Fusion of East and West

A blog of simple and delicious food recipes for the young at heart. Home-cooked meals are always the best whether you're looking to make something cheap and healthy or experimenting with new dishes. I'm Margaret Linandjaja, a journalism alumna from Rochester Institute of Technology. If you have questions or recipes to share, feel free to email me: [email protected] For info on other projects, please visit my homepage.

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Turkey bacon wrapped asparagus with Portobello mushrooms

Makes 6 servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 40 minutes. So here's another spring-worthy dish to try. I made this two weekends ago to celebrate my host mother's 66th birthday. I've always liked asparagus, and so I decided to find a better way to cook it instead of stir-fry. What I like about this dish is how the flavors of turkey bacon brings a balance to the spices used on the asparagus and mushrooms. Another plus points: it's not greasy, and the ingredients can be tweaked for people who may have certain dietary issues. In total, I spent approximately $15 on the ingredients. If you're looking to create a party dish that's simple, tasty and less-time consuming, this will be a great option. Ingredients: - 12-15 slices of turkey bacon. - 2 bundles of fresh asparagus (depending where you buy the asparagus, one bundle normally contains about 12 asparagus). - 1 pack of sliced Portobella mushrooms. - 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. - White wine vinegar (this is optional especially for those who have gluten intolerance). - Truffle oil (You may also use olive oil as an alternative). - Onion powder. - Ground black pepper. - Sea salt. Directions: 1) Clean the asparagus and mushrooms by rinsing them under running water. 2) Chop off one inch of the end of asparagus stems and dispose of them. 3) In the meantime, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Some ovens might have different voltage, and may require higher temperatures to warm up. 4) Next, take three pieces of asparagus and wrap them with two slices of bacon. 5) Line the bacon wrapped asparagus neatly on a glass baking tray. 6) Then, sprinkle truffle oil all around, followed by the white wine vinegar. 7) Add in the mushrooms on the sides of the tray, as well as on top of the bacon wrapped asparagus. 8) Sprinkle onion powder, ground black pepper, salt and minced garlic all around. 9) And finally, bake them for 40 minutes. ***Serve along with some salad and rotisserie chicken*** Photo Credit: Margaret Linandjaja Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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New entry after months of hiatus: Oysters with Turkey Bacon Pasta

It's been far too long and I have to admit that I miss blogging. I apologize if I went MIA since I needed some time off to travel and explore my career opportunities. The recent winter was dreadful with snowstorms and temperatures dropping below 20 degrees in Fahrenheit. On the bright side, however, I was able to visit my friends and family back in Asia during my winter school holidays. I even fulfilled my bucket list and visited Cambodia with my best friends for a week. It was definitely the best trip I've ever had in my life and I hope to make another visit someday.

Now that I'm back in Rochester and spending my last semester at RIT, I've been working to put my senior portfolio together and finding jobs. Needless to say, I've tons of recipes that are due to be posted in this blog. In the meantime, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter. I'll start with the most recent dish I made this week: OYSTERS with TURKEY BACON PASTA. This seems like an appropriate dish to welcome spring. The combination of the dish seems unusual for an Italian fusion, but the taste is incomparable to the generic pasta flavors you find in restaurants. This idea was inspired from my favorite Japanese restaurant, Pasta De Waraku in Singapore. I remembered ordering this dish when I first visited the restaurant with my mum, sometime in 2009. What makes this dish special is the richness of the flavor and it's really easy to make. The ingredients used to prepare this meal were fresh and organic. I bought them from Wegmans and Asian Food Market, and only spent approximately $15 in total. Ingredients: - Fresh oysters. (Depending on how much oysters you plan to use, four to five pieces are sufficient per serving) - Organic turkey bacon, cut into thin slices (I prefer to use organic turkey since they are healthier and taste better without preservatives). - Scallions, finely chopped. - Fettuccine pasta (or other pasta of your choice). - A pinch of ground black pepper. - 1 tablespoon of butter. - Alfredo sauce (You may use other pasta sauce of your choice. If you prefer to use fresh Alfredo sauce, All Recipes gives great and simple steps on how to make one.). Cooking Directions: 1) In a large saucepan, boil three cups of water. 2) When the water comes to a soft boil, put the pasta into the saucepan. 3) Put in a little salt to add flavor to the pasta. 4) Stir continuously and make sure that the pasta is cooked until it's al dente. 5) Strain the water away. 6) In a frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over high heat. 7) Saute the scallions for about two minutes until they are soft. 8) Add in the turkey bacon slices and cook them for about 10 minutes or until they are crispy. 9) Set the scallions and turkey bacon aside to cool off. 10) Next, cook the oysters on the frying pan for about five minutes and sprinkle some ground black pepper. You want to make sure that they are not overcooked. 11) Serve the bacon slices, scallions and oysters on the pasta, along with Alfredo sauce. Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Fried Bananas with Cinnamon

