Home Cook Chrysanthemum Tea

Recipe for Home Cook Chrysanthemum Tea:

Mandatory
- 50-70g dried tai-ju chrysanthemum flowers (胎菊)
- 1.5 litres of water
- 50g rock sugar

Steps

1. Prepare mandatory and optional ingredients. I didn't have any optional ingredients, so just the mandatory ones.       
2. In a small pot using medium heat, bring the water to a boil.

3. Once water starts boiling, add in rock sugar.
4. Switch to using low heat
5. Stir water consistently using soup ladle till sugar completely dissolved.
6. Once sugar completely dissolved, add in the chrysanthemums flowers.
7. Close pot with lid and immediately switch off the fire.

8. Let it simmer for at least an hour or longer. (I left it till the pot is slightly warm/around room temperature as I wanted to chill it in fridge.)

9. Remove flowers using a sieve and stored/served as required (I removed partially of it as the flowers looked nice.)

Optional Ingredients (For the optional ingredients, can add it/them in together during step 6.)

- Wolfberries (枸杞子/枸杞 - Gou Qi Zi/Gou Qi) - Nourish liver and kidney yin, supplement blood and essence, and improve vision.
          - Wash wolfberries with normal temperature water before use.

- Honeysuckle Flower (金银花 - Jin Yin Hua) - Clear heat and remove toxicity, disperse wind-heat, clear summer-heat.

- Liquorice (甘草 - Gan Cao) - Tonify qi of heart and spleen, dispel phlegm, relieve cough and dyspnea, relieve spasm and pain, clear heat and relieve toxicity, and harmonize property of medicine.

Note: The optional ingredients are advised by the Chinese medical store staffs. Please asked for their advice again. I have tried using them all and so far I am quite well.

Most of the ingredients can be found in local Chinese medical stores. Some even comes pre-packed.
For the Chrysanthemum flowers, there are a few variety to choose from. I prefer tai ju as the smell and fragrance is nice. Pricing for tai ju was around a pack for $4-$4.50. No longer have their packaging so not very sure how big pack it is...

Easy to cook Tomato Rice

Recipe for tomato rice:

A. The base for tomato rice
2 tsps olive oil (I actually used canola oil since I didn't have olive oil)
2 tsps black pepper (Or more if u like black pepper)
1 fully ripe tomato (not those small tomatoes)
2 cups of Thailand Rice Grains (The number of cups varied on your needs. 2 cups of rice can actually serves 4-5 person. I've tried both Thailand long-grain Rice and Japanese short gain Rice and still turns out well)
2 cups of water (the usual volume that you need for cooking your rice)

B. Optional Ingredients
Shitake/Chinese Mushroom - sliced
Ham - sliced/diced
Corn - remove corn from cob
Carrot - sliced/diced
Broccoli -  Removed the leaves and cut into smaller stalks

Steps

1. Prepare the portion under B. Optional Ingredients

2. Prepare the rice as you usually does... Wash it and fill up with the usual amount of water.

3. Scoop/Cut off the top of tomato where the brown color portion.

4. Place the tomato in the centre of your rice pot, with the top of the tomato facing downwards.

5. Add in olive oil and black pepper.

6. Place the optional ingredients into the rice pot.

7. Put the rice into your rice cooker and cook as usual

8. Once cooked, the tomato will be soft. Using your rice ladle, press the tomato down and mixed till all rice grain are looks completely mixed with the tomato and ingredients.

Side Notes

I saw this recipe after signing up a Facebook group and it seemed easy. Tried it out once and now I am all into this recipe. The optional ingredients varies. I have tried with french beans, sausages, hotdogs, Enokitake, Chinese fish cakes etc.

French beans and enokitake turned brown after a few reheat so better not reheat too many times.

Sausages and hams lost much of it's original taste so I still prefer using hot dogs. Alternatively, if the sausage/ham you are using is already cooked, then don't add them in (at step 6). Wait till at step 8 then add in to the cooked rice and mixed well. Keep the rice cooker in the warm mode to heat up the sausage/ham.

Till date, I still prefer using broccoli, corn, carrot. Planning to try chinese dried mushroom and chinese sausage. Will update again once I tried.

