The Soup Queen

I know.  It isn't the sexiest cough cure around.  It's not even exotic. It's just a plain vegetable. But today I shall praises of the humble watercress because it is a well-known cure for the sort of incurable, annoying and keep-you-awake-at-night coughing sessions. So what's in the watercress?  In the West, it is commonly eaten fresh and raw in a salad or sandwich.  Here in Malaysia, I've always eaten this cooked in soups. Never raw.  So what's so fascinating about watercress?  Watercress' botanical name is Nasturtium officinale.  It is a fast grower in aquatic or semi-aquatic environments. It usually grows in ditches rapidly.  It is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables eaten by humans. The plant is native to Europe and Asia.  It has a peppery flavour and is related to the cabbage and mustard family.  The town of Alresford, near Winchester, UK holds a Watercress Festival that brings in more th...

Remember how I made my version of Drunken Chicken (and which I was terribly pleased with as it was so easy and so yummy!) two weeks ago? I was inspired to make the dish based on Alvin Quah's recipe which Gary, one of the Masterchef judges, gave the thumbs-up for. Today I am going to share with you Alvin's recipe which he re-created in one episode of Masterchef 2 (Australia). He also shared a cucumber salad which I have made and yes, it is delicious too! And yes, I am going to share both recipes here with you because I realized that the Masterchef Australia website does not (I repeat) does not feature these recipes! Why not? Maybe it is to do with copyright. Maybe the Masterchef brand would be publishing their own recipe book based on the creative recipes of their participants. Oh well. Drunken Chicken by Alvin Quah of Masterchef Australia Season 2 1 liter Shaoxing wine 2 small bottles mirin some palm sugar 500 ml water Put all of the above into a pot. Bring to a...