Tag Archives: asian

How to Decorate Cocktails With Edible Flowers

Posted on by

Perhaps the biggest trend of all in cocktail garnishes is the use of edible flowers to garnish the cocktail. Here is a comprehensive list of edible flowers and what drinks best suit the blossom.

Alliums (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) – Known as the “Flowering Onions.” There are approximately four hundred species that includes the familiar onion, garlic, chives, ramps, and shallots. These spears with purple flower heads are great for any Bloody Caesar or Mary.

Apple Blossoms – Apple Blossoms have a delicate floral flavor and aroma and can be used to garnish martinis or cocktails made with applejack or brandy.

Bee Balm – Also called Wild Bergamot, this pretty red flower tastes like a mixture like orange and mint. It can be used to garnish drinks made with Cointreau, Vermouth, Triple Sec and Grand Marnier.

Broccoli Florets – The top portion of broccoli is actually flower buds. They can be speared or nicked to decorate the rim of a Bloody Mary.

Calendula – Also called Marigolds. This spicy edible flower, which tastes like saffron, can turn a Bloody Mary into more of an Orange Mary.

Carnations – Carnation petals are one of secret ingredients that have been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century. For this reason, they are the perfect garnish to decorate any drink made with chartreuse.

Chrysanthemums – These tangy, slightly bitter buds ranging in colors from red, white, yellow and orange. They range in taste from faint peppery to mild cauliflower. They add a kind of Asian flavored twist to tomato based cocktails.
Citrus blossoms (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat) – Use these highly scented waxy petals sparingly to decorate everything from champagne cocktails to screwdrivers to Old Fashioned.

Clover – The sweet, mild licorice taste of clover buds goes well with Sambuca.

Cornflower – These bright blue flowers taste like cloves and compliment drinks made with Cointreau or Triple Sec.

Dandelions – This peppery blossom from the daisy family can be dropped into a tomato cocktail.

Geranium Blossoms – These bright pink blossoms are peppery and would like nice sprinkled on top of a martini. They also look great frozen in ice cubes and added to tall clear drinks.

Hibiscus – These gorgeous blossoms have a Cranberry-like flavor with citrus overtones. Used sparingly they would make an innovative garnish for a cosmopolitan.

Honeysuckle – These bright yellow petals taste look great garnishing a glass of Grand Marnier.

Impatiens – These multicolored flowers belong to the edible violet family and can be used in any cocktail.

Lavender – Sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The flowers look beautiful and taste good too in a glass of champagne.

Lilac – The lavender color of this slightly bitter plant would look great in a glass of champagne or a martini.

Nasturtiums – This peppery multi colored blossom peps up a Bloody Mary.

Roses – The flavor of a rose can depend on its variety but they can range in taste from strawberry to green apple-like to minty to peppery. They look great frozen in ice cubes and added to a drink

Violets – These purple blossoms have sweet distinctive flavor and compliment most clear drinks, especially if they are frozen in ice cubes.

Decorating a Meditation Space With Feng Shui

Posted on by

Are you looking to create the perfect room for meditation? If so then take these tips from the ancient Asian art of object placement known as Feng Shui for creating the perfect peaceful room.

First off, empty the room or area that you are thinking of transforming into a meditation space of absolutely all furniture and clutter. Remove all clunky or annoying looking light fixtures. If any fixtures need fixing, such a plate for an electrical socket, be sure to replace them. There should not be one single thing that is broken or annoying in a meditation space.

The mind is going to be blank and the walls should be too. This means getting out the plaster and covering up any seams or holes in the wall. The room should also be painted in a meditative color of your choice. Choose any color except for white because in Asian cultures that is the color that symbolizes death. Purples, browns, greens and blues are best for meditation rooms.
A meditation room should also be absolutely spotless. Contacting your higher power is easier without the distraction of dirt or unpleasant smells. However it is acceptable to burn incense. There are many types of Asian incenses on the market that are conducive to meditation and even manufactured specifically to facilitate it.

The meditation space itself should be decorated with bamboo mats. This is not necessary if the floor is already bamboo. Wood floors are fine as well as long as they are clean, polished and shiny.

In general there should be no distractions in the meditation space at all but you could hang pictures of Buddhas or other deities if appropriate. This really does depend if your meditation practices are wrapped up with your religious practices. No pictures at all are necessary if your meditation practice is separate from your religion.

Some meditation spaces are augmented by large gemstone rocks. A large crystal quartz or amethyst can give a meditation space a natural flare. Flowers are not really prominent in a Feng Shui’d meditation space however bamboo plants or inconspicuous greenery are allowed.

Another feature of a meditation space might be a Zen Garden. The size of a Zen garden can vary. It depends whether they are indoors or out. This type of garden consists of sand and rocks. Large gardens are made of sand and large boulders. Raking the patterns in the sand with a large or small rake is part of the meditation process. This type of meditation garden is actually Japanese in origin but you also see this type of raked sand in Chinese gardens as well.

Some meditation spaces also have fountains. One of the dangers of having a fountain in your meditation space is that you can end up focusing on the fountain rather than on meditation. However having a fountain in a sacred space is becoming more and more common and is considered acceptable in Feng Shum.