Introduction.

With a time-honored history, Chinese cuisine culture is extensive and profound. According to records, as early as in the Shang and Zhou dynasties over 3,000 years ago, a fairly complete culinary system was formed. Thanks to the constant development and improvement in the past several thousand years, Chinese cuisine has become a complete culture system with unique characteristics, and has given birth to tea culture, wine culture and other cultures. Both meticulously prepared imperial dishes and local snacks reflect the Chinese people's pursuit for delicacies and the country's deep cultural ins and outs of the Chinese nation. China is a world-renowned "Culinary Kingdom." As one of the six important elements of tourism. i.e., transport, sightseeing, accommodation, food, shopping and entertainment, "food" is one of the most important component parts of China's abundant tourism resources. Delicious Chinese food attracts thousands upon thousands of foreign tourists to China. While visiting scenic Chinese tourist attractions. tourists can also taste various kinds of delicious food.
China has a vast territory and a large number of ethnic groups. Thanks to the great differences in the climate, geographical environment, and historical and cultural development of different regions, various styles of cuisine have been formed, each having its own distinct characteristics. The cooking techniques and different styles of cuisine reflect the quintessence of unique Chinese cooking techniques, and represent the level of Chinese culinary.
China has local cuisine, imperial dishes, dishes of ethnic minorities, Islamic dishes with a strong religious flavor and vegetarian dishes. At the beginning China had only four styles of cuisine. i.e., Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong and Huaiyang cuisine, which later developed into eight major styles of cuisine, then 10 main styles of cuisine, special styles of dishes of ethnic minorities such as Mongolian dishes, Tibetan dishes, Manchu dishes, Zhuang dishes and so on. Each ethnic minority dishes displays its unique ethnic customs. Dishes in the style of the ancients, includes Dishes of the Confucius Mansion. Tan Family Dishes, and Imitated "Dream of Red Mansions" Dishes, in addition to various kinds of local snacks, such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Jinan and Chengdu snacks. These styles of cuisine reflect China's rich and colorful catering culture in an all-round way.
Foods prepared by varied places are quite different in tastes, showing strong regional features. The people of northwest China love sour food; those of southwest China are fond of spicy food; and those from south and east China prefer sweet food. The people of north China mainly eat cooked wheaten food, such as steamed bread, steamed twisted rolls, pancakes and noodles; and the people of south China take rice as staple food.
The Chinese people have always maintained: "One does not object to the finest food." In Chin, cooking is a special skill, as well as an art, with profound contents and varied forms. Chinese cooking techniques feature time-honored history and consummate skills, and attach great importance to the combination of beautiful shapes and delicious tastes. Chinese food is known for bright colors, beautiful forms, tempting smell and various tastes.
With a long history, remarkable characteristics and rich connotations. Chinese cooking techniques are spread far and wide, and Chinese food is loved by the people all over the world. China, France and Turkey enjoy the highest reputation in the world for their culinary cultures, known as the "three major culinary schools." Chinese culinary art has made great contributions to human civilization. Now Chinese restaurants are spread all over the world. Many foreigners have got to know China and Chinese catering culture through tasting Chinese food.
The Chinese people have always attached great importance to their food and beverages. An old Chinese saying goes: "People regard food as their prime want." Along with the improvement of the people's livelihood, the people all over the world are paying more and more attention to catering culture. Tasting delicious Chinese food in different places of China is one of the reasons why foreign tourists come to China. Eating delicious food after (loin" sightseeing will make their trip to China more satisfactory. The saying of "eating in China" is universally accepted.
In China delicious food is often linked with festivals and celebrations. For instance, Jiaozi (dumpling with meat and vegetable stuffing) eaten during the Spring Festival. Zongzi (a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, and moon cakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival have become indispensable parts in the life of the Chinese people. At the Nadam Grassland Fair of the Mongolian ethnic minority, the Corban Festival of the Huis, the Water Sprinkling Festival of the Dais. and the game of "Maidens Chasing Her Lover" of Uygurs, tourists from all over the country may taste mutton and rice eaten with fingers, fried pastry and other delicious food. To enrich the cultural life of the people and promote the development of Chinese tourism, various kinds of delicacy festivals and celebrations are held every year in different regions of China, such as Guangzhou International Delicacy Festival, Ordos Delicacy Festival of the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region. Shandong Qilu Tourism Delicacy Festival, Chengdu Delicacy and Hot Pot Festival, etc. These festivals and celebrations have played and will continue to play an important role in promoting the development of tourism, the improvement and dissemination of cooking techniques, enriching China's tourism resources and products, and propelling the Chinese delicacy culture.
With the main Chinese styles of cuisine as the clues, this book introduces delicacy cultures and rich and colorful delicacy festivals and celebrations of different regions in great detail, and recommends some representative restaurants and hotels. With the help of this book, foreign tourists can taste various kinds of delicacies while visiting tourist attractions in China.

