Text 11628, 148 rader
Skriven 2007-02-09 11:52:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av SHARON STEVENS
Ärende: Hello Strangers! 38
===========================
 SS> Yeah, no kidding..  we even got a 'winter' here this year!  What the
 SS> heck.. I  thought I moved away from all that... I want my money back!
 SS> haha... 

Look at the poor souls in New York state with their tons
of snow (wonder how old Ford is doing, also Joan MacdDiarmid,
also Bodle, who hasn't posted here in a long time).

I'm here now in Wal-Mart-land, where it's been getting down
to 20 (F) at night and people are complaining. I was lucky not
to be here last week, as the clarinet professor at the university
told me last night: they had tremendous ice storms such as they
haven't had in recent memory. We're supposed to have more freezing
rain on our concert days (Saturday, Sunday), but I haven't seen
anything untoward so far. By the time it's time for me to blow
this joint, Tuesday, the storms should be over.

 > Carol Bryant, and she's mine as in mine. No minister or
 > piece of paper, but closer than horseshoes or hand grenades.
 SS> Well congratulations!!  That is way cool..

We think so. I don't get to see her until Valentine's day,
though.

 SS> hahaha.. Samiam is good.

Great. Say hi for me.

Hot and sour soup
cat: interesting, text only, Chinese
yield: 1 batch

I've been trying to make a good hot and sour soup for quite a while 
now, and have mostly been disappointed. This includes efforts by 
Barbara Tropp, Irene Kuo, Cooks Illustrated, and many older books. 
However, I finally found something good in Susanna Foo's Chinese 
Cuisine. I've made it a couple of times, and really like it.

Chicken broth. (this modifies her recipe)
2 quarts (litres) of canned or boxed chicken broth--preferably low 
sodium. I've been using Shelton's for a while, but have just come 
across a couple of boxed brands that are actually low sodium (under 
100 mg per 250 grams [cup], rather than over 500 mg, and up to 950 
mg, as in most of the commercial varieties).  She starts with chicken 
and with 4 quarts of water
2 onions, quartered (she has 1)
2 carrots, quartered (she has 1)
6 scallions, white and green parts, cut in 2" (5 cm) lengths.
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1  2" (5 cm) piece of ginger root sliced thin
1/2 Tablespoon roasted Sichuan peppercorns. (I got some pre-roasted 
at one Chinese grocery. Otherwise, the peppercorns are sometimes hard 
to locate--the last batch I got, at a Korean grocery, were labeled 
"white pepper.")
3 star anise
1 envelope gelatin (the reason for including bones in stock is to 
extract the gelatin. I                           find it helps to add 
some. I might add 2 envelopes next time)

I put this up to boil, while I work on the rest of the preparations 
(about an hour, because I am slow with a knife)

Hot and sour soup.
1/4 lb (125 gms) lean pork, cut in 1/4" dice (6 mm). Most of the hot 
and sour soups I've seen shred the ingredients, and so I did a 
julienne. Foo says American veal tastes like the northern Chinese 
pork of her youth, so the first time I made it I used veal. It tasted 
like veal. So I went back to using chicken. The last time I used 1 
breast, about 10 oz (280 gms)
1 Tablespoon brandy (14 grams)--this is unusual: mostly cooks use 
sherry wine or Chinese wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch (most marinades use 1 Tablespoon).
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (14 gms).
Mix all ingredients of marinade, add to julienned meat, and let stand 
on counter 15 min. (most recipes say in the refrigerator for at 
least  1/2 hour. I left it on the counter because the meat was still frozen)

Soup.
8 cups (2 litres) stock (chicken or pork--I always use chicken)
1/4 cup cornstarch (perhaps 1 oz, 28 gms)
1/4 cup water (about 60 ml)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce (42 gms)
3 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar (also unusual--most recipes call for 
Chinese black vinegar or US apple cider vinegar, but she likes 
American or European vinegars more than any Chinese vinegar she can 
get in the US)
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste. I've been using 
white pepper--when this book was printed, sichuan pepper was not 
called "white")
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper or to taste
1 Tablespoon coarse or Kosher salt or to taste (I generally omit 
salt--there's enough in the soy sauce. Kosher salt is used by cooks 
because it is not iodized, which affects taste (although you can buy 
uniodized table salt in the supermarket. I usually use sea salt, anyhow)
1/4 cup peeled and cubed taro or potato. I tried it once with potato, 
and it didn't do much for it, so I used a small taro (about 1 cup, 
about 4 oz--120 gms), and shredded (julienned) it, the next time
1/2 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms (stems removed) or white button 
mushrooms in 1/4 inch cubes. I used fresh shiitake, julienned. 
Something less than 2 oz (56 gms).  I have used dried mushrooms, too, 
and they also work--they may even be more usual.
1  "square" (5 oz, 150 gms) firm tofu (bean curd), cut in 1/4 inch 
cubes. I julienned it.
1 large (50 gm) egg, lightly beaten. Next time I may try 2 eggs.
1 teaspoon (5 gms) Asian sesame oil
2 Tablespoons  finely chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves. (I 
tried basil, but I think I'll go back to fresh chives or scallions.)

Other additions:
I used some Chinese black fungus last time--a couple of tablespoons 
dried, soaked and shredded (hard parts removed). This doesn't affect 
taste, but does add a texture.
Tiger lily buds are sometimes used as a replacement for egg. I may 
use a couple of tablespoons full, soaked, with the knobs removed.
Last time I used about half a cup of fresh bean sprouts for texture. 
I might use bamboo shoots instead.
Combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl
Add to soup stock the soy sauce, vinegar, peppers, salt. Stir in the 
cornstarch mixture. (she likes to cook the cornstarch a long time so 
it doesn't taste raw). bring to boil. Add meat and simmer over low 
heat 30 min, soup should be thick.

Add taro or potato, mushrooms and tofu. continue cooking until 
taro/potato is tender, 15 min. (I added the taro a bit early, because 
15 min had not been long enough to cook the potato julienne). Don't 
stir for a few minutes after adding the tofu so it can set up and 
keep its shape.

(she says you can prepare the soup to this point a day ahead)

(At this point add stuff that should be barely cooked, like bean 
sprouts if used)

Using a spoon, slowly spread a fine layer of beaten egg onto the top 
of the simmering soup in a smooth thin sheet. Repeat until egg is 
used. Do not stir or pour egg into soup or large lumps will form 
(most recipes call for pouring it in while stirring)

when the strands of  egg float to surface stir in sesame oil

ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro, basil (or scallions).

From: David Chessler


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