all the dish that’s fit to print
ramadan detox
Ramadan officially started August 11th and marks the month-long period where Muhammad is believed to have composed the Quran. In honor of this holy month, Muslims around the world will focus on inner peace and cleansing from now until September 9th through daily fasts during sunlight hours and abstain from any harmful habits that introduce toxins to the body (like drinking or smoking).
Ananatara resident spa guru and unofficial Ramadan expert, Liz Smailes, shared her advice with us on incorporating the relevant messages behind the holy celebration into daily life. (more…)
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2010 wine spectator restaurant awards
Interior of Sea.Fire.Salt. at Anantara Phuket Villas
Congratulations are in order for the Bangkok-based Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas! We raise our glasses to the 5 amazing establishments that were featured in the 2010 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. The new recipients include: Fuddan Fusion Grill at Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa; Geckos Restaurant, Anantara Veli Resort & Spa; Baan Thalia, Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa; and Sea.Fire.Salt. at Anantara Phuket Villas. Special praise is due to Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa, after winning its fifth straight Award of Excellence for its delicious Italian eatery Full Moon. Cheers!
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celebs hit the green carpet?
At the beginning of the month, celebs took a break from their usual red carpet to attend the Elephant Parade charity auction, of which Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is a strong supporter. Stars including Elizabeth Hurley, Goldie Hawn, and Princess Beatrice of York hit the grass to show their support of the protection and conservation of endangered Asian elephants. Despite the rough terrain, fashion did not suffer. Sporting colorful dresses and forever high wedges and heels, these celebs looked almost as good as the painted model baby elephants (all of which were on sale at the event, including Anantara’s own ‘Little Bird’). The auction marked the end of the Elephant Parade in London, which earned over $1.5 million dollars for this great cause!
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herbal remedies
What’s in your garden? Anantara Dhigu divulges the juicy scoop on the resort’s chef’s garden. Check out the growing there. Not only do the 12 varieties of organic herbs and vegetables add punches of flavor to food and several offer holistic benefits. This may be inspiration for starting a backyard garden, or at least planting some herbs on the fire escape.
Lemongrass
As an ingredient: used to give soups and sauces a sharp lemony flavor
For good health: works as a diuretic, emmanagogue, and is anti-flatulence, anti-flu, and antimicrobials
Thai Chili, Maldivian Chili, Indian Chili, and Hot Pepper
As ingredients: used to make curries spicy and give varying levels of heat to many Thai dishes
For good health: Chilis contain capsaicin, a chemical that benefits the respiratory system, blood pressure, and heart. Eating lots of chilis also raises body temperature which can speed up metabolism.
Arugula
As an ingredient: used in salads and as a garnish, this zesty leaves has a horseradish flavor
For good health: While arugula seeds are historically thought to be an aphrodisiac, its leaves are known to stimulate digestion and promote healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Bok Choy
As an ingredient: this Chinese cabbage is great for soups, salads, and stir-fry
For good health: The leafy green is a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K and promotes improvement of vision and the proper growth of bones and teeth.
Thyme
As an ingredient: adds an earthy taste and rich scent to stews and sauces and grilled meats
For good health: it’s said to aid in the digestion of fats
Sweet and Thai Basil
As an ingredient: both basils provide a fresh, flavorful note to dishes, with Thai basil carrying a stronger anise taste
For good health: basil can help digestion and stomach health
Ginger
As an ingredient: adds a spicy kick to lots of Asian dishes and makes a great soothing tea
For good health: this root has many perks, thought to be an aphrodisiac and known to help upset stomachs and calm nausea from motion sickness and morning sickness.
Cherry Tomato
As an ingredient: sweeter than its bigger cousins, these tomatoes are great in salads
For good health: they’re a great source of Vitamins E, C, and A
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baby elephants on the move
Remember when we told you about the Elephant Parade, the installation of model baby elephants scattered around London? Run by Elephant Family, the goal of the charity is to raise awareness of the declining population of the Asian Elephant.