Almond Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all−purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp almond essence

blanched almonds for decoration

beaten egg for glazing

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cream the margarine

(or butter) and sugar together until light, white and fluffy. Beat in the egg

and almond essence. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients to make a stiff

dough.

2. Form the mixture into balls about 1 − 1.5 inch diameter and place these

on a greased baking tray. Place half an almond (split lengthways) on

each ball and press to flatten slightly. Brush with beaten egg.

3. Bake in a moderate oven (350 deg F / 180 deg C) for 20 minutes or

until golden. Cool on a wire rack. This quantity makes about 45

biscuits.

Bean Sprout Salad

2 tablespoon Sesame seeds

1 pound Fresh bean sprouts thoroughly washed and drained

3 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 md Scallions −− trimmed & minced

1 − 1" cube ginger, peeled and minced

2 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil

1/3 cup Soy sauce

2 tablespoon Cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet rice wine)

2 teaspoon Light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Spicy sesame oil

PREHEAT OVEN TO 300F. Toast the sesame seeds by spreading them

over the bottom of a pie tin. Roast for 12−to−16 minutes, stirring often,

until they are golden. The seeds can be toasted in advance and stored

in an airtight container.

Place the bean sprouts in a large heatproof bowl and set it aside.

In a medium−size skillet set over moderately low heat, stir−fry the garlic,

scallions and ginger in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are limp. Add

all the remaining ingredients, increase the heat to moderate, then boil the

mixture, uncovered, for 1 minute to slightly reduce the liquid. Pour the

boiling dressing over the bean sprouts, toss well, then cover the bowl and

chill the salad for several hours. Toss again before serving.

Cantonese Roast Duck

1 duck, about 5 pounds, fresh or frozen

1 tablespoon salt

1 scallion

3 slices fresh ginger

Glaze:

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Few sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Thaw the duck, if frozen. Remove any excess fat, and rinse and pat dry

with paper towels. Rub the entire surface of the duck, inside and out,

with the salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or, overnight.

2. Put the scallion in the cavity and lay the slices of ginger on top of

the duck. Add at least 2 inches of water to a large flameproof roasting

pan with a lid and put the pan on the stove. Place a large rack in the

roasting pan and bring the water to a boil. Choose an oval casserole large

enough to hold the duck and small enough to fit into the roasting pan.

Place the duck in the casserole and then put the casserole on the rack.

Cover and steam for 1 hour, checking the water level from time to time

and adding more boiling water if necessary. Save the duck broth to use in

soups or stir fry dishes. When done, remove the duck from the casserole

and place it on a rack to dry.

3. Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring to

a boil. With a pastry brush, paint the hot glaze over the surface of the

duck. Allow duck to dry for 1 hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 375F. Roast the duck, breast side down, for 20

minutes. Turn over and continue to roast for 40 more minutes.

5. Transfer duck to a chopping board and allow to cool slightly. Using a

cleaver, disjoint and cut the duck through the bone into bite size pieces.

Arrange the pieces on a serving platter, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Fortune Cookies

8 oz. All−purpose flour

2 Tbl. Cornstarch

4 oz. Sugar

1/2 teas. Salt

4 oz. Vegetable oil

4 oz. Egg whites

1 Tbl. Water

2 teas. Vanilla extract.

1. In a deep bowl, mix the following ingredients: 8 oz. Flour, 2 tablespoons

corn starch, 4 oz sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, blend in 4 oz. oil, 4 oz. Egg

whites, 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and beat until

smooth consistency.

2. Write your own "Fortune" on a piece of paper 2 1/2" by 1/2". Prepared

oven to 300F.