Taiwan Trip 2014 - Day 3 Cingjing (清境) - Taroko National Park (太魯閣國家公園) - Hualien (花蓮)

Our Itinerary

Day 1: Changi Airport > Taoyuan Airport > Sun Moon Lake (Ita Thao)

Day 2: Sun Moon Lake > Cingjing  

Day 3: Cingjing 清境 > Taroko National Park 太魯閣國家公園 - Hualien 花蓮 

(Wu Ling 武嶺 > Mt He Huan 合歡山 > Taroko Bi Luu Shen Mu 碧綠神木 > Swallow Grotto Trail 燕子口 > Tian Xiang 天祥 > Eternal Shrine 長春祠 > Qingshui Cliff 清水斷崖 > Qi Xing Tan)

Day 4: Hualien 

Day 5: Hualien > Taipei (Huaxi Night Market)

Day 6: Taipei (Jiufen > Gongguan - Retail Outlet & Night Market)

Day 7: Taipei (Beitou > Tamsui)

Day 8: Taipei (Shinkong Mitsukoshi > Ximending > Shilin Night Market)

Day 9: Taipei > Taoyuan Airport

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woke up early in the morning, I prayed hard for the sunrise.

We camped ourselves outside at the balcony, the weather is VERY cold! OMG
Freezed my body but I shall not give in!!!

Taking a lot and a lot of sunrise pictures, we were all satisfied! hehe...

And it was breakfast time again...
As usual, porridge, toast, eggs, preserved/stir fried vegetables,


After breakfast, we stayed put in our accommodation area to wait for our driver for the next long ride @ 11am.

Wandered around and here's what I took

The view of Senzhilian (view from their cafe)

The view from our balcony

The view of Senzhilian (view from their carpark)

Our driver was very punctual. He came at 11am and that's the start of our 7 hours exploration of Taroko and trip to Hualien. First place of interest is Wu Ling (武嶺) and Mt He Huan (合歡山) The view is superb nice!!

Wu Ling (武嶺) and Mt He Huan (合歡山) view

Stopped for a short break and also change of drivers. Good for us to take a break as we still have a long journey to go.

Upon reaching Taroko's Shen Mu, our driver brought us to this eatery which is just a stairway away from Shen Mu. There, the staff gave us a lot of samples to try. From their peach honey, to dried mushrooms snacks, all tasted delicious. But we weren't in the shopping mode so didn't buy any. We had our lunch at the eatery and the portion they served is quite generous. I highly recommend their hot red tea which they served with the honey peach to substitute the sugar.

The Eatery @ Shen Mu

Our lunch

- Taroko Bi Luu Shen Mu (碧綠神木) 

- Yanzikou (Swallow Grotto) Trail (燕子口) 

Tian Xiang (天祥)

Eternal Shrine (長春祠)

Qingshui Cliff (清水斷崖) 

Qingshui Cliff (清水斷崖)

Qi Xing Tan

Enjoyed the trip tour via car with our friendly guide Ms Tiffany Chang (tiffany_935lk@yahoo.com.tw). She was very responsive through email and is very informative. If you are visiting Hualien and need a guide, do drop her an email.
The whole 7 hours is quite tiring for me although we spend more time in the car then walking. I guess it must be the going up the mountain and coming down from there that cause the tiredness...But I do hope to go for a trekking tour if I revisited Taroko.

Our last destination is Hualien  (花蓮)- Hotel Charming. Ms After unpacking, we went out to look for food again. Chanced upon a eatery selling railway bento.

Drumstick bento

Didn't do much shopping. Shops were already beginning to close. And we were exhausted. Bought snacks from the convenience shop and went back to rest for the day.

Taiwan Trip 2014 - Day 2 - Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) - Cingjing (清境)

ITINERARY

Day 1: Changi Airport > Taoyuan Airport > Sun Moon Lake 

Day 2: Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 

(Shuishe Visitor Centre 水社旅客服務中心 > Xuan Guang Temple 玄光寺 > Ita Thao 伊達邵碼頭) > 

Cingjing  清境 

(Senzhilian 森之恋民宿 > Cingjing Farm 清境農場 > Green Green Grassland 青青草原 > Little France 法国小镇 > Small Swiss Garden 小瑞士花園)

Day 3: Cingjing > Taroko National Park > Hualien 

Day 4: Hualien 

Day 5: Hualien > Taipei (Huaxi Night Market)

Day 6: Taipei (Jiufen > Gongguan - Retail Outlet & Night Market)

Day 7: Taipei (Beitou > Tamsui)

Day 8: Taipei (Shinkong Mitsukoshi > Ximending > Shilin Night Market)

Day 9: Taipei > Taoyuan Airport

5.30am: The sky looks gloomy.

But still we proceed to Ita Thao ferry (which is 5 min walks) hoping for a nice sunrise!

6.30am: This was the best we could capture.

By almost 7am, we headed back to hotel for wash up and breakfast.

A quick snapshot from my hotel room view before breakfast.

