TO PROPS DEVOTED! A LA JAPANESE STYLE

I've been always keen on beautiful tableware and my ever grown interest in food styling has intensified this love even more. And if may go wild at times while shopping (alas, not often though) I have a good excuse (anyway it 's been working up till now;) as this is not just another, 1000 and 1st item joining my collection but a Prop!

Ok, here are some easy to realize ideas on how to serve a-la Japanese (taken from Seasons magazine). You know, I love how Japanese people always pay attention to the littlest details in just everything, nothing left unattended, and it finds expression in their whole lifestyle, including gastronomy and styling tables, of course!

Traditional sakura bowl lovely matching elegant Wedgwood and Villeroy&Boch dishes. Set against reproduction of a beautiful xylograph by Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the greatest Japanese artists of the landscape genre.

Japanese styling can be made in minutes: here - reproduction of Katsushika Hokusai's wave painting serves as a serviette, glasses wrapped in origami paper and tied up with textile cords.

And here's three photos I've made when trying my first Asian styling at home in February, 2010...

I made boiled radish with champignons that time, a kind of salad Chinese dish , but please, don't ask the recipe:)) My stomach scolded me all day long for this unusual treat :) May be it's specifically my own reaction, since other members of the family felt pretty well after that... But, for your good, let me keep the recipe in secret.

In case you are interested where to get Japanese tableware I've collected here some links for shopping on-line:

AsianIdeas - Shipping Worldwide! You can find there even that pretty cherry blossom bowl as in the first photo!

ShopJapan and Tokiusa - shipping to US and Canada only