The Enduring, Alluring Gazebo

by Kathy Moran

From their origins as rooftop structures, used mainly for observation, to their present status, gazebos have taken many forms. Throughout their colorful history, they have been known as summerhouses, screen houses, kiosks, pavilions, pergolas, arbors, grottos, and pagodas.

The word 'gazebo' first appeared in the 1752 book "New Designs for Chinese Temples" by architect William Halfpenny. Though no one is certain, etymologists speculate that Halfpenny invented the word by playfully adding the Latin ending -ebo, as in videbo ('I shall see') to the word 'gaze' to get the meaning 'I will look.' Prized by members of Egyptian royalty, gazebos were essential parts of their gardens, and have been found, depicted in murals, in tombs dating to 1400 b.c. They were also popular with the aristocracy of ancient Rome and Pompeii, and were built as summer houses along the Mediterranean.

Today, gazebos have grown so popular in this country that they are almost as common as garages. Although some are still used as quiet places to enjoy the beauty of a garden, others have been elevated to loftier positions as summer houses or lavish entertainment centers with doors, windows, screens, decks, electricity and plumbing. Many have special lighting, hot tubs, fire pits and brick barbecues. Arbors, ornamental fountains, bird feeders, birdbaths, wishing wells, koi ponds and bridges are also popular landscaping accessories for gazebos.

From wood to synthetics there are several types of material from which gazebos may be constructed. Radiant, durable WesternRed Cedar, for example, has natural oils that protect it from decay, while its dimensional stability helps to keep it from warping. Cedar may be sealed and stained to maintain its reddish hue or allowed to weather to a rich gray. Pressure-treated pine also makes a sturdy, long-lasting gazebo because it is highly resistant to decay and insect damage. A kiln-drying process, before and after pressure treatment, minimizes warping, checking, and twisting. As with all wood gazebos, a stain/sealer should be applied to the entire structure, including the floor and the roof once a year to protect it from the elements. Vinyl gazebos are made with treated pine that has been covered with an attractive vinyl coating which results in an exceptionally durable, maintenance-free finish. When choosing a material, don't forget to factor in your region's weather.

If your area is subject to heavy rain or snow, high winds, or severe storms, you may want to consider one of the new Category 4 Hurricane Gazebos from GazeboCreations.com. With heavy-duty metal, high wind load brackets and hangers, and reinforced posts, braces, floor joists, rafters, and other components, these gazebos can withstand 150 mph sustained winds. GazeboCreations.com boasts a wide selection of pre-designed gazebos in all of the popular shapes, sizes and materials, or you can follow a few simple steps to design your own custom gazebo. All gazebos are delivered in easy-to-build, partially assembled kits.

For more information, visit Gazebo Creations,
Call 888-293-2339, or e-mail cs@gazebocreations.com
Gazebo Creations is a division of Cedar Store, specialists in Outdoor Furniture

Chinese Cooking: More Special Ingredients

By Jacklyn Chen

I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.

Jellyfish
Jellyfish is preserved in salt and alum. Large, thin and translucent ones are especially good served as appetizer. It is produced in the South Seas and along seaboards of China, Korea and Japan. The South Seas product is considered to be of the best quality.
Method of Preparation: Soak jellyfish over night, change water and soak for one more day. Roll the jellyfish up and shred. Dip in boiling water for a few seconds and quickly rinse in cold water and drain. Season with vinegar, salt and sugar.

Serve Note: There are many other ways to cook jellyfish.

Preserved Eggs
Duck eggs thickly coated with a mixture of salt, lime and rice husks are preserved in a cool, dark place for about three months. The interior becomes brownish black in color due to fermentation. Remove lime crust and shell, rinse clean, cut lengthwise into six pieces and serve with shredded ginger, vinegar and soy sauce as an appetizer.

Dried Bêche-De-Mer
The best bêche-de-mer or sea cucumber when dried is black in color, as that produced in Hokkaido, Japan. It may be sautéed, stewed or braised.
To soften: Wash, cover with water and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Slit the middle lengthwise and clean inside. Rinse, cover with water and bring to boil again. remove from heat, place on lid, and let stand for three days.

Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimps after soaking in warm water for about 10 minutes may be used in soups and sautéed dishes, or served cold as an appetizer.

Dried Scallops
Dried scallops have a delicate flavor and after softening in hot water, may be used in soups or other dishes as with dried shrimps.

Preserved Szechwan (SiChuan, in mandarin) Vegetable
This vegetable is the bulb of mustard green preserved in chili, salt and spices, produced in Szechwan, China, and has a unique flavor. It may be used in soups, sautéed dishes or simply sliced and served as an appetizer. People from north of China normally eat it along with rice congee as breakfast.

Cloud Ears
There are black and white varieties of cloud ears and the white variety being much more expensive, is used only in special dishes. Most of the Japanese product is either black or dark brown in color. Softened in warm water, it may be used in soups and sautéed or braised dishes.

Bean Thread - Chinese Vermicelli
Chinese vermicelli made from bean starch is translucent in appearance and does not melt under long cooking. It may be used in soups or braised dishes after softening in warm water.

Variegated Mushrooms
The top of this mushroom is variegated with cracks resembling that of a turtle shell. This flavorful mushroom is used in many of the delicate dishes, and may also be served deep fried.

Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She will be pursuing singing career in China and hoping for success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

Chinese Cooking: Sauces & Spices

By Jacklyn Chen

Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!

I'd like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven't heard of others.

Sauces

Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):
Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types - red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.

Oyster Sauce:
Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.

Shrimp Sauce:
Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.

Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.

Hot Pepper & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).

Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.

Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.

Spices

Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.

Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.

Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.

Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.

(c)Copyrighted: Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

The History of Thai Food

By Andrew Hall

Thai food is famous all over the world. Whether chili-hot or comparatively bland, harmony and contrast are the guiding principles behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes.

The 'Tai' people migrated from valley settlements in the mountainous region of Southwest China (now Yunnan province) between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, into what is now known as Thailand, Laos, the Shan States of upper Burma, and northwest Vietnam. Influenced by Chinese cooking techniques, Thai cuisine flourished with the rich biodiversity of the Thai peninsula. As a result, Thai dishes today have some similarities to Szechwan Chinese dishes.

Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plant and herbs were major ingredients. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking. With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and blended with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir-frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese techniques. Chilies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600's by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America. Thais were very adapt at adapting foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products.

Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spiced item. There must be harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

http://www.all-free-recipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Hall

Ideas On How To Use Container Gardening To Decorate Your House And Garden

By Mary Hanna

Nearly every house and garden presents numerous attractive settings for container plants. Suburban gardens, estates, small city backyards, and summer cottages—all can be enhanced by this type of gardening. A few of the seemingly endless possibilities include entranceways, steps, courtyards, walls, rooftops, balconies, patios, breezeways, lawns, driveways, walks, sundecks, windowsills, porches, summer houses, even tree stumps can be utilized.

Let us start with the entrance, a focal point for every house. A simple arrangement consists of similar container plants at each side of the doorway. If the house is informal, painted tubs will make a cheerful note, while urns or ornamental pots are more appropriate if the architecture is formal. The arrangement, however, need not be symmetrical, since a single container at either side, particularly if the doorway is off-center, is pleasing. A large specimen can be balanced by a grouping of small pots, and various other interesting combinations can be worked out. Sometimes, the front entranceway can qualify as an outdoor place for house plants, but be sure they are not exposed to strong sun and wind.

Unexpected areas like side and rear entrances can also serve as backgrounds for pot plants in casual groupings. For sunny steps, consider tubs of petunias, or dwarf dahlias, or boxes of herbs to be used in cooking. Tuberous begonias, fuchsias, patient Lucy, and fragrant nicotiana solve the problem of what to grow in shade.

Porches or verandas, traditional or contemporary in style, offer numerous settings for pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets. Indeed, the entire container garden can be concentrated there so that plants can be easily cared for. If the porch is open on three sides, it will afford exposures to suit a variety of specimens.

