Hot and Sour Soup (Hot and Sor Sup)

Ingredients:

1 cake tofu (fresh tofu if possible)
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, shredded
2 Tbsp black fungus (Wood Ear)
or 3 - 4 Chinese dry mushrooms
small handful dry lily buds

2 ounces pork tenderloin, julienned

Marinade:
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup Campbell's chicken broth)*
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp red rice vinegar** (or white if red not available)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
1 Tbsp finely chopped

white pepper to taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)
1 egg

Mixture:
1 Tbsp cornstarch (corn flour)
1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Shred pork. Mix marinade ingredients and marinade pork for 15 minutes.

2. To reconstitute the wood ears, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces.

If substituting mushrooms, cut off the stems and cut into thin strips.

Cut tofu into small squares. Cut bamboo shoots into strips, and then into fine slices.

3. Boil water. When it is boiling add all the ingredients in I and II. Add the vegetables first. Stir. Add the tofu. When the broth is boiling, add the marinated pork.

Add the remaining ingredients in III, except for the green onion.
Beat the egg well. Set aside.

Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit more rice vinegar).

Mix the cornstarch
and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove.

Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction at the same time. Add the green onion and white pepper to taste. Drizzle with chili oil if desired.

(This dish can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When making the soup, leave out the tofu. When ready to serve, thaw, add the tofu and bring to boiling. When the soup is boiling, add the egg.)

*Adjust the ratio of water to chicken stock as desired.
** If using chicken broth increase the amount of red rice vinegar