Tour to Asia

The point of a holiday is to relax and unwind, so that you can return to your normal life feeling refreshed and energized. Asia is one of the best travel destinations in the world for relaxation, both physical and mental. Asian medicine and meditation techniques are gaining popularity in the West, as more people realize the value that their gentle, natural arts hold for our busy and stressful lifestyle. What are the best treatments and courses to explore on your luxury Asian holiday?

Reflexology is a common spa treatment, but not a common practice in the Western world. Your luxury Asian holiday is the perfect opportunity to learn about the joys of this practice. Reflexology is a massage or pressure point discipline where your feet, hands or ears are worked on in order to improve the general health of other parts of your body. There are quite a few luxury resorts in Asia that offer reflexology -the Shangri-La group, which can be found throughout China, India and Asia, is a notable one.

The Ayurvedic health system is another of the East’s gems that the Western world has borrowed bits and pieces from the philosophy, but few people actually practice it properly. Your luxury rest in Asia is the perfect opportunity to find out what true Ayurveda is, and have an Ayurvedic massage and assessment by a true practitioner. This also allows you to see how to embrace the philosophy as a lifestyle … giving you a good example, even if the lure of chocolate is still too much once you return home! Try Ayurvedic treatments at luxury hotels like Novotels throughout south east Asia (as well as the rest of the continent).

Scrubs, wraps and massages are all essential ingredients on a spa menu at luxury hotels. You’ll find lovely ones like chlorophyll butter massage, guava and salt scrubs, and Ayurvedic spice wraps at the Beaufort Spa in Sentosa in Singapore. It is a good idea to look out for spas that utilize the natural resources of the region, with native plants and Asian spices and herbs included in their treatments. Not only will their uses be familiar to the practitioners, it makes for a wonderfully genuine experience of the area for you.

Bath treatments are another favorite at Asian luxury resort spas. The word spa actually comes from an acronym for the Latin sanus per aqum, or healing through water. You’ll find some resorts are focused more on water treatments, or more on the herbal / essential oil treatment side. One great spa for water treatments is the Pangkor Laut in Malaysia. You begin your water-healing journey with a traditional Chinese foot massage, moving through a Malay ‘wall of water’, and on to a Japanese style bathhouse. You are surrounded by beautiful clear, cleansing water from start to finish, and the bathhouse has more than 30 treatments (wraps etc) to choose from.

Traditional Chinese medicine is another thing you can indulge in while on your luxury holiday in Asia. Traditional medicine often focuses more on the body as a whole than traditional Western medicine -if you have any niggling health issues, or never seem to be quite right physically, your luxury rest in Asia could be just the time to correct it. Try the Imperial Herbal Restaurant in Singapore for health in style, or check out the Eu Yan Sang chain.

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What is art? There exists not one but hundreds of definitions of art offered by renowned artists, scholars, and philosophers throughout the ages. Considered literally, art refers to any specialized skill, or human activities encompassing a wide range of fields like literature, music, painting, or sculpting. It’s the end but not the means that constitutes the success of art. A lot many artists believe in the cult of art for art’s sake. However, this function of art has been subjected to severe criticism by some of the noted scholars of the late 19th century who believed in the instructional quality of art. To them, art existed not just for aesthetic pleasure but was also associated with the purpose of converting the mind into a particular trend of thought.

Theories abound as to the true purpose of art. Whether didactic or aesthetic, there is no denying that art casts its influence on the observer’s mind. Times have changed and with it, artistry has undergone multiple changes too. If Romanticism and Classicism influenced art works of yester years, it is Realism, Impressionism, Fauvism, Dadaism, and Surrealism that have laid their impact on contemporary art. No wonder, contemporary art is distinctly different from the art works of earlier generations.

The fields encompassing contemporary art remains the same even today but its essence has been infused with modernity. As in earlier times, contemporary art too covers the fields of music, painting, sculpting, literature, to name a few. New styles along with an eagerness for experimentation have found greater expression in contemporary art works. However in case of paintings, there often crops up a dilemma as to symbols represented on the canvas. Contemporary paintings often appear complex to the common eye, a fact often relished by some of the distinguished artists.

