This post has been updated on my website here.
diy
How to Make Totoro Rice Cakes — A Tutorial
Before I go off into the fascinating world of Totoro Rice Cake’s, there are lyrics from The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home I must share.
It goes:
Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree as old as me
Branches were sewn by the colour of green
Ground had arose and passed it’s knees
By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
Combining these lyrics along with my favourite Hayao Miyaziki film hero—Totoro—I can just about envision the furry beast standing beside his acorn seeds, climbing on tree tops, and roaring his head off in ferocious grace for all that have ears to hear.
It is incredible to think that someone thought of stringing these words together into a song that is a perfect soundtrack for making Totoro rice cakes.
I think these things lead to a certain kind of excitement in being a creative. Knowing that you possess a skill or ability to create something that resonates with the rest of the world. For this season, that being me, in my studio where I dream of ideas and set about creating them.
To know that I have at the tip of my fingertips the ability to command to life an army of Totoro’s is quite empowering. While this post is to share my love for rice cakes, I hope that we all find and pursue diligently that medium where we bring much joy to ourselves and to the world.
Without further ado, here are steps to making your own Totoro rice cake, for you and for me.
You will need:
Ground sesame powder
Cooked sushi rice
Piece of sliced cheese
Sheets of nori
Clean boba straw
Toothpicks
Leaves to decorate
1. Mix sesame powder into rice for desired shade of grey. Puncture cheese with boba straw for Totoro eyes.
2. Use plastic wrap to mold grey and white rice into appropriate size for torso, abdomen and ears.
3. Trim circles of nori for eyes, nose, and half moons for belly. Insert ears into Totoro torso and secure with toothpicks.
4. For Susuwatari (Soot Sprites) — roll rice ball onto nori sheet, soften edges of nori with water to shape. Decorate with eyes.
5. There you have it, Totoro and soot sprite rice cakes. Better when they match your socks.
Photograph them on black.
Gift them to a friend.
Introduce them to your hedgehog.
Do enjoy.
The end.
—
Find tutorials to Alpaca Rice Cakes here & Panda Rice Cakes here.
We built a Newspaper Wall and made Strawberry Galette
The thanksgiving season is a perfect excuse for me to keep the oven on 24/7 and bake anything that comes to mind.
Pre baked beauties
We made Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce from Epicurious with a little adaption to the sauce (we used fresh ricotta + whipped cream + dill). You can find a recipe for the Strawberry Basil Balsamic Galette here.
I found the newspaper wall idea from the book Design in Bloom and knew I had to make it. It was fun going around town asking for newspapers and I am always pleasantly surprised how people are willing to help out on my crazy art projects.
Here are photos from our wall.
It acts as a great photo booth too ✌️
Plating by Hartman
Collaborations are so fun. You get to work with talented friends that know how to make things look+taste good and you get to eat it too.
Everything was delicious.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sophia Hsin 