Mango Lassi Dessert

First of all, hello again! Traveling, school, and work have kept me busy for a long while. Today’s recipe is not exactly Asian. It was given to me by a cousin in Portugal when I was looking for a quick, fresh dessert to make when entertaining guests. However, I am huge proponent of tasting your food as you’re making it and it immediately reminded me of a mango lassi, something that I can never do without at an Indian restaurant. So I’m calling it the Lassi-inspired Mango Mousse. It is super quick and easy to make, and pretty original too. You will need:

1.5-2 cans of mango in syrup

1 can of condensed milk

2-3 plain yoghurts

2 egg whites

Drain the syrup and, with the help of a blender, purée the mangos. If they are very ripe you don’t need to use the two full cans. In a big bowl, mix the purée with the condensed milk. Add the yogurts. I definitely recommend that you taste the mix before adding the third yogurt. Depending on the ripeness of the mangos and the acidity of the yoghurts, two might be enough. Beat the egg whites and add them carefully to the mix. Pour  the final product into a serving bowl and refrigerate. Let me know what you think!

Japanese-inspired bar stools

CB2 used to have similar stools in yellow and red and it was a shame when they discontinued them. I loved the minimalist, zen-like lines that reminded me of torii gates and temple roofs. Now I found these equally elegant black lacquer bar stools. And they’re made from solid wood!

Beautiful bar stool (and console!) by Green Tea Design

They are also available in red and natural finishes at Green Tea Design.

The return of tabi socks

About a month ago, I wrote a post about tabi socks and recommended a pair from MUJI. Yesterday, while browsing a catalog from UncommonGoods, I came accross tabi that are longer and have fun designs on them.

UncommonGoods has animal-themed tabi in black, grey, red, and blue

So take your pick: short, solid-colored from MUJI or long and in fun prints from UncommonGoods! Or just get both!

Peking Opera Bottle Opener

I saw these first in the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore and thought they were a clever adaptation of Peking Opera masks. These bottle openers are fun, stylish, and useful, so I ended up bringing a couple back for family members.

The Asia Society went shopping for these in Shanghai

You can find these in the Asia Society store in NYC, or shop for them online at SourcingMap.com.

Lounging in Thai Style

I remember seeing these for sale in a fancy store in Singapore and loving them. However, I had already way too much luggage and wouldn’t be able to fit something like this to bring back. Now I’ve found it online. It’s a Thai cushion that transforms into a mattress. Not only it is extremely decorative and highly original, it also makes for a great day bed or even for improv sleeping arrangements in case of guests staying over.

Form meets beauty meets function

Check it out, as well as other great items from Thailand, at Thai-Artisan.com.

Bedroom decor: The natural touch of bamboo

Nowadays it’s easy to add an Asia (not to mention natural and eco-friendly!) touch to your kitchen with utensils and other kitchen wares made of bamboo. But don’t the other rooms deserve some bamboo as well? Here’s how to add some bamboo style to your bedroom.

Start with a bamboo-themed duvet cover set from Overstock.com…

This duvet cover is also available in celadon and smoke

…and add these stickers from ferm LIVING to your wall.

ferm LIVING has a whole collection of beautiful removable wall stickers

That’s it! All you are missing now is a panda!

Bookends: Mr. and Mrs. Fu

In China, you’ll often see a pair of dogs guarding doors in palaces, temples, or other important places. Some call them lions instead of dogs, but either way, you’ve probably seen them in pictures. One sits to the left of the entrance and the other to on the right, and they look like this:

Is it a girl? Or is it a boy?

The matter of the species isn’t the only controversy surrounding these door guards. Did you know that one is a male and the other is a female? That’s right, and you can tell them apart, because one is stepping on a ball, and the other one on a cub. But which is which? In Beijing I was told the female is taking care of the little one, of the male is holding the ball that represents power, but in Shanghai I was told the opposite, though I can’t remember the rationale (I still prefer to think it’s the girl with the baby). Have you heard these theories? What’s your take on it?

Lions, or dogs, male or female, chances are you can’t have these huge stone animals at home, but you can have smaller versions to keep guard to your books, with miniature red fu dogs from CB2.

Tabi Socks: Walk Like a Japanese

It’s not like you’ll see actual Japanese people wearing these on a daily basis anymore, but tabi socks, which have a split toe, used to be very popular, especially because they could be worn with geta sandals or flip flops. Nowadays they are still worn sometimes, especially for traditional occasions such as tea ceremonies or temple visits and paired with yukatas (or kimonos). Traditionally they were custom made and fastened to the shin, but today you can find much more practical versions with elastic weave that cling to the foot just like regular socks. Me not being a fan of walking barefoot, and sometimes having cold feet when wearing flip flops at home, I have a couple of pairs to go with my loungewear or pijamas. I find them incredibly comfortable worn with Havaianas.

Japanese tabi socks by Muji

I got my first pair in Japan, but Muji also carries a variety of solid-colored versions. Go to www.muji.com for locations in the US, or shop online at muji.co.uk.

Visual Inspiration: Inside Asia

This book is in my list to buy. I saw it in a bookstore and had to go through nearly every page (there are many to go through) of gorgeous pictures of Asian interiors, from temples to gardens to private homes. Here’s a photo from a Balinese interior:

It's hard to put down the book with pictures this good

The name of the book is Inside Asia, published by Taschen, and can be bought at Amazon. Happy dreaming!

Recipe: Kaya jam

Previously I have suggested enjoying your teh tarik with kaya jam on toast. Kaya is an exceedingly rich and sweet spread made out of coconut milk and eggs.

Kaya on toast makes for a lovely afternoon snack. Enjoy with tea.

Despite its popularity in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, kaya can be difficult to find in the West. If you want to try your hand at making some, About.com has a great recipe with step-by-step illustrations. Go ahead and try it! It is not difficult. Warning: due to its ingredients, kaya is understandably unsuitable for people with high colesterol levels. Please consume in moderation.