Dan wrote:

> HOT AND SOUR SOUP
> =================
>
> oil
> 6 mushrooms, cut up
> 2 cans beef broth (14oz)
> 1 can of water
> 8 oz tofu
> 1 can sliced bamboo shoots (5 oz net)
> 2 T soy sauce
> 2 T rice vinegar
> 1 t dark roasted sesame oil
> 1 t white ground pepper
> 2 T cornstarch in 6 T water
> 1 juliened carrot (or shred)
> 2 eggs, beaten
> 2 green onions, cut into rings
>
>
> Put a little oil in your pan and saute mushrooms. Add beef broth and
> water and cook over low heat while you prep other ingredients. Cut tofu
> into sticks, about 1/4 inch thick and of a good length to fit on the
> spoons you plan to use. Cut up the bamboo shoots. Big pieces should be
> cut lengthwise into thirds, smaller in two and little ones go in as is.
> Put the tofu and bamboo shoots in the soup and turn up the heat. Put
> soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and pepper in a little bowl and mix. Put
> cornstarch in little bowl with water. Put eggs in another little bowl.
> Lastly, put onions in another bowl.
>
> When soup comes to a boil, add first little bowl. Stir and taste for
> seasoning. Add soy sauce, vinegar, pepper or salt as necessary. When
> it comes to a boil again, stir cornstarch and water in the little bowl
> thoroughly and slowly add to soup while stirring constantly until it
> comes to a boil again. Let boil for a minute to thicken. Add carrot
> and let come to a boil again. Stir soup in a circular motion while
> boiling and slowly add eggs. They will shred.
>
> You can add the green onion here or serve at the table to be added to
> personal preference. I like it at the table, since it doesn't get soggy
> and cooked by the third bowl.


Hm....I don't have any tofu, but I *do* have a sirloin steak to use up. The
substitution is obvious! :-)

I'll also add some halved-and-strained grape tomatoes and garlic (since I
need to use those up too). Maybe some noodles, depending on what the soup
looks like before I add the cornstarch slurry. OH! This would be a good
occasion to see how potent those Penzey's Szechuan peppercorns are; I'll
figure some way to incorporate them.

Bob