3. Scoop a tablespoon of cookie batter and spread evenly into a 4" circle

on a well greased baking sheet.

4. Bake cookie for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove

one cookie at a time from the oven.

5. You have about 15 seconds working time before the cookie hardens.

Place the "Fortune" in the middle of the cookie.

6. Shape the cookie by folding it in half and grasp both ends. Place the

finished cookie in a muffin pan with the ends down to hold its unique shape.

Garlic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon dry white wine or sherry

4 green onions

1 teaspoon minced gingerroot

3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 6 medium cloves)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Hot cooked rice

SAUCE

1 teaspoon crushed chili paste (sambal oelek) or more to taste

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon water

2 Tablespoons dry white wine or sherry

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Place chicken breasts in freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until very firm

but not frozen solid. Slice crosswise into thin shreds. In small bowl,

lightly beat egg white, then mix in 1 TBS cornstach and 1 TBS wine,

stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Add chicken and mix well to coat

all pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice green onions on the diagonal into very thin slices.

Mince gingerroot and garlic. Combine Sauce ingredients, mixing well.

Heat wok or frying pan, add oil, and stir−fry chicken until no longer pink.

Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Add onions, ginger and garlic to

wok and stir−fry about 30 seconds, until ginger and garlic are fragrant

but not brown. Return chicken to wok, restir sauce ingredients and add

to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well combined, hot and

bubbly and thickens slightly. Turn off heat and splash with about 1 tsp

of dark sesame oil. Serve over rice.

Pork with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups sliced lean pork (about 1 pound)

1 bunch (about 2 pounds) fresh brocolli, sliced

2 slices ginger, shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water

Mix together first five ingredients and set aside.

Heat wok or pan until hot and dry. Add the oil, then the salt.

Turn heat to medium. Add the ginger and the garlic and fry until

golden brown. Turn heat to high. Add the pork and fry until outside

is lightly browned. Add the broccoli and stir−fry for 3 minutes.

Add the water, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Pour in reserved

sauce mixture; stir while cooking until gravy thickens. Turn heat

down to low, cover, and cook for 2 minutes more. Place in covered

serving dish until ready to serve.

Sesame Chicken

1 pound boneless chicken (or pork or steak)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 ounces small mushrooms, quartered

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

4 scallions, chopped diagonally

boiled rice, to serve

Marinade:

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

few drops of Tabasco sauce

1−inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, crushed

1. Trim the meat and cut into thin strips about 1/2 x 2 inch.

2. Make the marinade. In a bowl, blend the cornstarch with the rice wine or

dry sherry, then stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, ginger

and garlic. Stir in the strips, cover and leave in a cool place for 3−4 hours.

3. Place the sesame seeds in a wok or large frying pan and dry−fry over

moderate heat, shaking the pan, until the seeds are golden. Set aside.

4. Heat the sesame and vegetable oils in the wok or frying pan. Drain the

meat, reserving the marinade, and stir− fry a few pieces at a time until

browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.

5. Add the mushrooms and green pepper and stir−fry for 2−3 minutes. Add

the scallions and 1 minute more.

6. Return the meat to the wok or frying pan, together with the reserved

marinade, and stir over a moderate heat for a further 2 minutes, or until

the ingredients are evenly coated with glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds

on top and serve immediately with boiled rice

Mandarin Pancakes

2 cups flour

3/4 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1. Place flour in a bowl. Add boiling water, stirring with chopsticks or a

fork until dough is evenly moistened. On a lightly floured board, knead

dough until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30

minutes.

2. On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a cylinder; cut into 16 equal

pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a pancake.

Brush top of each pancake with a light coating of sesame oil.

3. Place 1 pancake on top of a second pancake, oiled sides together. With a

rolling pin, roll to make a circle 6 inches in diameter. Stack and roll

remaining pairs of pancakes the same way. Cover with a damp cloth to

prevent drying.

Cooking:

1. Place a nonstick frying pan over lm heat until hot. Add 1 pair of pancakes

and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and bubbles appear on the

surface, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and separate

into 2 pancakes while still hot. Stack cooked pancakes on a plate while

cooking remaining pairs of pancakes.

2. Serve pancakes hot. If making ahead, reheat pancakes in a microwave

oven or wrap in a clean dish towel and steam in a bamboo steamer for

5 minutes.