Makes 2 servings. Preparation time: 5 minutes. Cooking Time: 8 minutes. It's been a month since my last post. I needed a break after wrapping up my final exams. With summer finally approaching, it's a great time to do more outdoor activities and make more desserts. Last weekend, I went to Rochester Public Market with my housemate. Since we bought lots of fruits and vegetables, I decided to try making a fried banana that's gluten-free. One great thing about this dessert is you can use it a filling for a pie, or served with vanilla ice-cream. I spent approximately $3, including all the cooking ingredients. Ingredients:

- 3 bananas. - Ground cinnamon powder. - 1 tablespoon of butter. (You may also use olive oil as an alternative) Directions: 1) Slice the bananas into pieces and marinate them with ground cinnamon.

2) Melt butter on a large pan, over low fire.

3) Place the sliced bananas into the pan and allow them to be cooked for a few minutes. Remember to flip each side so that they don't turn soggy.

***Serve on a bowl or plate and enjoy it with a cup of tea or ice cream. Additionally you may also sprinkle more cinnamon and garnish with mint leaves for a final touch up*** Photo credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Pan-fry Pacific Saury

Makes 2 servings. Preparation time: 8 minutes. Cooking time: 10 minutes. Pacific Saury (also known as "Sanma" or mackerel pike) is a common dish in Japan. It is normally grilled and served with some vegetables and rice. Since the oven in my apartment is not working properly, I decided to cook it on the pan. This particular of fish is recommended (especially for pregnant women) due to the low risk of mercury and high level of protein. In addition, it's also listed as a sustainable source for sushi. What I like about this dish is that it takes less than 15 minutes to cook and serves as another great alternative whenever I crave for a quick and easy seafood. The only place that sells fresh sauries so far is the Asia Food Market at Brighton Henrietta Townline Road. A frozen pack can also be found in a Korean grocery store, at Henrietta Townline Plaza, for $6. Ingredients:

- 1 pacific saury. - Rosemary leaves. - 1 1/2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil. - Ground black pepper. - Minced garlic. - Iceberg lettuce. Directions: 1) Thaw the fish and wash it throughly, before slicing it to pieces. 2) Marinate the fish with ground black pepper.

3) In a medium / large skillet, preheat oil over medium fire. 4) Add in the minced garlic and sauté them for 3 minutes. 5) Place the sliced fish into the pan and allow it to be cooked by flipping each side continuously. 6) Sprinkle rosemary leaves and leave to stand for 2 minutes.

*** Serve on a plate with lettuce and garnish with tomatoes or other vegetables.*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Rilakkuma Japanese Omelette Rice - Video Tutorial. The video tutorial for the omelette rice is now up! Hope you enjoy it!! Please leave your feedback and feel free to share it around.

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I made Rilakkuma Omelette Rice yesterday to experiment with food designs. Omelette rice is very common in Japan and it can be served as another quick meal for lunch or dinner. The word Rilakkuma means relax for "Rilak" and bear for "kuma". I had a lot of fun making this even though it's my first time. A video tutorial will be up soon. So stay tuned!!

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Seared Corned Beef with Shallots

Makes 3 servings. Preparation time: 8 minutes. Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes. I decided to cook corned beef as a quick-fix treat for myself today. The first time I learned to make this was around 5 years ago. This meal can be served anytime with rice, bread or porridge, for anyone who craves something light. I spent approximately $7, including all the ingredients, and this can last me about 3 days. More importantly, I like that this dish is not heavily ladened with oil and that gives me an alternative to enjoy something without having to worry about my sore throat. Ingredients:

- 340 grams of corned beef. - 2 tablespoons of butter. - Shallots, finely chopped. - Ground black pepper. - Cream cheese. - 2 to 3 eggs. Cooking Directions: 1) Melt butter on a skillet over a medium fire.

2) Toss in the shallots and sauté them until they turn light brown.

3) Place corned beef into the pan and mix it together with the shallots.

4) Sprinkle black pepper along the way

5) Now add in the eggs and continue stirring for another 8 minutes.