Nevertheless, the revival of some of the Asian art forms of China and Vietnam has breathed a fresh lease of life into the contemporary art scenario. Contemporary art exhibitions featuring some of the masterpieces of Oriental art are being widely appreciated by art connoisseurs across the world. The impact of Socialist Realism and the New Culture Movement is pretty evident in the oil paintings by Chinese artists. Not just China, but Vietnam too, has soaked up the western influence of Impressionism into its cultural fabric. A lot many of Vietnamese paintings depict the daily, simple world of the villages as observed through the human eye. The Vietnamese painter, Nguyen Thanh Binh, is renowned for using human element in all his canvases. Nonetheless, the influence of the Romantics does not lag behind. Paintings portraying the beauty of autumn, the green fields, the lotus pool abound.

Notwithstanding the influence of Oriental art on its western counterpart, there can be no denying the impact of the latter on the former. In fact, both these diverse art forms have imbibed features of each other. The French Impressionist and Viennese art nouveau have been chiefly influenced by Japanese prints. The history of Japan post 19th century, has cast an impression not only on visual arts but on European ceramics as well.

This intermingling of existing art traditions has thus given way to further innovations in the contemporary art scenario. Herein crops up avenues for the birth of new art genres with fresh appeal. This would certainly not deter people from admiring the older art forms. As a matter of fact, contemporary art has been and will be constantly inspired by their masters.

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In my nearly 40 years as a dealer and appraiser, I have seen any number of reasons, some personal but all valid, for embarking on the quest for Asian art. Some do it because they love the idea of perhaps discovering an unknown treasure that can be bought for $2,000 and sold for $20,000 or even $200,000. Others want to decorate their reception room or dazzle clients. Still others collect because they like the little round faces of the children on the vase or the ivory carvings of laughing monkeys. Whatever your reason, you have chosen a good place to start. The articles excerpted here are from my forthcoming book, Collecting Asian Art.

This information is intended to help you build your successful collecting experience on a solid foundation. I will lead you into galleries, museums and auction rooms. You will “search the shadows” of the ancient Oriental cultures. You will find that the items you see, hold in your hands and acquire are more than collectibles. They are pieces of immortality.

Naturally, I can’t teach you everything you need to know on this Web site. But I can offer you the background you need to begin successfully acquiring the kind of items you want. You will find more advanced knowledge about using your collection as a sound investment, finding the right appraiser, selling your collection for the right price in my book.

You can also jump-start your learning curve by visiting this Web site frequently to search upcoming and past international fine arts auctions. Our online and hard-copy catalogs are repositories of valuable information, complete with photographs, description, size, estimate and-for past sales-prices realized. You will learn how to use this data to track markets, predict upswings in various categories and know when the time is right to get in on the ground floor of a category that is becoming wildly popular. Occasionally, you will see that even experts can be baffled when an object that has been valued by all the standard criteria exceeds estimate because it has become the passion of two or more collectors. And you will file this information away for future reference. In most instances, though, you will find that our estimates are right on target. Our catalogs and Web site listings comprise the most current information you have in gauging the trajectory of your collection.

The art of collecting begins with the purchase of one or two items. Where you may have begun by purchasing a jade carving of a mountain because it looks good in your cabinet, you will soon discover that that 500 years ago, a Ming emperor had this particular mountain carved for the table of his revered scholar to provide a more spiritual setting for his scholar’s writings and hopefully inspire the poem that would immortalize the dynasty. The more you look, the more you will share the viewpoint of the original artisans who saw their work as a piece of eternity. As a buyer, you will choose carefully. As an owner, you will care for them accordingly and, well cared for, your Asian art objects will last practically forever.

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The continent Asia has many beautiful countries and cities. The magic of the land and the scenic beauties are worth watching. Travelers from across the globe book plane tickets to Asia for enjoying its beauty and also to develop their business in the Asian region. Cheap plane tickets to Asia have become popular with the increase of international business in the cities of Asia. Many airlines offer plane tickets to the important cities of Asia.

Some countries in Asia where travelers visit often are India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Another destination in Asia that all travelers to Asia love to visit is the United Arab Emirates, with its capital in Dubai. The popularity of these places is such that you can get very cheap and discount plane tickets from many airlines. You can get ample scope to choose a plane ticket out of many discount plane tickets offered by many airlines.

If you want to book a plane ticket online, you have to seek assistance from the plane tickets services company and book your plane ticket to any of your favorite destinations in Asia. Other places like Korea’s capital Seoul, Thailand’s capital Bangkok and Japan’s capital Tokyo are some of the important places in Asia where a large number of travelers visit through out the year. Also Shanghai in China, Hanoi in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia and Goa in India are some of the excellent places that attract lots of tourists each year. Fascinating Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan are other countries to visit. You can easily reach to any of these places as there are many flights offering cheap plane tickets.