The patio or terrace, beside or beyond the house, where family and friends gather to eat or relax, is an ideal location. If it is formal, select clipped evergreens and arrange pots in symmetrical rows, perhaps lined up against the house or along the edge of the terrace. If the site is informal, make casual groupings of one or two tall plants with smaller ones in front. Either way, allow for a few large plants in tubs or boxes for accent and height.
Container plants may line walks and paths that lead to the house, garage, or garden. They can rest on paved areas along fences and walls and on driveways where they are not in the way. If the driveway adjoins the foundation of the house, plant containers may be placed there.

Tops of garden or terrace walls are ideal places, too. Put small pots and boxes on tall, narrow walls and large containers on low, broad surfaces. Hanging plants of ivy geraniums in the sun and fuchsias in the shade will cascade from walls, as they do in the patios of Spain, Portugal, and Italy. On Rhodes, I recall a fifteen-foot wall topped with a row of thirty gleaming green tin cans full of roses and other flowers.

Think of what you can do with rooftops and sundecks where considerable space is usually available. Here sun-loving plants, like geraniums, most annuals, cacti, and succulents can be grown, but, again, include large specimens for height to give a garden feeling. A few large boxes and planters for trees and shrubs are sufficient but be sure to include some evergreens for year-round green.

Many gardeners like to insert container plants in flower borders to introduce unusual specimens, such as tropicals in the North. Large tubs can be set at the corners and small pots may be scattered among the permanent flowering plants. One gardener keeps a supply of potted pink Fiat Enchantress geraniums on hand to fill bare spots in her wide borders, moving them about as needed. Most of the geraniums are in four-inch clay pots, but there are larger specimens for the center of each grouping. Make sure their secure, sink pots a few inches into the ground.

You can always dress up the lamp post in your yard with container plants at the base or you can suspend a hanging basket of lantana, perhaps from the top. Ivy geraniums in an old-fashioned black kettle are nice for the base. Bare posts that support sectional roofs over patios or paved surfaces of contemporary houses look more attractive if potted plants are clustered around the bases or permanent boxes for plants are built there. Try planting climbing ivy in a pot and train it to climb the posts.

Novelty containers—donkey carts, wheelbarrows, and spinning wheels—can be fun in some places, but, of course, such planters must not be overdone. Usually they are set on lawns, on a terrace or beside a gate or doorway. (If you life in a neighborhood that has a house owners association check with them first to see if this is allowed). Steps leading to a driveway or street or to different levels in a garden can be emphasized with pot plants. A few can be arranged at the top or at the base of the stairs. And, there are other possibilities. Tree trunks cut to the ground or left a few feet high make good pedestals for large containers. In fact, this can be a solution to the problem of what to do with a trunk too expensive to remove. If you have a tree with heavy shade, why not construct a pretty sitting area around it and decorate the space with containers of coleus, wax and other begonias, caladiums, ferns and other shade-tolerant plants.

These are just a few ideas for using container plants around your house and garden. Use your imagination and have fun. Happy Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

About the Author:
Mary Hanna is an Aspiring Herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Gardening, Cooking and Cruising. Visit her websites at http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com http://www.GardeningLandscapingTips.com and http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com or contact her at mary@containergardeningsecrets.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Hanna

Composting - aka: The Circle of Life!

Sponsored by Compost Digester

By Judy Williams

Composting is where the gardening thing comes full circle. You've created your garden bed, you've nurtured your plants.

The results have been eaten by the family...and now the plants and refuse from the garden can be recycled into next year'scompost. It is the closed loop of nature.
This is so simple and so obvious a thing to do, I'm still staggered that people will send this sort of rubbish to the tip.

When I was totally intimidated about cooking and convinced I couldn't do it, a friend of mine said 'It's just chemistry. If you add X to Y under these conditions, this MUST happen'. I think this applies big time to composting.

So what does your compost need to work?

It needs moisture (but not too much).
It needs heat (and will generate a good deal on it's own)
It needs air.
It needs bugs, bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms (pretty much under the 'Build it and they will come' principle).

There are a few ways to work the compost. If you have a bit of room, build a couple of 3 sided enclosures (about 1M square) out of wood, wire, tin, whatever is laying about the place. If you're in a place that gets a lot of rain, think about keeping a tarp handy so the compost heap doesn't get too soggy. It should be in a shady corner of your garden.