6) Finally apply cream cheese for a finishing touch. Serve with a bowl of rice or on a plate with bread, along with juice. Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Green Mung Beans Soup

Preparation Time: 5 minutes. Cooking Time: 30 minutes. Green Mung Beans soup has always been one of my favorite desserts since my early childhood back in Indonesia. Typically served as a dessert, it's best served warm after a heavy meal, or as a snack. It can also be found as a roadside snack. Aside from its health benefits, the Green Mung beans also contains "cooling" properties for the body during the hot seasons. What I like about this soup is how it can keep me satisfied, especially on busy days when I'm busy working in school. There are actually a lot of ways to cook this, either by coconut milk, sago pearls or other spices. But this time, I decided to just stick to rock sugar as it takes shorter time to cook and I'm still recovering from my cold. I purchased a small packet of the beans for $2.20 from Lee's Oriental Food and Gifts. Ingredients: - 150 grams / 5 ounces of Myung green beans. - Rock sugar (or brown sugar as alternative). - 4 cups of water. Directions: 1) In a small bowl or container, wash the green beans under tap water to remove the impurities. Do this for about 3 to 5 times until the water residue becomes clear. 2) Pour 4 cups of water and the green beans into a small saucepan. 3) Cover the pot and let the contents boil over medium fire. 4) As the soup comes to a soft boil, the beans will eventually clump and split from the skins. 5) Add in the rock sugar sugar. You may control the amount of sugar depending on your preference of sweetness. 6) Keep the lid partially open and let the soup boil for another 5 minutes. ***Serve on a bowl and enjoy**** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Simple Noodle Soup

Makes 1 to 2 servings. Cooking time: 15 minutes. I was planning to make a quick noodle soup today since I've been extremely ill the last few days. My visit to the health center lead me to learn that I not only have a cold, but a drop in my blood pressure. So I've been advised to eat more sodium foods to bring it back to a normal level. Unfortunately, my cold is now affecting my throat and have to avoid fried food for awhile. I could have made myself a chicken rice porridge, but I just don't have the time and patience to do that right now. While this dish is quick and simple, it keeps me warm and keeps me satisfied for the evening. Ingredients:

- Egg noodles. - 300 ml of water. - 1 piece of seafood stock. - 1/2 piece of white onions (sliced). - 1 to 2 eggs. - 4 pieces of cuttlefish balls (you may use tofu, shredded chicken, etc. for alternatives). - 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. - Seaweed. (optional) - Red cayenne pepper. (optional) Cooking Directions: 1) On a small or medium saucepan, boil about 300 ml of water over medium fire. 2) Put the seafood stock and onions into the water, and let it boil for 2 minutes.

3) Then put in the egg noodles and stir it around.

4) Once the noodles become soft, add in the cuttlefish balls.

5) Sprinkle the peppers and continue stirring for another 5 minutes.

6) Leave to stand and place seaweeds on the noodles. Photo credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Thai Green Curry Chicken

Makes 6 to 8 servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking Time: 40 minutes. Thai green curry chicken has always been one of my favorite dishes from Southeast Asia. It brings me wonderful memories of my first trip to Thailand with my best friend 5 years ago. We had a rather late dinner during our first night in Bangkok (capital city of Thailand) and decided to order this dish along with rice and cheese garlic prawns through room service at the hotel. If you ever decide to travel to Southeast Asia, I recommend Thailand as a place to visit. There's just a wide variety of culture and great places to discover. And not to forget, people are really nice. For this dish, I spent approximately $10, including all the ingredients. What I really like is how basil leaves could improve the taste for so many things. But more importantly, it can be served with other meals or traditional desserts at anytime of the day. Generally, many people would cook the curry paste and coconut milk first before adding the rest of the ingredients. I decided to cook the chicken first so that I can make sure that the meat is properly cooked. In Singapore, traditional Thai food such as this can be found in several food courts around the island. Normally sold for about $5 as a set meal, it comes with rice and dessert. Ingredients:

- 4 chicken thighs / breast meat. - Half onions, sliced. - 6 green baby eggplants. - Basil leaves, for frying and garnishing. - 15 ounces of green curry paste. - 12 ounces of coconut milk (a low fat milk can also be used as an alternative). - 10 ounces of green peas (fresh or canned). - 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Directions: 1) Cut the green baby eggplants by removing the stalk and slicing them in a form of semicircle. Leave them aside.

