Chrysanthemum bowl

1. Cooking liquid: you may prepare this the day before- remove and reserve breast from the chicken.
2. Cut up remaining chicken and simmer one hour with water and soy sauce.
3. Cool and strain the stock.
4. Reserve the chicken meat for another meal.
5. Refrigerate stock until needed.
6. Preparing the ingredients for table cooking: slice the breast meat very thin.
7. Add another breast if you want.
8. Remove the tough stems from the spinach, stack 5-6 leaves together, then cut into 3-4 diagonal strips.
9. Slice the cabbage diagonally about 1 ½" wide.
10. Slice fish.
11. Leave oysters whole.
12. Cut shrimp into pieces.
13. Slice pork very thin.
14. Blanche the chicken livers, if used and slice thin.
15. Make sure you buy the right kind of bean thread.
16. Saifun or japanese harasume puffs up when fried.
17. [shirataki turns into an unappetizing dough.
18. ] fry the bean threads in deep fat heated to 390; they will immediately puff up and turn white in explosive fashion; remove and strain.
19. Arrange on platters, cover and refrigerate.
20. Leave eggs in their shells.
21. Thin oyster sauce with a little broth.
22. Setting the table: set each place with a small plate, chopsticks, fork, napkin, rice bowl, tea cup and a cup for drinking the broth.
23. Also include tiny dishes to hold the condiments and dipping sauces.
24. Each diner receives one uncooked egg in the shell.
25. Near the cooker, the host will need a ladle, a slotted spoon and the chrysanthemum blossoms.
26. Cooking at the table: bring the cooking pot [electric skillet/ fondue pot/ sauce pan and hibachi etc] to the table with about ½ the stock, heated.
27. Serve the hot rice.
28. Using chopsticks each diner takes food from the platters to his own plate and then cooks his own foods in the simmering broth until done to his liking, then dips it in his choice of condiments.
29. For a faster meal the host can cook about ½ of each food together and ladle out portions with a slotted spoon.
30. Halfway through the meal drink the stock and start over with the remaining fresh stock.
31. When all the food has been cooked, add the flower petals to the stock.
32. Each diner can then either beat an egg in his bowl and ladle the flower spiced broth over it or poach his egg in the bowl and poach it. Remove the poached eggs with the slotted spoon.
33. The last bit of stock can be flavored with the remaining condiments and dipping sauces and drunk.