The Soup Queen

This is a super simple soup to make. Ingredients: A cup of black soy beans, washed & drained Half a cup of pitted dried red dates 10 pairs of chicken feet Blanch chicken feet. Bring water to boil in a 1 liter pot. Put in all 3 ingredients. Let it boil for 10 minutes on high fire and lower fire to simmer for another 3 hours. Add salt to taste before serving (I like to add a teaspoon of brown sugar to balance the taste). Notes: Red dates is a must-have in the Cantonese kitchen. It's a blood tonic and helps to balance or harmonize soups. The concept of Yin-yang balance is reflected in the way we cook. Remember to remove the stones as the stones create dampness and phlegm. I always buy pitted dates so it saves me some time in pitting them! Red dates replenishes the Qi, nourishes blood and relieves fatigue. Black soy beans nourish the spleen and kidney, and expels wind so it is great for people suffering from rheumatism.

This is another yummy soup to make when you feel tired or don't have much appetite. It is called Lok Mei Soup (Luk Wei Tang) because it consists of 6 types of herbs. You can buy the prepacked herbs from the herbalist or Chinese medical hall. And yes, it is even sold in the supermarkets. The 6 types of herbs are: Dried longan flesh Fox nuts Dried lotus seeds Yok Chok/Yuju or Solomon's Seal Wai San/Chinese yam or Dioscorea Lily bulb or 'pak hup' As usual, blanch the meat bones first before you put them into a pot with the herbs. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes before switching to a low simmer for another 2 to 3 hours. Add salt when the soup is nearly ready. The soup tastes even better when it has time to mellow out overnight. Fox nuts are supposed to be good for strengthening kidneys, relieving leucorrhea (which happens to women)and strengthening the spleen, regulating blood pressure. It is even believed to help if you have numbness and aching near waist and knees....