2) Wash the chicken things throughly and pat them dry with a paper towel, before cutting them into small pieces. I do this to reduce the cooking time. 3) In a large saucepan, preheat olive oil over medium fire for 3 minutes. 4) Toss the sliced onions into the pan and stir them for about 2 minutes, followed by the basil leaves.

5) Add in the chicken pieces and mix them together with the onions and basil leaves.

6) Stir fry the chicken pieces until they are cooked, before adding the green curry paste.

7) Place the sliced green baby eggplants into the pan and stir for another few minutes until they turn soft.

8) Pour in the coconut milk and mix it together.

9) Finally, toss in the peas and let the curry chicken simmer for 15 minutes.

10) Turn off the stove and garnish with basil leaves. ***Serve on a bowl with steamed rice and a glass of lime juice*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Chrysanthemum Jelly with Wolfberries and Aloe Vera

Makes approximately 10 to 15 servings. Cooking Time: 20 minutes. For this dessert, I used a Konnyaku powder / Agar-agar powder. The word "Agar-agar" is translated as jelly in Indonesian and Malay languages. I bought this powder from an Asian market called Lee's Oriental Food and Gifts and paid approximately $5 for all the ingredients. Unlike other jelly desserts, the jelly powder used in creating this recipe only contains pure sugar extracts and is free of animal fats, such as gelatin. This type of dessert is normally served in Chinese high tea / dim sum menus. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, it's also sold as a roadside snack (along with steamed shrimp dumplings or fried sausages) for $2 in a small serving. Ingredients:

- Dried chrysanthemum flowers. - Chinese red wolfberries. - 6 cups of water. - 170 grams of jelly powder. - 270 grams / 10 ounces of pure aloe vera. Directions: 1) In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water over medium fire. 2) Add 2 tablespoons of chrysanthemum flowers and red wolfberries into the water.

3) As the water comes to a soft boil, reduce heat and let it simmer. 4) Pour in the jelly powder.

5) Stir continuously for 2 to 3 minutes.

6) Turn off the stove. Carefully, pour the mixture onto a baking dish or shallow molds.

7) Leave to cool for 5 minutes and then add aloe vera into the mixture.

8) Place the baking dish with the mixture into the fridge and leave to stand for 2 hours. 9) When the jelly is ready, cut it into square pieces or in any shape you want. ***Serve on a dessert bowl or plate, and enjoy***

Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Mobile Xperia Z.

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Crab Meat Fried Rice

Makes 4 servings. Preparation Time: 15 minutes. Cooking Time: 35 minutes. My roommate and I have been craving seafood lately, and so I decided to make crab meat fried rice. This is actually my first time making this and what's special about this was that I used fresh crab meat from BJ's supermarket in Henrietta, and dried baby chillies to spice up the flavor. I spent approximately $17, including all the ingredients. Ingredients:

- Cooked white rice, refrigerated overnight. - Crab meat. - Spring onions, chopped. - 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. - 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. - Unsalted butter for finishing. - 3 to 5 dried baby chillies, finely chopped. (You may use bell peppers as an alternative). - Sweet soya sauce. - 1 to 2 eggs for finishing (Optional). - 1 tomato (sliced) for garnishing. - Basil leaves for garnishing. Cooking directions: 1) In a large pan, preheat oil over medium fire. 2) Saute the garlic for 3 minutes.

3) Next, pour in the chopped spring onions and chillies, and mix them together.

4) Then, add in the crab meat and continue cooking for another 8 minutes.

5) Bring down the fire and carefully pour in the rice before mixing them together.

6) When mixing the rice, always do it thoroughly all the way to the bottom of the pan so that the rice won't get burned . 7) Add the soya sauce and continue stirring until the rice are evenly glazed in light brown.

8) Turn off the fire, and add butter for a final touch.

9) Garnish with basil leaves and sliced tomatoes. ***Serve on a bowl or plate with a cup of hot green tea*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja. Taken with Sony Xperia Z.