The increasing popularity to visit these places has led many travel companies to offer cheap plane tickets to the places in Asia. India is another popular country in Asia and a hot favorite to almost all travelers. The enchanting beauty, its rich and varied culture and ancient monuments attract visitors to spend a vacation in this country. India is a land of extremities and you can witness beautiful beaches and hot deserts. You can find snow peaks to enchanting beaches and ancient palaces and forts. Cities like Goa, Mumbai, and Jaipur etc. to experience the wonders of this country. You can find people of different religions, castes, creed etc. A traveler’s tour to Asia is incomplete without visiting this serene land. It is easy to visit India as you can easily book a plane ticket from your favorite airlines that offer discount plane tickets and fly to this place.

If you are one of those who are fascinated to visit Asia and its beautiful places but do not know how and when to start. You can get all the information of the places, hotels and visiting places in Asia in an online travel services company and book a cheap plane ticket to any place in Asia. You can browse the internet and find out many companies that offer plane tickets to Asia. You can easily contact them online and book a plane ticket to Asia and enjoy the mesmerizing places of this continent.

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Christmas is one of the most awaited holidays in each calendar year. It is the most enjoyable yet stressful holiday that you get to spend with your loved ones. You can never truly immerse your self in the holiday spirit if you are all stressed out thinking about the gifts that you have not bought yet, how to set the dinner table, what food you have not yet prepared and

family members who might give you even more stress.

If you decide to spend Christmas away from home to do away with all of the stress, what better way is there to spend the Holidays than by spending it on vacation, with your family?

You can create some wonderful memories that you can look back on if you will spend a family Christmas vacation with your family. Here are some tips on how you can get the most out of a Christmas vacation:

1. Have a family meeting and decide where you will go for your Christmas vacation.

List down all of the options of where you would like to spend the holidays. Have each family member suggest a place where he or she would enjoy the most, and decide for yourselves which of the options would be the best way to go. This compromise will give each family member one less thing to complain or worry about.

Decide together how long you plan to stay on the place of your choice, and make sure that nobody has a previous commitment so that you can all spend the entire vacation together.

2. Make a to-do list so that you will not forget anything during the trip.

Do your Christmas shopping early and wrap your Christmas presents in advance. Assign a particular item or activity to family members and have everyone participate so that nobody will miss out on all the fun.

3. Plan your Christmas dinner.

Your vacation will never be complete without the entire family sitting down for a Christmas dinner. If you planned your Christmas vacation on a remote place, pack a cooler and make sure that you have all the food items with you so that you can have a bountiful feast for Christmas dinner.

4. Let it all out and enjoy!

Aside from the gift giving, the food and the holiday rush, the most important thing that you need to do while celebrating Christmas on vacation is: be together. With the busy year behind you where you hardly ever get to see each other, now is the time to finally enjoy each other’s company at leisure. You might constantly bicker with your siblings, or argue a lot with your parents, but when your family is all together, that is when you know that at the end of the day, your family is all you have and they are the

only ones who will stick with you no matter what. Enjoy these precious moments that make all the stress caused by the holidays worthwhile.

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Japan is notably one of the best destinations in Asia, if not one of the better know. Japanese culture has found its way throughout the world and common cultural items are recognized just about everywhere. Getting to vacation where these popular trends came from is like a dream come true. The wealth of cultural diversity is almost dizzying and its not hard to find something for every type of traveler.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Most tours of Japan start or end in Tokyo if they ever leave. Tokyo is a very large, and very expensive city but well worth the time. There are many great sites to be visited among its crowded streets. Among the must-visit wonders are Akihabara, Tsukiji, and the Imperial Palace. Akihabara is the electronic gadget lover’s paradise. Many goodies are found here in the wall to wall electronic shops, and may never see the mass market. Tsukiji is the world’s largest open air fish market. It reportedly sells hundreds of different types of fish each day. The Imperial Palace is not generally open to the public except twice a year, and then only the outer areas. The gardens and grounds around the palace are open and a wonderful place to get glimpses of the Palace. The Tokyo National Museum is also a great stop to view a large suppository of Japanese antiques and artifacts.Some other things to take into account while traveling in Tokyo is the transit system during peak times might be a little uncomfortable to the average traveler who isn’t use to packing into a subway car like a sardine.

