Hot and Sour Soup

·         4 dried Chinese fungi (about 1 ounce), such as wood ears, shitake, or cloud ears (can use a mixture)

·         2 tablespoons olive or canola oil

·         1 tsp. sesame oil (or to taste)

·         1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

·         2-3 tsps. red chili paste

·         1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, rinsed well and sliced

·         1/4 pound barbecued pork or chicken, shredded

·         1/4 cup soy sauce

·         ½ tsp minced garlic

·         1/4 cup rice vinegar or red wine vinegar

·         Juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

·         Pinch sugar

·         2 quarts Chicken Stock

·         1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch strips

·         3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

·         1 – 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

·         Chopped green onions, grated carrot, and cilantro leaves, for garnish

Put the fungus in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Drain and rinse; discard any hard clusters in the centers. (You can reserve the liquid to add to the soup for extra flavor.)

Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high flame. Add the ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and meat; cook and stir for 1 minute to infuse the flavor. Sprinkle with sesame oil.  Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, lemon or lime juice and zest, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, pour it into the wok and toss everything together - it should smell really fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock (and reserved mushroom liquid, if using), bring the soup to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the tofu and cook for 3 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir until smooth. Mix into the soup and continue to simmer until the soup thickens. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in 1 direction to get a current going, then stop stirring. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs in a steady stream and watch it spin around and feather in the broth (it should be cooked almost immediately.) Garnish the hot and sour soup with chopped green onions, grated carrot, and cilantro before serving.