On 1/19/2010 2:19 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>> On 1/19/2010 6:16 AM, James Silverton wrote:
>>> Hello All!
>>>
>>> I note a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup by Jean B in r.f.recipes. It looks
>>> authentic using white pepper for heat. I wonder if any others are as
>>> horrible as me and prefer a hotter version using Sriracha sauce?
>>>
>>
>> The whole point of hot and sour soup is it's total reliance on
>> black/white pepper and vinegar as it's main flavor components - that's
>> rather unique. I don't add any Srichacha myself. OTOH, I can see how
>> the taste of the soup might get kind of boring after a while.
>
> Hooray!!! Someone who understands the subtlety of hot and sour soup.
> It's really more about the textures than the "hot" and "sour". An
> authentic recipe will include all kinds of wonderful things like tiger
> lily stems, tree ear mushrooms, shredded bamboo shoots and pieces of
> firm bean curd.

I remember frequenting a restaurant across the street from the place I
used to work and ordering a bowl of that soup and a plate of rice with
spicy beef. That was the special of the day although the "special" never
seemed to change. As I recall, it cost $2.50.

This must have been 25 or so years ago and I think that must have been a
high point in my life as far as lunch goes. :-) Mostly, I'd eat alone
and a couple of times I was joined by my wife. Either way, I enjoyed the
experience greatly and felt like I was a king. It may be that given any
dish, sooner or later, you'll reach the point where you no longer have
the desire to eat another spoonful. In my case, with hot and sour soup,
I haven't reached that point yet!

>
> Traditional Chinese cuisine is excellent by itself. I, personally, see
> no reason to turn it into TexMex.
>
> YMMV
>