Another city of interest is Hiroshima. Hiroshima is the site of the world’s first atom bond detonation used in war. The Peace Memorial Museum is located here which houses a large collection that includes artifacts from its militaristic past, the events leading to the dropping of the bomb as well as the fallout afterward and Hiroshima’s anti-nuclear movement. Living in the shadow of great tragedy has allowed a great place for wisdom to flourish.

Another great city is Kyoto and its famous geisha houses. You can easily tour some lovely historic structures as many made it through the war, and the basic grid structure makes it easy to navigate. There are numerous walking tours, including one by a native English speaker, Peter Macintosh, who helps the crew of Memoirs of a Geisha scout locations.

There are plenty of Japanese cultural events you can participate in no matter what city you are in. What trip to Japan would be complete without attending a Traditional Tea Ceremony? While it is usually not in English, several hotels in Tokyo offer it in English to accommodate tourists. Attending a sumo match is also great cultural events. Even if you can’t actually attend one, they are highly televised during the tournaments. After a long day of touring the wonders of Japan, a shiatsu massage is a great treat. They are available at most first class hotels and many others as well. If massage isn’t your thing you can also go to a hot springs. While not very common in some countries they are incredibly popular and can be found in all parts of the country.

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Have you been in Thailand before? Thailand has many of the best beaches and islands in the world. The culture is unique and people are friendly. Many of foreigners are relocating to Thailand for several reasons.

In the town, Bangkok, has all the civilize and technology. Convenient transportation by Bus, Sky train and underground transportation. There is also boat transportation for the river, Chao Praya River, which is in the center of capital city.

Night life in Bangkok is very crowd of people. There is pub and bar for straights and gays on the same road in Silom and many areas.

Before October 1, 2006, get Thailand visa is very easy. Many countries can have visa on arrival for 30 days. Then just leave at any border and get in again you will get another 30 days waive visa stamp.

Now all change!

“On October 1 the Kingdom of Thailand introduced a new visa policy to restrict the number of times a foreigner can enter the country during a certain period of time.

The policy states that one can only stay in Thailand for 90 days in a period of six months, after which one must leave the country and stay outside for another 90 days before they can re-enter.”

This mean you will still get 30 days visa on arrival and if it going to expire, you just leave at the border and get in again you will get another 30 days. If you already stay in Thailand for 90 days, you need to leave the country or stay outside for another 90 days!

If you apply for visa at any Thailand Embassy, you will get 60 days single entry visa and then you can extend only another 30 days for 1,900 Baht. ($US 50)

Vsa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity.

The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.

More information, please call

Thai Immigration, Bangkok. Head office: +66 2287-3101 to 10

website: www.immigration.go.th

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Asia is perhaps the friendliest of all the continents on the earth. Being home to a multitude of culture, religion, stories, and myths – each of the Asian countries renders a unique style of living and custom.

For instance, if you are looking for a hi-fi style of living, Asian countries like Japan is the best. Sightseeing options are aplenty in Asia, the evidences of which are awesome attractions of Thailand and Singapore. Equally worth mentioning are Asian countries such as India and China that abound in rich history as well as amazing attractions. Also, of great significance are specialties of nations like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

Many of these nations not only provide umpteen options for business and commerce but also for education and employment. Further, one of the greatest things regarding the Asian countries is that their cuisines are diverse and sumptuously incredible. In contrast to other continents such as America and Europe, the cost of living in Asia is exceptionally low and accommodation options are superb.

Above all, majority of the Asian countries are safe places to live, an example for which is destinations such as Hong Kong. Hence, no wonder why people including westerners consider living in Asia as a great experience. Nowadays, many foreigners, especially Americans, even prefer Asian nations to spend their life after retirement.

Accommodation opportunities are fabulous in Asia, with a plenty of options to choose from including single detached homes, budget villas and homes, luxury apartments, and gated communities with a host of facilities and amenities. However, in recent years, condominiums, otherwise, condos have become a much preferred accommodation option among both the residents and travelers to Asia.

In addition, since many of the Asian nations have loosened the governmental laws regarding this accommodation type, condos have now become an everyday word. This in turn has boosted the sale of condos in Asia, particularly in countries like Singapore, China, and Hong Kong. Condominiums in Asia are simply a category of private property, whose some portions are individually owned while others are jointly owned. In other words, condos are a type of private property with joint ownership.