Composting doesn't work if you continually feed just one pile. The composting is never finished in those circumstances.So start with one pile by adding waste plant and kitchen refuse. This can include grass clippings, spent plants, fruit peelings, egg shells and non fatty kitchen scraps.

NEVER use fat, oil or meat in your compost. They will attract vermin. Other things that will slow down your compost include paper, rice hulls, wood shavings, woody cuttings and tough or oily leaves (like those from evergreens). Diseased plants and weeds should also be kept out of your compost.

Fill the compost enclosure to 6-8 inches (15-20cm) with your refuse. Then spread a couple of scoops of agricultural lime and a handful of complete fertilizer. Continue layering to a height of about 3 feet over time. Every few weeks, turn the compost to encourage decomposition. If the compost material is dry, give it a light watering after turning.

Start your second pile while this one is 'cooking'.
Your compost should be ready for the garden in 6-8 weeks. By continuing to alternate between the two piles, you will have a continuous supply of fresh garden compost for your garden beds while recycling your kitchen refuse.

Judy Williams (http://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/) splits her time between being a media executive and an earth mother goddess. No Dig Vegetable Gardens represents a clean, green way to grow your own food. The site covers all aspects of growing, cooking and preserving your harvest.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Williams

Review: "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" by Nicholas Zhou

This guy REALLY CAN show you how to improve your health and lose weight effortless in less than 20 minutes -- and see results in 2 weeks!

If you've been searching for information about how to improve your health and eat healthy and balanced food on a daily basis, then you've probably come across Nicholas Zhou's name at least a few times. And, if you're like me, you've probably wondered what the story is behind his best-selling cookbook on healthy eating on the Internet.

Well, here's the truth: This cookbook is the real deal.
Listen, I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant when I first decided to buy "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking." But when I got in on my computer (only 3 minutes later!), I was literally blown away by what I had received.

The first thing I noticed about the cookbook was all the beautiful pictures taken by Nicholas. He spent 2 whole years to prepare and cook all the dishes in his book and take pictures for those dishes that deserve one for clarity or beauty. This really helps a lot since the pictures give you a clear idea how the dishes will look like, what ingredients you need, and even how long they should be cooked.

For example, I have been looking for the right recipe for "Stewed Beef Strips" for years but I could never get it right. In Nicholas Zhou's book, I saw the picture and figured out (he also pointed out in the cooking directions) that the sauce should be poured over the beef on the plate instead of being stirred with the beef in the hot wok. So that's the secret why the Stewed Beef Strips always tastes so good at China Tom's (my favorite Chinese restaurant in Kansas City).
You will also be delighted to see that Nicholas Zhou's cookbook is not packed with thousands of free recipes that you can find anywhere on the Internet, which is the case for most cookbooks you can find out there. Instead, his book only contains low carb, low fat recipes that have been personally cooked and tested by him. He only included recipes that he considered authentic and healthy according to his 4 years of continuous reading, writing, cooking and research. But don't worry! The cookbook still contains over 500+ recipes, which will be far more than enough for you and your family for a lifetime.

And the best part is that you'll get lifetime update for the cookbook. Nicholas promised that he will keep adding new recipes and cooking tips to his book on a daily basis and he will offer free downloads for the updated version whenever it's available.

The cookbook contains the most famous Chinese recipes as well as all the secret recipes that couldn't be found anywhere else. Most recipes are quick-and-easy style and perfect for people who have a fast-pace lifestyle -- which have saved me TONS of time and money already.
But what impresses me most about the cookbook is just how authentic it is. I've a huge collection of over 30 Chinese cookbooks, and they all seem to focus on just ONE thing - Americanized Chinese recipes. For example, they usually ask you to add sugar to a spicy dish, or cheese to an appetizer dish, which is rarely the case for real Chinese cooking.

The "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" cookbook is almost like a bible of authentic and healthy Chinese cooking like its name indicates. I give this product my absolute highest recommendation. Click here to find out more.