August 8, 2016 Round the world, Travel

7 reasons to add Kyoto to your bucket list

Bucket list (title), Kyoto, Japan

Home to tranquil temples, lush gardens, striking shrines and mysterious geishas, a visit to Japan would not be complete without venturing to its cultural and historic center, Kyoto. Providing a striking contrast to the chaotic, neon-lit and modernistic mega-city of Tokyo, Kyoto is a completely different world. The city exudes warmth, classic character and a timeless elegance so palpable it almost feels as if time has stood still.

Therein lies the magic of Kyoto and it is reason enough to add this captivating city to your bucket list RIGHT NOW. If you need a little more convincing, however, here are seven more reasons to add Kyoto to any Japan travel itinerary.

ORANGE-TORII-GATES in Kyoto, Japan
ORANGE-TORII-GATES

1) Gion District

The oldest district in Kyoto, Gion is the epicenter of geisha culture. Here you’ll find a winding maze of alleyways, a myriad of tea houses, incredible shopping, delectable cuisine and night-time entertainment. You’ll more than likely spot a geisha or two as they disappear down the winding streets and trust me, it will all hardly seem real.

2) Bamboo Forest

The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest is one of Kyoto’s most striking and well-known sights, and for good reason. Standing amid towering stalks of bamboo is a moment of pure magic, and one not to be missed on a trip to Kyoto.

Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan

3) Stay in a traditional ryokan (guesthouse)

While there are plenty of Western-style accommodation options in Kyoto, there’s nothing like embracing traditional Japanese culture and staying in a ryokan. The hospitality you’ll experience will no doubt be the highlight of your visit.

4) Wear a beautiful kimono

You will see kimonos everywhere in Kyoto and a stay in a ryokan comes with a kimono lent to you for the duration of your stay.

KYOTO-GION-GEISHAS, Kyoto, Japan
KYOTO-GION-GEISHAS

5) Fushimi Inari-Taisha

Sitting at the base of a thickly wooded mountain, the seemingly endless passageway of brilliant orange gates is one of the most recognized sights in all of Japan. In reality, there are thousands of orange gates leading all the way up Mount Inari and this is perhaps one of the most impressive religious sites I’ve visited till date.

6) Tenryuji Temple

Kyoto is home to hundreds of exquisite temples but if you visit just one during your time in Kyoto, make it Tenryuji. It is simply stunning and no photos will ever do it justice. Be sure to see it for yourself!

Tenryuji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

7) Incredible Shopping

Shijo Street in the heart of central Kyoto is a shopper’s paradise. Here you’ll find everything you can imagine, and then some. Not far from Shijo Street is the famous Nishiki Market – an incredible marketplace of more than one hundred shops and restaurants and another must-visit for those among us who love to shop.

If you have plans to head to Japan, be sure to add Kyoto to your itinerary – you won’t regret it!

Source: Tripoto

August 5, 2016 Food

Stuffed Vegetables

Stuffed Vegetables-title

Falafel stuffed aubergines, roasted ricotta and pesto stuffed tomatoes, minced meat stuffed whole cabbage, tuna and basil stuffed tomatoes, chicken enchiladas stuffed zucchini boats, Lebanese-style stuffed eggplants, roasted onions with curried rice – the ideas are endless, vegetarian doesn’t have to be just plain old vegetables, here is your chance to turn it up several notches.

Stuffed vegetables-stuffed peppers
Ardei umpluţi, stuffed peppers

Entertaining? Having a few guests over and few of them are vegetarian – that is enough to get most of us into a flutter and scramble for the pile of menu cards to order something or go through endless recipes wondering what to hustle up. You could try stuffing and roasting tomatoes, onions or peppers with a vegetarian ragout or some chopped sautéed mushroom and aubergines along with some flavourful goat cheese, herbs and spices.

Stuffed bhendi or lady finger- stuffed vegetables
By Deboli Dutta (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Indian cuisine can be so diverse you can easily find different variations of recipes for stuffed vegetables from coast to coast and north to south.  You can find recipes for stuffed bhindi or stuffed tendli or even stuffed potatoes but the most common recipe found is for stuffed green peppers. Green peppers or capsicum are stuffed with paneer, prawn balchao, onions and potatoes seasoned with garlic, spices, lemon juice or even minced meat and either browned on a tawa or fried on a pan or even baked in an oven until the peppers are soft.