After having our breakfast from hotel, we purchasing the ferry tickets to tour around the 3 island in Sun Moon Lake.

Would be good to have the ferry schedule for the day as the ferry is in 1 direction

 Shuishe Visitor Centre (水社旅客服務中心) -> Xuan Guang Temple (玄光寺) -> Ita Thao (伊達邵碼頭) -> Back to Shuishe Visitor Centre (水社旅客服務中心)

We got on to the first ferry to Shuishe Visitor Centre (水社旅客服務中心).
Already packed with tourists, but not all shops were opened.

We took a quick walk around and saw this preserved fruits. Can't help but bought a mixed pack. Definitely good for digestion.

Next stop was Xuan Guang Temple (玄光寺)

A must try is this Mushroom Tea Leaf Egg (金盆阿嬷香菇茶葉蛋)!
After having 2 eggs, I had another. And I should have buy more...
The ferry tour guide mentioned to us the taste has been adjusted to cater to tourist's liking. It used to be less salty. I guess for me, it would still be as delicious.

Walking around, we wandered to the carpark path

Towards the carpark... 

Didn't take long for us at Xuanguang Temple as it was getting crowded. We headed back to Ita Thao.

View from ferry ride.

Back in Ita Thao, food stalls beginning to open for business and hence our lunch began!

Black Tea Chinese Bamboo Partridge (红茶山竹雞)

Chicken is nice, portion not a lot. But tea flavor is not very obvious.

  Grilled Mochi with Curry Powder
I think I should have just gone for original flavor. The curry powder makes the mochi seemed a bit dry.

 
Fried bun with generous portion of vegetables & mushroom

Cold Yuchi tea from Tea 18.

Back in the hotel and waiting for our ride. Took a few snaps. 

A nice and relaxing lobby, the lady owner offers us tea while we wait for our driver.

Cherng Yuan Hotel

Our driver for Sun Moon Lake to Cingjing picked us up at Ita Thao Ferry instead of Shuishe Visitor Centre, saving us the hassle to board the ferry and also giving us more time to tour around Sun Moon Lake before leaving for Cingjing. The drive from Sun Moon Lake to Cingjing took an hour+.

Our cab in the mirror! 

Our accommodation @ Cingjing is with Senzhilian (森之恋民宿). 

Got to know this place from the driver who told us that we can have the luxury of staying in the room and catch the sunrise!

Our 4 person hotel room for the night. 

The beds are separated by a level (more privacy in some ways)

Since it's a short stay, we took a short break and off we went to Cingjing's tourist area. 

Senzhilian's staff/owner drive us to Cingjing Farm (清境農場). Also, they were very informative in how we can decide to spend our day there. In the farm, they have shows which is only on on weekends but the crowds deter us from going.

Entrance to Cingjing Farm (清境農場)

When you enter the farm, remember to get the stamp chopped. This is to allow you to return into the farm for the day itself.

Up the slope

The view

Down the stairs

The windmill

Maple leaves

Walking in the farm is not very tiring but a bit humid. Luckily, there is an area for food!!!

Rice in Bamboo Stick (竹同饭)

Yunnan Chilli Chicken (云南椒麻鸡) - Like this dish a lot! 

Pumpkin Cake （月见饼）

The auntie said it's a combination of pumpkin and tapioca? Anyway, it is similar to the tapioca cake (pan fried style). Have to eat it while it's still hot for best texture.

Aiko's Pizza @ Cingjing

Can't resist a freshly baked Pizza!!

Straight ahead down from Cingjing Farm is Little France (法国小镇). And almost dinner time. Exhausted from a whole day of walking and travelling, we took a long break and also dinner at Little France. There are countable places for food, but the one that catch our eyes is Shine.

Shine @ Little France (法国小镇)

By the time we finished dinner, it was really dark (after 7pm) and cold....

Got lost from Little France to Small Swiss Garden. Heard the music but just can't seemed to find the way. Chanced upon another guy who is touring alone and on his way to Small Swiss Garden. We got together and under the dimly lit path with the signs are covered by the trees, we struggled to find the way. If not for the guy who had asked for directions earlier before proceeding, we would have really got lost in the middle of nowhere with no one to ask for help. 

Finally... we reached Small Swiss Garden and even had time for ice cream and a bit of shopping...

And still in time for the water performance at 7.30pm

After the water performance, we took a quick walk around the dimly lit garden.

A quick view of Small Swiss Garden

After our short tour in Small Swiss Garden, we called the hotel and another lady came to drive us back to hotel.

Back in hotel with after dinner snacks!!

and the moon from hotel room...