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Indonesian Fried Eggplants with Hot Sauce

Makes 3 servings. Preparation Time: 5 minutes. Cooking Time: 20 minutes. Living far away from home can sometimes be difficult since I only get to see my family once a year. Every month, I always try to cook something that reminds me of home as a way to cope with the homesickness. This time, I decided to cook eggplant with Indonesian hot chilli sauce. It can be eaten as snack, or as a quick meal with rice. Commonly found as a roadside snack, it's normally sold for $2 and its simplicity represents a typical diet in Indonesia. But on a personal level, this dish actually reminds me of the times when I would always eat dinner with my mum when she comes home from work at night. In both Indonesian and Malay languages, hot sauce is pronounced as "sambal" and generally made of: red baby chillies, water/tamarind pulp, shallots, garlic, salt, palm sugar and sometimes shrimp paste. I used the Indonesian hot chilli sauce instead of the commercial ones sold in the US because I can taste the spices. I also tried to search for an original chilli sauce at the Asia Food Market and online. The closest thing I could find was from Amazon. Ingredients:

- 2 eggplants, sliced. (I prefer to use the Chinese eggplants since they taste sweeter and have tender texture than an American eggplant). - 2 tablespoons of olive oil. - 3 tablespoons of garlic (minced or finely chopped). - Basil leaves. - Homemade Indonesian hot chilli sauce. Cooking directions: 1) In a medium skillet, preheat oil over medium fire for 3 minutes. Then pour in the minced garlic and sauté them until they turn light brown.

2) Next, add in the sliced eggplants and stir them along with the garlic.

3) Then, add basil leaves and continue stirring them for another 3 minutes.

4) Turn off the stove. And finally, pour in the hot chilli sauce and mix them together.

***Serve on a bowl and enjoy it with rice, along with a cup of iced tea or lime juice*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja.

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Pan Fry Chicken with Honey Citron

Makes 2 - 3 servings. Preparation Time: 10 minutes. Cooking Time: 40 minutes. For lunch, I decided to make pan fry chicken with honey citron. I customized this recipe by using honey citron as an alternative for honey. Even though it's only my second time making this dish, I actually had a lot of fun just experimenting with whatever ingredients I have. Keep in mind that the brown caramel around the chicken was due to the mixture of soya sauce and honey citron syrup. Some of you may not be familiar with honey citron syrup. Honey citron tea, or also known as Yujacha is actually a traditional tea which originated from South Korea. Made of natural honey with citron slices, it contains vitamin C and is helpful to cure any cold related illnesses or sore throat. The best part about this tea is that it can be served warm or hot. But more interestingly, it can even be used to make a Yuja cheesecake. As usual, you can find this in Korean grocery store at West Henrietta Road or Asia Food Market at Brighton Henrietta Townline Road. How do I make it into a drink? Just take 2 spoonfuls of the honey citron syrup from the jar and pour hot water. Then stir it, and another great thing is you can even eat the citron skins. Ingredients:

- 3 chicken drumsticks, or other parts of your choice. - 2 tablespoons of canola oil. - Ground black pepper. - Garlic powder. - Sweet soya sauce. - Honey Citron syrup. - 200 grams of shallots, fine chopped. Directions: 1) Marinade the chicken drumlets with ground black pepper and garlic powder, before storing it in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

2) Preheat oil on a medium skillet over low fire for 5 minutes. 3) Add in the chopped shallots and stir them until they turn light brown, while still maintaining the low fire on the stove.

4) Take the chicken drumlets out from the fridge, and start frying them over medium fire.

Note: I increased the fire this time in order to fasten the cooking process for the chicken. 5) Continue cooking the chickens for about 25 minutes, until the flesh turn soft and white with spices all over it. Depending your preference for flavors, you may sprinkle more pepper and garlic powder. But do not add too much or they may clump together. 6) Now add in the sweet soya sauce, and decrease the fire to the lowest.

7) Leave to stand and cover for 5 minutes. 8) Finally, pour in the honey citron syrup all over the chicken and mix it until it comes to a soft boil.

***Serve on a plate and enjoy it with fried rice and some salad or steamed vegetables.*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja.

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Steam Fish with Lemon and Mushrooms

Makes 3 servings. Preparation time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 45 minutes. Steamed fish is a common dish in Southeast Asia especially for the Chinese during Chinese New Year. The word fish is normally pronounced as "YU", which symbolizes wealth and abundance. Even in Chinese businesses, companies would actually splurge over thousands of dollars, so that they can invest in keeping Koi fish. What I like about this particular dish is that it's simple to make, and also healthy. For anyone who is conscious of their calories, this is a great meal option for less than $20. I used silver pomfret since I've been craving for it, and happened to find it in the Asian Food Market. Ingredients: - 1 silver pomfret fish, thoroughly washed. - 1 lemon, sliced to thin pieces. - 2 tablespoons of truffle oil. (You may use virgin olive oil or shallot oil as an alternative) - 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper. - 3 teaspoons of onion powder. - 6 to 8 pieces of dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water. - 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce. - 1 tablespoon of ground basil leaves. - 1 pinch of natural sea salt. - 2 teaspoons of ginger, finely chopped. (Optional) Directions: 1) After washing the fish, cut away the tail and make a slice from the center, on each side. When slicing the fish, ensure that it's deep enough but not all the way to the bones. Depending on the shape and size of the fish, you may need to slice deeper.