‘Little Bird,’ the baby elephant representing Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, is somewhere throughout London. Now there is a little extra incentive to finding her, as the Director of Elephants at Anantara Golden Triangle, Mr. John Roberts, has announced that he would give out a free dinner to the first person to send in a photograph of themselves with ‘Little Bird’. And that’s not all! Elephant Family is offering the chance to win a vacation for two to none other than Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle where the lucky winners will train with mahouts at the resort’s famed elephant camp and learn about these gentle creatures. To enter, visit http://www.elephantfamily.org/how-can-you-help/events/competition/, fill out the petition, correctly answer the questions, and tweet a message to encourage your followers to sign the petition. The competition closes on July 9th, so hurry before it is too late!
The elephants are on the move! As the Elephant Parade comes to a close, 62 of these life-size, model baby elephants will be migrating from their positions around the city and congregating in Leister Square. July 3rd will mark the end of the parade, when these magnificent pieces of art will be auctioned off in hopes of raising over $2 million!
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baby elephants on parade
The Elephant Parade officially began in London this month. How will they fit, you might ask?
Well, the Elephant Parade is actually an open air art installation of life-size, model baby elephants positioned around the city. Elephants are painted by artists and celebrities, such as Diane von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi and Lulu Guinness to inspire awareness of the plight of the Asian Elephant. With a current population of only 1,500 in the wild in Thailand (down from 300,000 at the turn of the last century), they face a severe risk of extinction.
Run by the small charity Elephant Family, these efforts require serious support from their patrons, which include Goldie Hawn and Sarah, Duchess of York. Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is a sponsor and champion of this cause, and has a little baby of its own, known as ‘Little Bird,’ placed somewhere around Londontown. All elephants are for sale by auction and Elephant Family aims to raise over $2 million.
This is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record and runs from May to July 2010. If you are hanging out in Trafalgar Square or Green Park, these colorful creatures will be impossible to miss. So, enjoy the exhibit because it may be the only time you see an Asian elephant in London!
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garden party
With the weather warming up, it’s time to head to the farmer’s market to indulge in the season’s finest locally grown produce. But what happens when we eat out? With the growing trend of on-site herb and vegetable gardens, restaurants and hotels are turning over a new leaf and guests are reaping the benefits with fresher food, straight from the garden.
North America
NoMi at Park Hyatt Chicago
In the middle of bustling Chicago, NoMi has created a garden sanctuary. Its lush landscaping sits on the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt, affording diners dramatic views of the city. At night, soft candlelight makes this urban oasis the perfect spot for sharing small plates and sipping carefully crafted cocktails. With summer coming up, NoMi has created a tomato-inspired menu with dishes like BLTs with vine ripened tomatoes and caprese salads with colorful heirlooms.
Chef’s pick: Composition of Heirloom Tomato with buffalo mozzarella, shallots, and Chianti vinaigrette.
TOPPER’S at The Wauwinet, Nantucket MA
Along with savoring the delectable cuisine of Chef David Daniels, guests at TOPPER’S get an extra fresh flavor note from the herbs gathered in the chef’s own garden. Chef Daniels keeps a plot of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme growing right outside The Wauwinet. Diners who opt for the more casual TOPPER’S Deck get a primo view of Daniel’s little Eden, so they can be assured that the seasonings are fresh and those basil leaves resting atop the spaghetti pomodoro were just plucked from their stems moments before.
Chef’s pick: Simple Spaghetti Pomodoro, with chili flakes and fresh basil leaves.
Caribbean
Strawberry Hill, Blue Mountains, Jamaica
This 50-acre mountain top resort in Irish Town, Jamaica, originated as an 18th century coffee plantation. Today, the resort still boasts extensive gardens and orchards yielding copious fresh produce daily. Aromatic varieties of mint are used at the Strawberry Hill Living Spa, and lemongrass and basil spice salad dressings and teas. Bananas, pineapples, mangoes, and other local fruit grow on the property, giving guests a variety of fresh produce.
Chef’s pick: Strawberry Hill Jerk Style Lamb Rack, with lamb reduction and a guava glaze.
Europe
Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, Interlaken, Switzerland
Between the luxurious ESPA and the outdoor tennis courts lies a garden replete with all sorts of herbs. By mid-May, this chef’s garden supplies the hotel restaurants with coriander, lavender, basil, sage, and others, including edible blooms like fiery red nasturtiums. Torsten Goetz tends to the garden, making sure all of those delicious flavors flourish and make it to the kitchen to spice up the chef’s cuisine.
