Linda's Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb lean pork, julienned
• 2 tablespoons garlic
• 1-2 tablespoon red chili paste, depending on how hot you like it
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoot, julienned
• 1/2 cup water chestnut, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups dried Chinese mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (12 ounce) package firm tofu, cut into 1/4x2-inch sticks
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup dried black fungus, soaked for 1 hr., and cut up fine
• scallion, finely chopped

Directions

1. 1

   Bring the stock to a simmer. Add soy sauce, pork, mushrooms and chile paste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add white pepper, vinegar, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, fungus, tofu., and simmer 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Mix cornstarch with 5 T. water and add to soup.

4. 4

   Bring back to simmer, and pour the eggs in a very thin stream over the surface, stirring in one direction as you add the eggs. Let stand for 10 seconds, then stir in the sesame oil.

5. 5

   Serve with a chopped scallions on top.