Eat-In Style

Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.

-Ruth Reichi, Food Editor for the Modern Library

Bon Appetit Everday. 

How is it already December! This month is always a busy one complete with holiday parties, time off work, and wrapping up end-of-the-year activities and chores. This time of the year is also a time to get indulged in food, sweets, cookies, and classic Christmas recipe foods.

As for me, playing up my creativity with colour, texture, and shapes of vegetables styled with edible fresh flower mixed herbs is a great way to usher in the festive mood.  It is an easy and refreshing tropical recipe: Organic Tofu, baby cabbages, cherry tomatoes, Japanese Zucchini, burpee cherry Radish in olive oil, and table salt. Or for cooler weather, it can make a great side dish for any grilled seafood, chicken, or it can just be the main salad meal, adding meat, poultry, or seafood.  Other options include serving it over pasta that you love. 

You can easily change this recipe and use up the ingredients you have on hand. Some broccoli would be a great addition to the recipe as well. You can also experiment with how big or small you want your zucchini pieces. You may also want to add a little store-bought salad sauce when you serve it. 

The inspiration for this recipe came from one of my foodie experiences, having been invited to home parties hosted by friends over the years. 

Inspiration for DIY backdrops for food photography and food styling.

As I was preparing the photography images for this post, I find how incredibly important surfaces and backdrops are in food photography and food styling.

Blending ART and JOY with your culinary skills. 

As Art has always been in me, 'Eat-In Style' is a visual expression that inspires me to go beyond our daily routine lifestyle, and I hope it inspires you in your daily lives too, with the mantra, a 'life-well-lived'. This versatile dish offers a lot of flexibility and opportunities to bring out the artistic expression in you. You become your own culinary celebrity chef designing, three, five, or seven courses dishes. Not forgetting, while managing the clutters around us, we love to remind ourselves of the essential things that 'SPARK JOY" authentically,

Do you look like yourself? Are you at home in your life? Are you living by your own design?

Women and men, CEOs, and civil servants, fashionistas, and fashion photos, full-time mamas and emerging entrepreneurs- for everyone who wants to sharpen their personal edge, steer ready through transitions, or reclaim your mojo, 'Eat-In Style' aspires to be a part of your daily dose to your inspired and authentic living.

Tofu and Cabbage Fresh Salad styling with edible Flower Herbs Mixed
Photo by Refinement Society 

The visual display of the dish arouse one's palate.

                                

I love to be surrounded by all things beautiful, and I use the splash of colours to uplift the mood. Take this opportunity to let your imagination runs its course with bright, or subtle contrasting colours vegetables, and mixed herbs. 

Recipe and Choice of ingredients, Vegetables, and Mixed Herbs. 

The dish has an endless combination of possibilities that will bring out the culinary creativity in you. For a start, go for something simple and a combination of your favourite vegetables, fruits, and herbs. 

1 Square slice of Organic Traditional Tofu sliced into 2-inch-rectangular shapes

1 Japanese Zucchini sliced into rectangular 1-inch-thick shapes.

3 or 5 Cherry Tomatoes 

1 or 2 Root Red Radish sliced into thin circular shapes (Read unexpected benefits of Radish below)

3 to 5 edible flower herbs mix

A tint of Sea salt to bring out the flavour.

Add 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil 

The vegetables are cut into different shapes and sizes to give textures on top of their various colours as to how you style yourself, especially for this festive season, and joyful events. It is also to bring out the creative expression in your personal style. 

Eating Vitamin C for Nourishment and inner Beauty.

Do add to your daily diet, your personal choice of refreshing, delicious freshly squeezed juice with a touch of minty flavour, for nourishment, and beauty.

Antioxidant Vitamin C with a mix of  fruits and vegetables (Orange, Tomato, and baby organic Bitter Gourd)
Photo by Refinement Society

Choice of Fruits and Vegetables. 

1 medium-sized tomato

1 orange

1 mini organic bitter gourd

Add Mint leaves to spice up the look, feel, and taste of freshness aroma. 

Photo image by Refinement Society 

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.

-Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

Unexpected BENEFITS of Radish for Nourishment, Beauty, and Immune System.

Sliced Radishes in Bowl and Photo by Freepik

Radish is rich in nutrients including potassium, calcium, sodium, and vitamin C. They also contain thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, A, and K as well as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc. It is surprisingly crunchy and peppery in addition to salads, not only that it can also have great benefit your health.

Eating some fresh fruits and vegetables every day, pairing them with other foods, or with breakfast is about eating a well-balanced diet. It also keeps you healthy and is probably the best thing you can do for your appearance, and looks. The relationship between vitamin C and the common cold ( and especially with the current pandemic flu-like Covid19), is an idea that has been with us for some time; and it may be a good idea to take more vitamin C when you catch a cold, during the wintery season.

Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and citrus fruits is a rich source of Vitamin C; necessary for growth, healthy gums and mouth, healing of wounds, and good skin.

NB: The scientific name of the radish is Raphanus Sativus.

You are What you eat.

Choice of Dinnerware/Tableware. 

For special occasions, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chinese New Year, or when you have guests over, selecting the right tableware, salad plates, or vintage dinnerware, silverware, juice, and wine glasses from your own collection in the cupboards add a personal touch of festivity to your table settings. 

Setting your table with your own holiday dinnerware brings the magic of festivity to your table.
Photo by  Mika Baumeister of Unsplash

Eat-In Style is not only about food, but it is about YOU too.  A powerful choice of food that we eat is one that honours your mind, body, and soul.  Every day is filled with opportunities to choose food that nourishes you,  that gives you joy, that gives you energy. and that gives you beauty. 

Eat-In Style is a Style Statement to create a life with intention... to communicate who you are in what you eat and the etiquette of using the right dinnerware to project elegance and refinement. This, in turn, creates a greater enjoyment and appreciation for the meal. 

Most business professionals are aware that how you look and present yourself to others can create lasting impressions. There is no difference when organising or hosting a lunch, dinner, or festive meal. Others will judge you by your dining manners and/etiquette and polished host and executives are confident and comfortable in any of these situations.

Bon Appetit every day!