Chef’s pick: Saddle of Irish lamb with Indian spices, “Cama di rapa,” sweet and sour mango pearls, and lightly smoked lamb jus.
Asia
Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa, South Male Atoll, Maldives
Imagine eating dinner while the wafting aromas of lemongrass and hot peppers float in the air. Now imagine this garden in paradise. At Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa in the Maldives, guests can do just that with the addition of a new chef’s herb garden. A lone hut stands among Thai, Indian, and Maldivian chilies, wild rocket, Chinese cabbage, and other edible greenery, so locavores can rejoice in the fact that herbs and veggies are no more than a few feet away, bringing new meaning to “farm to table”.
Chef’s pick: Tom Yam Pho Teak, a spicy seafood soup with fresh lemongrass and hot basil.
Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand
The organic vegetable garden at Anantara Golden Triangle supplies the restaurant and on-site cooking school with fresh produce year round. The resort also organically cultivates its own rice paddy, and the rice harvested is entirely consumed at the property. Showing its green thumb, Anantara Golden Triangle uses natural fertilizer on all its crops, courtesy of the resident elephants.
Chef’s pick: Thick, creamy chicken curry, filled with herbs and spices such as sweet basil and kaffir lime leaves.
Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Changlang Beach, Trang Province, Thailand
At Anantara Si Kao, the herb garden holds a world of local flavors. Somewhat common names such as lemongrass, Thai basil, and chili grow next to the more exotic hot holy basil, galangal, and kaffir lime. No idea how to use them? Take a Thai cooking class – each class starts in the garden, gathering herbs for the recipes. Also check out the weekly Market Night when vendors from the local Trang Market set up stalls on the resort grounds and sell their wares, including local produce, vivid spices, and even the famous Thai street food (safely prepared in the resort’s kitchens so you don’t have to worry).
Chef’s pick: Pla Nueng Si Hio, steamed seabass fillet with ginger, garlic, chili, and light soy.
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garden of earthly delights
Imagine eating dinner with the wafting aromas of lemon grass and hot peppers floating in the air. Now imagine this garden in paradise. At Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa in the Maldives, guests can do just that with the addition of a new chef’s herb garden. A lone hut stands among Thai, Indian, and Maldivian chilies, wild rocket, Chinese cabbage, and other edible greenery, making it one of the most exclusive dinner venues at the resort. Locavores can rejoice in the fact that herbs and veggies are no more than a few feet away, bringing new meaning to “farm to table”.
congrats! you are engaged, now what?
Is it just me or is everyone getting engaged? Perhaps you love birds took advantage of Valentine’s Day falling on a long weekend this year. Congratulations if you are one of the lucky few we have spotted around town recently betrothed. Now let the planning begin! To help, here are few suggestions of locales to have the perfect destination wedding.
CARIBBEAN
Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
Getting married at a private island resort in the Caribbean is a fantastic kick-off to a new life. Parrot Cay offers two beachfront setting for wedding ceremonies – a boardwalk aisle that leads to an unspoiled beach, or the beachfront of a private villa available for rent. Parrot Cay also insists that stress need not be a part of the preparations; all weddings include the dedication of a planner to assist with all preparations, including reserving the dates, food and beverage details, music and entertainment, photography, and any other service requested. Parrot Cay can accommodate small, intimate weddings, or can be bought out for larger weddings (up to 120 guests).
Rosewood Mayakobá, Mexico
Weddings at Rosewood Mayakobá are all about choices – choose stunning outdoor venues like the white sand beach or the Plaza with views of the resort, lagoon, and tropical jungle. Three different restaurants are available to cater. Retreat to the privacy of a private plunge pool after the ceremony, or come down a day early with the wedding party and receive treatments at the resort’s spa, Sense, which is its own private island.
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maldives gone wild
The 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has drawn in one of the publication’s highest number of site visitors ever. And we’re not surprised: Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa is looking pretty sexy on the cover! With snapshots of ultrafine sand, crystalline waters, and luxe overwater suites at both the Dhigu and Naladhu properties – well frankly, the photos leave us a little breathless.
(Ok, so maybe bikini-clad models Brooklyn Decker, Bar Rafaeli, Dominique Piek, and Christine Teigen posing on these enchanting Maldives beaches had something to do with the issue’s popularity, too).
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