“Healing” Cook-Along

Originally broadcast live on luckyrice.com May 21, 2020

Danielle shares a comforting and healing chicken soup. Designer and actor Waris Ahluwalia chats with Danielle over tea. And Chef/Healer Su-Mei Yu teaches how to make an essential oil good for the muscles. This will include recipe demos and items from The Essential Asian Pantry Box.

Danielle also caught up with other guests featured in the Lucky Chow Healing episode:

• Carrie and Suresh Dashow of Atina Foods

• Nimai Gupta of Gopal Farms

And also, don’t forget to check out:

• Waris Ahluwalia’s botanical tea company, House of Waris

• Su Mei Yu’s restaurant Saffron Thai as well as her numerous cookbooks

Ingredients and Recipes for this Cook-Along:

Danielle’s Instant Pot Chinese Chicken Soup

Danielle’s Chicken Soup Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, whole or cut up into pieces

• 3 scallions, white and green parts chopped into 1 inch pieces

• 2 inch-knob of ginger, crushed

• Dried shiitake mushrooms

• Shaoxing wine - 1 cup

• Salt and pepper

• Instant Pot

• somen noodles (optional)

• furikake (optional)

Danielle’s Instant Pot Chicken Soup Directions:

1. Rehydrate dried shiitake mushroom in water for ~30 min

2. Add chicken, shaoxing wine, rehydrated shiitake mushroom, ginger, and scallions

3. Add 4 cups water, just enough to cover the top of chicken (be sure it doesn’t exceed maximum level for instant pot).

4. Meat setting for 25 minutes

5. Optional: While the soup is cooking, boil somen noodles and add to the soup just before serving. Top with furikake.

Recipe adapted from Lucky Rice cookbook.

Chef Su Mei’s Essential Oil for Muscles Aches

Materials + Ingredients:

Materials:

• measuring cup and tablespoon

• small skillet

• small saucepan

• wax paper

• rolling pin 

• spoon for stirring

• cheese cloth

• 8-9 inches twine

• small ziplock bag

• glass bottle with lid

Ingredients:

• Black peppercorn

• Clove

• Cinnamon

• Whole Cardamom

• Star anise

• Turmeric

• Neutral oil

Essential Oil Directions:

1. In a skillet, add 1 tbs of cloves, 1 tbs black peppercorn, 1 tbs whole cardamom, a handful of anise, and cinnamon.

2. Heat the spice mixture over medium heat until you can smell the spices.

3. Add the spices on a wax paper. Using the rolling pin, break the spice mixture into small pieces. (Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle).

4. Transfer everything into a small saucepan.

5. Pour 1/2 c of neutral oil into small saucepan.

6. Infuse the spices into the oil by heating the mixture over the lowest heat possible for about 1 hour.

7. Take cheesecloth and line it into a strainer placed over a glass bottle. Pour the oil to strain the solids from the essential oil. If not using the essential oil immediately, close the bottle and store it.

8. Don’t throw away the used spices! Put them into a small ziplock bag, saving them for a future use (it goes well in stew).

How to use:

1. Use the oil after a shower or bath.

2. Pour a little bit into your palm.

3. Rub the sore muscle with your hand. Gently but firmly, press up and down on the sore area, massaging until any knots go away. While you are doing so, concentrate your mind into the muscle and where it hurts (don’t think about anything else).

4. Do this for about ten minutes.

5. Afterwards, wash your hands.

Note: this essential oil is designed solely for alleviating sore and tense muscles. It shouldn’t be used for other purposes.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Su Mei Yu.