Hot & sour tofu soup

Yield: 1 Servings

Ingredients:

8 md Dry shiitake mushrooms -(about 3/4 oz. total)
1 tb Salad oil
1 Clove garlic minced or -pressed
1 tb Minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 qt Regular-strength chicken -broth
1 lb Soft or regular tofu

Instructions:

-rinsed cut into 1/2-inch -cubes and Drained well 3 tb Rice vinegar or cider -vinegar 1 1/2 tb Soy sauce 3 tb Cornstarch 3/4 To 1 teaspoon white pepper 1/2 To 1 teaspoon chili oil -(optional) 4 Green onions (ends -trimmed) thinly sliced Crisp noodles (recipe -follows) Crisp-creamy peas (recipe -follows) Soak mushrooms in hot water to cover until soft about 20 minutes. Drain; cut off tough stems and discard. Cut caps into thin strips; set aside. Pour oil into a 4- to 5-quart pan. Place over medium heat and add garlic and ginger; stir until garlic is light gold. Add broth and mushrooms; bring to a boil on high heat. Add tofu; cover and simmer until tofu is hot 3 to 5 minutes. Mix rice vinegar soy sauce and cornstarch until smooth; stir into soup. Cook stirring until soup boils. Add white pepper and chili oil to taste. Stir in onions. Pour into a tureen. offer noodles and peas to add to taste. Makes 6 servings. CRISP NOODLES: Pour about 1 inch salad oil into a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pan. Heat oil to 350F. Add a handful of fresh Chinese noodles or fresh taglierini (you'll need 3 oz. total) to oil; fry turning until crisp and golden about 1 minute. Lift out; drain on paper towels. Repeat to fry remaining noodles. Serve or let cool and store airtight for up to 5 days. Makes 3 cups. Or omit this step and use 1 can (5 oz.) chow mein noodles. CRISP-CREAMY PEAS: Rinse and drain 1 can (16 oz.) black-eyed peas. Spread out on a double layer of paper towels and pat dry. Place beans in a 10- by 15- inch baking pan. Add 1 tablespoon salad oil and mix to coat beans. Bake in a 400F oven until beans are lightly browned and crisp on outside about 15 minutes; stir occasionally. Serve hot or warm. Makes 1 cup. Sunset Magazine 4/89. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; February 10 1992.