The Soup Queen

I got this recipe from Amy Beh but I have yet to try it. I couldn't get my hands on any fresh aloe vera! Back home in Banting, I have a huge overgrown pot of aloe vera but here, I don't. I am waiting to get some from my aunt one of these days so I can try this soup. Aloe vera helps remove heat from the liver, and relaxes the bowels. So this soup is good for those suffering from constipation. If used externally, the aloe gel helps those with skin problems like eczema and ringworm. I often use the gel on my face and arms after a long hot day out or if I accidentally scald myself with hot water! Aloe can be also used as a cooling drink with the aloe gel cut up into cubes. They're chewably delicious! For this soup, you need: 3 plump aloe vera leaves half a chicken, chopped into chunky parts 15 white peppercorns, lightly crushed 3 red dates, stones removed 1.2 liter water salt Wash the aloe and peel off skin. Cut the white jelly parts into thick slices. Boil chicken, peppercorn...

I love eating eggplant or brinjal but Nic is not to keen on it. He likes it in curries but not cooked plain. When I do buy brinjal, I have a favourite way of cooking it. With minced pork. I can get this dish ready in less than 10 minutes because it's simple and delicious. The crunchiness of deep fried brinjal with the spicy minced pork - out of this world. For this recipe, you need: 1 medium length brinjal (about a foot long) 1/2 cup minced pork, marinated with some cornflour and soya sauce (leave aside for 5 minutes) fresh ginger, about 2 slices, minced fine fresh garlic, 1 clove, minced fine 2 tbsp Thai chilli sauce (from bottle, I use Mae Pranom brand) 1 tbsp dark soya sauce some salt, pepper, sugar and soya sauce to taste red chillies, sliced, optional - if you like to spice it up more First, wash and cut brinjal into diagonal slices. Sprinkle some salt over to draw out water. Leave aside for a while. Next, make a batter from self raising flour and rice flour (2:1 ratio) with a...

I went looking on the Net for the herbs that are used in the cough syrup King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kao and found these which I have compiled below. Each one works to alleviate cough, phlegm and all manner of lung problems. I got the info from this website: http://www.fzrm.com/plantextract.htm in case you want to go on your own TCM herb hunting adventure or find out what those Latin terms actually mean. Fourleaf Ladybell Root or Nan Sha Shen nourishes yin and removes heat from the lung, resolves phlegm, and reinforces qi. Suitable if you have heat in the lung with dry cough; cough with scanty sticky sputum; or deficiency of both qi and yin with feverishness and thirst. Bulbus Fritillaria Cirrhosa or Chuan Bei Mu removes heat, moistens the lung, resolves phlegm and relieves cough. Good for those with dry cough due to heat in the lung; cough with bloody sputum in consumptive diseases. Folium Eriobotrya Japonica or Loquat Leaf removes heat from the lung and the stomach, and relieves cou...

I still have a bloody phlegmy cough. Despite eating everything I think is good for curing a cough. So as a last resort, I turned to a favourite cough remedy - King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa Kao! I had a bottle stashed in my kitchen so I thought, might as well take that and see if my cough can be cured. The funny thing was, it has expired in 2007. But what the heck. It's just cough syrup, right? Won't die anyway. So being highly practical, I took whatever's left of this remedy. (I'm Cantonese. We're a highly practical people. That's probably why we can survive anywhere. I grew up with lots of pragmatic advice from mom and grandma.) For those of you who don't know what King To Nin Jiom is, it's a thick, gooey, honey-like syrup masquerading as cough syrup. It's a traditional Chinese preparation so it's lovely and sweet, much like honey. It's not like those yucky cherry-flavoured cough syrups doctors give. Not at all. (By the way, I hate those.) This sy...