso Grand Crus Coffee Capsules that we tried for the evening. My personal favourite is the Dulsao do Brasil because of its smooth and balanced taste.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

The Nespresso Pixie Coffee Machine is really easy to operate. Its a simple matter of putting the coffee capsule into the machine, pushing the lever down, and pressing the button.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013
From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

And there you go, an instant hot cup of espresso coffee to start the day!

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

From the Nespreso Atelier Class, I discovered that coffee appreciation is rather similar to wine appreciation or even tea appreciation for that matter. To appreciate coffee, you have to make use of your sense of sight, smell, and taste and to begin with, you first use your sense of sight to look at the coffee. You should observe that there is a layer of golden brown crema at the top of the coffee and the bubbles present in the crema should be small and fine.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

If you scoop up the crema using a teaspoon, the crema should stick to the teaspoon and not drip.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Following which, you use your sense of smell to smell the coffee. When smelling the coffee, let the aroma of the coffee sink into your mind and as it does so, try to associate the coffee to something that smells like it. It could be the scent of hazelnut, chocolate, candy, toffee, maple and so on.

Finally, you use your sense of taste and taste the coffee. To taste the coffee, you should slurp a reasonable amount of coffee and let the coffee flow all over your tongue just before you swallow it. After you have tasted the coffee, try to associate the coffee to something that tastes like it and use descriptive words to describe how it tasted. Some descriptive words could be mellow, smooth, balanced, intense, fruity, acidic, and so on.

*Before you go on and taste another type of coffee, it is important that you always cleanse your palate with a mouthful of water.

Having learned the art of coffee appreciation, we were treated to a delightful Tiramisu cake that was made from Nespresso Coffee.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Besides learning how to appreciate coffee, we also had the opportunity to make our very own Cappuccino A La Rose. Here, I had the opportunity to use the Nespresso Milk Frother and using it was a breeze. I just had to push a button and the milk will be heated up and frothed.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013
From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

I have to say, the Nespresso Milk Frother really frothes the milk beautifully.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Well, it is rather simple to make the Cappuccino A La Rose. All you need is a shot of espresso coffee, 30ml of rose syrup, and a piece of milk chocolate.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

The first step is to pour the rose syrup into a coffee cup.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Next, you put in 1 piece of milk chocolate into the coffee cup filled with the rose syrup.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Then add in a single shot of espresso into the mixture.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

After which, add some warm milk until the coffee cup is 3/4 full.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

Finally, scoop up some milk froth and fill the coffee cup till it is full.

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

If you wish, you can lightly dust some red icing sugar. If not, this was how my cup of Cappuccino A La Rose looks like. The white stuffs that you see on my cup of Cappuccino A La Rose are not marshmallows but milk froth. Yes, my skills as a  former Barista are still intact and working good. 😛

From Nespresso Atelier Class 2013

All in all, the Nespresso Atelier Class was an eye-opener for me and if you’re interested in attending such a class, do check out SAVOUR 2013 because they have a whole range of other culinary workshops and classes like these that are available for you to learn and experience. For me, this will definitely not be the end of my learning journey with coffee. I definitely will hope to learn more about coffee as a subject and venture into the art of making wonderfully crafted coffee beverages. Once a Barista, always a Barista!

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