Monthly Archives: January 2017

Home/2017/January

New Beginnings

2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

With only a couple of days to Chinese new year, a few tasks remain to be completed for the arrival of the year of the Rooster. The week leading up to Chinese New Year is bustling with preparations in most Chinese families' household. It begins with a deep clean of the house to make room for good fortune to enter. Every nook and cranny is emptied of anything redundant. All the rubbish discarded. If there is an altar, a thorough clean and adorning fresh flowers on it is customary. This is followed with decorations of red calligraphy denoting various good wishes to [...]

New Beginnings2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

Chinese New Year 2017

2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

The Year of the Rooster is upon us this 2017. The lucky colours for the year are expressed through a myriad of shades of red, yellow, orange, pink and purple. Warm tones like amber reds and blazing golds come from the fiery rooster. This year we will be celebrating Chinese New Year 2017 on the 28th of January. We will begin the evening with the tossing of the raw salad. The ritual aims to bring together family and friends at a table that is round, signifying a circle of life, but yet, one of infinite possibilities. The fresh salad which has a variety [...]

Chinese New Year 20172020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

Aromatic Garlic

2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

Much of Chinese cooking is centered around garlic. Infact, the two sister ingredients - garlic and ginger are complementary in that if ginger provides the zing of vitality, then the garlic's potency provides for power and energy. Garlic's curative powers are well known in most cuisines. When cooked it also enhances the flavour of the dish making it more satisfying and delicious. At Naturally Chinese, whether we use whole, chopped, sliced or crushed garlic in our dishes, it is important to understand how much to use for each particular recipe. Our Chilli Szechuan king prawns incorporates the whole cooked garlic pieces [...]

Aromatic Garlic2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

Eating Sustainable Foods

2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

January presents an opportunity for us to reflect on  our goals for the coming months. Soon the weather will change and we will be able to do more, see more, even grow more. One of my goals that is very important to me is to be part of a movement that promotes eating sustainable foods. At Naturally Chinese, we've been taking steps and doing our best to move towards buying local foods, and that have as little a carbon footprint as possible. The need for us to take responsibility of our food and where it comes from is more crucial today [...]

Eating Sustainable Foods2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

Chasing the New Year Blues Away

2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00

So it's 2017 already! Christmas came and went and here we are at the start of a new year. Daunting as it may seem to some, the next two weeks are a good opportunity to adjust to the new things we want to accomplish for the coming year. Making a list and keeping it by your bedside helps. Crossing them off as you accomplish them everyday can bring you inspiration and motivation to achieve what you aim for. Sometimes clutter can hold us back. A new year clean out may do some good to allow room for new things to come [...]

Chasing the New Year Blues Away2020-04-30T10:51:07+01:00