2) Season the fish with the truffle oil, light soya sauce, ground black pepper, basil, onion powder and sea salt.

3) Stuff the mushrooms and ginger into the fish, through the sliced openings. Otherwise, just place the mushrooms on the side of the plate. 4) Add the lemon slices all around the fish, on both sides. 5) Let the fish steam over low fire for 40 minutes. If you don't have a food steamer, you may use a large wok and fill it with 200 ml of water or more (depending on the size of the pan).

6) Turn off the hear, and use a fork to check that the meat is tender. 7) Leave to stand for 2 minutes before serving. ***Serve and enjoy it with ginger or porridge, along with some green onions as garnishing, or hot sauce for dipping.*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja.

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Chrysanthemum and Wolfberries Tea

Brewing time: 15 minutes. Chrysanthemum tea has always been my favorite type of Chinese tea, not just for its health benefits, but it's also decaffeinated and free of preservatives. The first time I learned to make this was when I first visited my grandaunt in Hong Kong 12 years ago. The old Chinese medicine practitioners believed that chrysanthemum carries anti-aging oxidants and helps to restore eyesight for people who work long hours in front of the computers. I decided to consume something light for the evening since I had a late lunch today. The best thing about this drink is that you can serve it hot as a regular tea, or cold as a dessert. As usual, all the ingredients can be purchased at the local Asia Food Market approximately for less than $8. Ingredients:

- 500 ml of water. - 1 1/2 tablespoon of Chinese wolfberries. - 1 tablespoon of dried chrysanthemum flowers. - 2 small pieces / 1 large piece of rock sugar to taste (You may use regular sugar or honey as an alternative). Directions: 1) In a small saucepan, boil 500 ml of water over low to medium fire. 2) Pour the wolfberries and chrysanthemum flowers into the boiling water.

3) Add in the rock sugar pieces.

4) Leave to stand for 3 minutes.

5) Serve in a glass along with a teaspoon. You may filter out the flowers or eat them along with the wolfberries.

Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja.

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Chicken Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Chinese Wolfberries

Makes 4 to 5 servings. Preparation time: 20 minutes. Cooking Time: 45 minutes. Chicken soup has always been a source of comfort for many of us, especially those who are diagnosed flu related illnesses. I made this for my roommate since she's down with cold lately. Unlike other chicken soups, this dish helps to build one's appetite when the immunity system is at its lowest. My method of cooking is also different than other Chinese herbal soups for various reasons. Firstly, it is expensive and difficult to get ginseng and most of the herbs in Rochester. Secondly, I've noticed that a lot of the traditional chinese herbs used in the process, (e.g.: red dates) have a short shelf life for inventory. And finally, it requires more time to cook if I were to add more herbs. The last thing we want to consume is a bitter soup. For this meal, I spent approximately $15, including all the necessary ingredients. The wings were also fresh and organic. I added wolf berries not only for the health benefits, but they bring a pleasant fragrant and add natural sweetness to the soup. Another great alternative is you can even use them for tea or dessert. This soup is best served in warm temperature, during any seasons of the year. Ingredients:

- 6 to 8 chicken wings (thawed and rinsed). - 200 grams of dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in hot water). - 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. - 100 grams of dried Chinese wolfberries. - 1 1/2 cup of water. - 1 teaspoon of Kikkoman light soya sauce (you may use other brands of soya sauce).

Cooking Directions: 1) On a medium or large cooking pot, heat the sesame oil over a medium fire for 2 minutes. 2) Pour in the minced garlic and let it stand until it turns brown. 3) Cook the chicken winglets by turning each side for a few times. 4) Glaze the chicken with Kikkoman light soya sauce and continue stirring.

5) Pour in the soaked mushrooms with the water into the pot. (I do this so that the mushroom water can be used as the soup broth)

6) When the soup comes to a soft boil, add in the wolfberries.

7) Cover and continue to let the soup boil for another 20 to 25 minutes. ***Serve on a bowl and enjoy it with rice*** Photo Credits: Margaret Linandjaja.