Crystal Grandeur: May 2014

Thursday, 29 May 2014

Oriental Tablescape

The hot and humid weather of the year has almost come to an end and it is nice to see the dark clouds hovering over the city. One tends to get bored by staying indoors to avoid the heat and glancing at the same decor and doing the same regular cooking.

Sometimes we get refreshed by a change of decor and with a change of cooking. Therefore, I tried creating an Eastern ambiance with elements associated with the Eastern culture, in our living room. To capture the mood of the East I set a table typical of the east and by preparing Chinese food. It was fun attempting to do an oriental style interior with house plants like the Bamboo, a Bonsai tree, fruits and dishes with a touch of blue.

A floor throw pillow with tassels

Do you love Chinese food? Who wouldn't love it? Besides eating Chinese food preparing Chinese food is a great pleasure too. Chinese cuisine surely is finding its way into most homes and is a work of art. Beside other interests, cooking and trying out new dishes are always on my agenda.

Sometimes, I am amused by the old memories of me as a newly married young girl who got away from my home town and moved to an unfamiliar destination like Mumbai/Bombay. At the time, everything seemed new and difficult, including cooking, which seemed like a Himalayan task. There were many funny incidents involving my cooking, including ones that occurred after guests had been invited. I remember calling my mother or writing to her to tell her about how I found cooking so difficult. Every single time she would convince me by saying I would learn cooking over a period of time and that I must keep trying.

I shall always remember and follow a sweet Tamil adage my mother came up with, which roughly translated means 'What the eyes see, the hands will learn'. How true it holds, and yes my cooking did improve over the years. I learned cooking through trial and error, from books, TV shows, Cooking Classes and from various other sources.

I'd like to share a few of my Chinese recipes which I learnt whilst attending a Chinese cooking class. The Chinese Recipes used here have been concocted to suit Indian tastes, and the food is amusingly called 'Indian Chinese Food'. They are easy to prepare and delicious too.

Indonesian blue depression plates

A Bonsai tree near my bay window

Tips on Chinese cooking:

Always serve Chinese food in porcelain or China crockery.

If using chopsticks, the right way is to place the chopsticks is parallel to one another.

If someone is passing a bowl of rice or any other food bowl, always receive it with both hands. Else it is considered a bad sign.

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1.Szechuan Sauce:

Sesame oil-250ml
Garlic - 100gm
Ginger - 100gm
Green chillies - 5
Red Chilli powder - 2 tablespoons
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Tomato Ketchup - Half a cup
Chilli sauce -1 tablespoon
Celery along with leaves -2 sticks
Sugar - 1 tablespoon
Vinegar - 1 tablespoon.
Ajinomoto - A pinch (Optional)
Salt - According to the taste.

Method: Chop the Garlic, Ginger, Green Chillies, Celery leaves along with the stem, very fine. In a bowl put in the chopped Garlic, Ginger, Green Chillies, cut Celery, Red Chilli powder, Kashmiri chilli powder, Tomato ketchup, Chilli sauce, Ajinamotto, Sugar, Vinegar and salt.

In a pan pour the oil and heat it up till the smoke rises. Switch off the stove and let the oil cool down. Pour the oil (cold) in the bowl and mix it thoroughly. The Chilli powder can be reduced according to ones taste. This sauce is tangy and spicy and served with soups, main dishes, and starters.
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2. Garlic chicken

Boneless chicken-Half a kilo
Green Capsicum - 3 Medium Sized
Green Chillies - 3-4
Garlic - 100 Gms
Tomato Ketchup - 1/2 Table Spon
Soya Sauce - 3 - 4 Table Spoons
Black Pepper - 1/2 Teaspoon

Cut chicken into small pieces. Pour oil in a pan and pan-fry the chicken pieces till it becomes tender and cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and spread it on a kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

Keep the used pan on the stove and pour oil, when the oil becomes hot put in the finely cut Garlic and fry for a few minutes. Then add the cut Green Chillies and the cut Capsicum, and fry them for a while and when it becomes soft add the chicken to the pan. Then add the Soya Sauce, Tomato Ketchup, Pepper Powder and Salt. Reduce the intensity of the flame, and stir it for a few minutes, then switch off the Cooking Unit.

This dish can be used as a Starter.

Thank You......

Please Visit Nap On The porch
Please Visit foodie friday
Please Visit The Tablescapet
Please Visit a Stroll Thru Life
Please Visit Style Sisters

Thursday, 22 May 2014

Sunday, 11 May 2014

A Table for you and your Mother....:):)

Wishing everyone a 'Happy Mother's Day.A great way to start Mother's Day celebration is by setting a charming table for your Mother and your family.I have created a table and dedicated it to all the beautiful Mothers in this post of mine on Mother's day.A table with pleasing soft palette of white with mix of green and yellow that looked pretty and cool.A small milk white pot contains a simple pastel colored floral arrangement in the center to compliment the whole setting.
Mangoes are one of the joys of Indian summer.Placing some fresh cut yellow mangoes in a cup looks delicious and a nice way to start the celebration.Hope you like my table and thank you for your visit.

A small note to all those who miss their Mother on this day:
Your Mother is always with you....She's the whisper of leaves as you walk down the street.She's the smell of perfume on your freshly laundered cloths.She's the cool hand on your brow when you are not well.Your mother lives inside your laughter.She's crystallized in every teardrop.She's the place you came from,your first home.She's the map you follow with every step you take.She's your first love and your first heartbreak and nothing on the earth can separate you.Not time,not space...not even death.A mother like ours is more than a memory,she is a living presence...!!!!!!