Living in an Asian condominium is truly an amazing experience, since many of them are within close proximity to almost all top attractions of the place. Depending upon your lifestyle, budget, personal tastes, and preferences, condominiums in Asia come in a variety of forms, such as, apartment, townhouse, and single detached structure. No matter you have chosen which type of condos, they are mostly attached with features like relaxed bedrooms with adjustable beds, expansive living rooms with sofas, fully equipped kitchen, eco-friendly areas, and ironing boards.

Some of the condominiums even come graced with top-rated furniture and equipments. Specialties of condominium units also cover the common features it share, such as, parking facilities, areas exclusively for kids, game rooms, passageways, escalators, and well-manicured gardens that are ideal for a relaxed stroll. Some of the luxurious condominium complexes in Asia come with high-end facilities like meeting rooms attached with sophisticated equipments, sauna and spa facilities, and fitness rooms.

Owning a condominium in any of the Asian countries renders scores of benefits. Affordability is one of the main benefits of condo units. As there are a large number of people, apart from state of the art security monitoring system, security is guaranteed in these units. Access to common facilities like pool, library, and elevators, and low interior and exterior maintenance fee are the other benefits of owning a condominium in Asia. Also, buying a condo unit in Asia serves as an excellent long term investment, yielding huge profits. Apart from these, living in a condominium in Asia enables you to be a part of a unique community.

Despite the facilities and benefits condos offer, there are certain things to be taken into consideration while choosing condominiums as your accommodation option. Since condo units are governed by condominium association, it must be checked whether the rules and regulations formulated by them are flexible. For instance, there are certain condo communities imposing restrictions on the usage of the pets. Also, considered for living in a condominium in Asia are factors such as condominium interior and outdoor maintenance fee, neighborhood, and parking area.

With a plethora of real estate agencies and property builders, renting or buying a condo unit in Asia is not at all a chaotic process. Many of them offer superb facilities, and some of them even provide facilities to ease buying procedures associated with the owning of condominiums. The internet also serves as one of the most popular way to search and own a condo unit of your choice, since many of the realtors and other service providers have their own sites on the web with pictures and prices of properties.

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Porcelain is an integral thread of the fabric of Chinese culture. In the 14th century, while Europeans were still eating from low-fired earthenware or wooden dishes, the Chinese had developed the first underglazed porcelain. They were using cobalt, originally imported from Iran during the Yuan period (1279-1368 A.D.), to add exceptional shades of color, from pale blue to nearly black, to translucent white wares. As soon as Marco Polo brought back a few samples, the world couldn’t―and still can’t―get enough of it.

Copper is the other basic color of underglaze decoration. It delivers hues that range from the first muddy brown of the early Ming dynasty to the true red of the 18th century. “Peach bloom” or “unripened peach” is a greenish tinge produced when copper has oxidized.

Overglaze decoration was done in various kinds of enamels and called famille rose (a French expression meaning “pink family”). There is famille verte (green), famille noire (black), and famille jaune (yellow). Pieces with a black background enameled in famille rose or in combinations such as rose-verte (pink and green) was a late-17th-century innovation. It is generally agreed that overglaze enamel decoration reached its height in the 18th century.

The Japanese at this time were also developing porcelain, mostly in the form of ceremonial objects like the tea ceremony. The famous Satsuma porcelain you hear so much about was a 17th-century innovation, adopted from Korea and then greatly improved upon. By the Meiji period (1868- 1912) the Japanese had taken enameling to a new level. High fired and reflecting the Japanese characteristics of meticulousness, precision and definition, these porcelain paintings were highly conceptual. The art of Japanese enameled porcelains peaked between 1880 and 1920, whereas Chinese porcelain was at its best between 1710 and 1810.

In the last few years, particularly beautiful and particularly rare porcelains have become inordinately valuable. In March 2008, we sold a large Hongwu vase during Asia Week in New York City for $1.2 million. Fortunately, there is still a tremendous amount of beauty to be found in within an affordable price range. Slight flaws will bring the price way down, and yet the items are still very collectible and consistently appreciate in value.

Generally speaking, flaws on the glaze occur most frequently during firing. While several overglaze colors can theoretically be fired at the same time, more often than not they are fired separately. If gilded, the gold was the last to go on. It is the first to wear off.