Stuffed peppers are also a traditional part of Spanish cuisine, especially from the region of the Basque country. The fillings vary from manchego cheese  to beef or cod in béchamel sauce.

Stuffed peppers-stuffed vegetables
Peppers Red Filled Minced Meat Paprika

You can also find more than just one stuffed pepper dish in Mexican cuisine- you have the stuffed poblano peppers with cheese or minced meat, covered in egg batter and fried which is often served with a sauce. The most popular dish is jalapeno poppers, which are jalapeno peppers which have been hollowed out and stuffed with a mixture of cheese, spices and potatoes or ground meat and then deep-fried.

In Guatemala, the pimento pepper is stuffed with shredded pork and vegetables, covered or dipped in egg batter and fried, served with a tomato sauce or in a hollowed bread bun.

Recipes for stuffed peppers can be found in most east European cuisines as well as in American cuisine.

In American cuisine, the classic stuffed pepper consists of a stuffing of ground beef, rice, tomatoes, cheese and seasoned with paprika and parsley. In countries like Romania and Hungary, the stuffed peppers are generally stuffed with minced beef or minced pork and rice but the difference being that they are served with a sour cream sauce.

Ratatouille- French cuisine-Stuffed vegetables
Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish that originated in Nice.

In French cuisine, stuffed vegetables are the typical fare from Provence the region that hugs the Mediterranean coastline in the south of France. Vegetables, olives and olive oil are all used in abundance in Provence.  The Provence sunshine helps provide a rich variety of vegetables so making stuffed vegetables or legumes farcis is traditional and typical. Provencal solution of combining imagination with abundant local ingredients with abundant local ingredients to produce an interesting, low-cost, healthy and delicious meal.

So let your imagination run wild and start cooking up a storm with some vegetarian and or meat combo stuffed variations.

You may like to read recipes with stuffed vegetables

August 3, 2016 Events and Festivals, India

A Quick Guide to Send Rakhi

Rakhi to Australia Guide- Title

It is no wonder that Raksha Bandhan is one of the precious occasions for the Indians. People living outside India can now enjoy this wonderful occasion as now you can Send Rakhi. There are various online stores that will help you in sending Rakhi to Australia from India as well as gifts to your brother and sister.

The brothers who live in Australia would also feel very special to get a Rakhi from his sister and would feel proud to wear it on his wrist and give a thankful remembrance to his sister who send it from India.

It is a fortunate thing to the people living outside India that they can still enjoy their traditional occasion even after living  abroad. 

Rakhi to Australia
Rakhi

What are the services and facilities you will get?

You get a number of service and facilities if you want to Send Rakhi through the online stores. Following are some of the services and facilities:

  • However far your brother or sister resides, your Rakhi to Australia from India or any other gifts can reach the dear one to Australia from India without any hassle.
  • You can order them online, and the gift will be sent to your dear ones within 2 to 3 working days. The time might vary if the distance is more than the estimated one.
  • After every booking and delivery, they will send you confirmation emails. If the order is in Express post they even provide you with the tracking details so that you can track where your order lies.
  • In case there arises any trouble in delivery, then you can easily contact them and lodge a complaint about the problem that has arisen.
  • Most important, you are using a registered website and thus you are in the safe hands.
  • There are no hidden charges. Whatever charges are there, that is in front of you. Only, in case you are sending the gift on an express post, you need to pay some extra charges.
  • The process of ordering is really very easy one. You just need to create an account on the online store website and place your order.
  • Every time you order something and that gets under process, you will receive an email of the confirmation. That means it is a very transparent process.
  • Another facility that you can get here is the messaging facility. You can send your message to your dear one with the gift that you have just ordered.

What points to remember while you send your gift through an online store?

Following are some points that you should remember to Send Rakhi through an online store:

  • The online store should be a registered one. Check their website details before you create an account or order something.
  • First, compare and contrast the product that you have selected with other website and then place the order.
  • Check the price details. See if there is any hidden cost or not.
  • Make sure that you have checked all the privacy policy and the return policy if any of the gifts needed to be returned while sending it to Australia from India.
  • Make sure that there is an option to lodge a complaint if any of the products you bought is found damaged.

Conclusion

Sending Rakhi is not just a ritual but a gesture of the sisters to make their brother feel very special. The sisters send Rakhi to make their brother remember that how far they may be, but still they are always by each other’s side. So it is necessary to find out the best method for sending it to Australia from India.