When evaluating a particular piece of porcelain, start by viewing it as though it were perfect and determine what price perfection. (Access our online catalogs and the prices realized for each auction to use as a reliable price guide.) From there, adjudicate the flaws in the piece and judge the value in its current condition.

My own opinion is that very fine porcelain pieces with some damage or restoration are great buys today. A Ch’ien Lung bowl, for instance, in perfect condition would be out of the reach of most people. But if you find one with a small chip that was expertly repaired and the bowl would make a beautiful addition to your collection, buy it. They aren’t making them like that anymore and the chances of it holding its value, even appreciating, is enormous.

As for copies, you can spot them fairly easily. The decoration is usually too carefully drawn. Since porcelain does not show a lot of wear, you will notice immediately if a piece looks like somebody has taken fine steel wool and scrubbed it, put it up on a buffing wheel or tried to tone it down with chemicals.

Japanese porcelain from the Meiji period and notably from the Kutani (nine rivers Nine Rivers?) region has never really been effectively reproduced; the repros that do exist are noticeably inferior. Also, few reproductions come out of Japan these days.

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Gifts of food can be given to anyone for holidays or other special occasions. These gifts will be appreciated by family, friends, coworkers, or anyone else on your gift list. Creating your own food gift basket can be a very special gift as you can personalized it with the recipient’s favorite candy, cookies, wine, or other food or beverage items.

When selecting foods to place in your gift basket, make sure they are fresh and check any expiration dates. It’s difficult to include foods that are perishable and require refrigeration, so keep that in mind when you are choosing items to place in a food gift basket. Fresh fruits and vegetables are wonderful items because they are inexpensive, colorful, and readily available. However, it’s better if you choose fruits that are not yet ripe; oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, and apples are good choices because they are more hearty.

In addition to wicker baskets, there are many other containers to choose from. Unbreakable bowls are appropriate for most food themes and it is easy to assemble your gifts in bowls. If you are trying to stay within a budget, shop at your local discount or dollar store. My local dollar store has a nice variety of large plastic bowls and serving trays that are sturdy and attractive. If you decide to use a serving tray, choose one with sides as the assembly will be easier.

Breakfast Basket:

This make a great gift for a hostess when you are an overnight guest, or as a housewarming, anniversary or wedding gift. It’s also a nice gift idea for a large family.

Choose a wicker tray or basket with handles as it will be easier to work with than one without handles. Fill the container with shredded brown paper, straw, or purchased shred. If desired, add a couple of rolled napkins. Select food items that one would eat or drink for breakfast; herbal tea, coffee or coffee beans, small bag or box of pancake mix, bottle of maple syrup, jams, jellies, and a small jar of honey for the tea drinkers. If there are small children in the family, include several serving size boxes of dry cereal. Add several fresh oranges or grapefruits and a couple of lemons. Since an overflowing gift basket looks better than a sparse one, fill in any empty spaces with colorful silk flowers or greenery. A nice decorative touch is to include a wooden spoon or a wire whisk tied with curly ribbon or a bow.

Pizza Basket:

Create this gift basket for a student going away to college or anyone setting up their first home.

Use a pizza pan or pizza stone as a container to hold the food items. Place several red checkered napkins or tea towels on the pan or stone to help position and anchor the other items. Include gifts such as pizza dough mix, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder or a bulb of fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, a small bottle of olive oil, grating cheese, a cheese grater, and a pizza cutter. If you prefer an easier method, use a wicker basket instead of the pizza stone or pan.

Asian Food Basket:

Make this gift basket for anyone who enjoys Chinese food. It’s also a great gift for a bridal shower or wedding.

Use a wok or bamboo steamer as the container and fill it with the makings of delicious Asian cuisine: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, ginger grater, a bulb of garlic, cornstarch, Asian noodles, duck sauce, a stir fry spatula, and a cookbook. Tie curly ribbon or raffia around several sets of chopsticks and position them throughout the basket. Don’t forget to add some fortune cookies.

After you have completed your food gift basket, you may want to place it in a cello bag or wrap it in cello paper; the bags are much easier to work with. This will help in transporting your gift basket and keep it dust free. If you choose to use cello, you can place ribbon or other decorative items before placing the basket in the bag, on the outside of the cello wrapped basket, or both. A nice idea is to place a decorative item amongst the food items before placing it the cello. You will need to use ribbon or raffia to tie the bag closed above the basket. It looks really nice if you allow curly ribbon or steamers to cascade down the front of the completed basket.

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