Empress Chicken Wings

1 1/2 pounds Chicken Wings

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Dry Sherry

1 tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger Root

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/3 cup Cornstarch

2/3 cup Water

2 Green Onions And Tops, Cut Into Thin Slices

1 teaspoon Slivered Fresh Ginger Root

Disjoint the chicken wings; discard tips (or save for stock). Combine soy

sauce, sherry, minced ginger and garlic in a large bowl; stir in chicken.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken;

reserve marinade. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat

chicken pieces with cornstarch; add to skillet and brown slowly on all sides.

Remove chicken; drain off fat. Stir water and reserved marinade into same

skillet. Add chicken; sprinkle green onions and slivered ginger evenly over

chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Fried Won Tons

1 lb. Won ton skins

1/2 lb. Fresh ground pork

1/2 lb. Fresh prawns

4 Dried mushrooms, soaked for 2 hours

8 Water chestnuts, finely chopped

2 Stalks green onions, finely chopped

2 small Eggs, beaten

1/4 ts Pepper

1 1/2 ts Salt

Yield: About 60 to 70.

Shell and devein prawns. Mince fine. Stem mushrooms and mince caps.

Mix with prawns, pork, water chestnuts, green onions, half of the

beaten eggs and all of the seasonings.

WRAPPING:

Place won ton squares on working surface so corners face up, down,

left and right. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each skin.

Dip a little of the beaten egg onto the bottom corner, bring top

corner to meet bottom corner. Press to seal. Moisten left corner

and bring right corner to meet it. Press to seal. This should give

you a little bundle that looks kind of like a nurses hat.

FRYING:

Heat 4 cups oil in wok. Fry wrapped won ton until golden (about 2

minutes). Turn over once. Drain and serve hot.

Chow Mein

4 cups cooked Chinese noodles (or very thin spaghetti)

rinsed and drained

12 oz. diced cooked meat (beef, chicken, pork ... any)

1 package frozen French−style green beans, thawed

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

3 scallions, chopped

1 slice ginger, shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teas. MSG (Accent)

1 teas. sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teas. sesame oil

2 Tbls. sherry

Mix together MSG, sugar, and soy sauce. Set aside.

Heat wok or pan hot and dry. Add just 3 tablespoons of the

vegetable oil and all the sesame oil. Put in ginger and garlic to

brown first, then all the other vegetables. Stir and cook for one

minute over high heat. Add the sherry. Cover and cook one

minute longer. Turn off heat. Remove vegetables, and drain;

discard these juices. Set drained vegetables aside.

Heat wok or pan dry again. Put in remainder of oil. Turn heat

to medium. Add cooked noodles and stir constantly to heat

through and to coat the noodles with oil for a couple minutes.

Add your choice of meat and reserved vegetables; mix

thoroughly. Add reserved soy sauce mixture and stir until

noodles become one even color. Serve.

Kung Pao Chicken

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken

Sauce:

1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil

8 small dried red chilies

4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1−inch squares

1 can (8 oz.) sliced bamboo shoots, drained

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1/3 cup roasted peanuts

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Cut chicken into 1−inch pieces.

Place chicken in marinade and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl.

3. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil, swirling to

coat sides. Add chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10

seconds. Add chicken and stir−fry for 2 minutes. Remove chicken and

chilies from wok.

4. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to wok, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic

and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add celery, bell

pepper, and bamboo shoots; stir−fry for 1 1/2 minutes.

5. Return chicken and chilies to wok; stir−fry for 1 minute. Add sauce and

bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce

boils and thickens. Add peanuts and stir to coat.

Hoisin Beef & Scallion Rolls

1 whole flank steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup ginger −−chopped, fresh

dash black pepper

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 bunch scallions

In a shallow dish, mix together the soy sauce, oil, garlic, ginger, and

some pepper. Add the beef and marinate overnight in the refrigerator,

turning once. Heat the broiler. Pat the marinated meat dry and broil

the steak, about 4 inches from the heat, until rare, 5 to 6 minutes

per side. Cool completely and then slice very think on the bias, across

the grain of the meat. Trim the slices to form approximately 2 x 4 inch

strips. Brush a thin layer of hoisin sauce on each strip of beef. Lay

a small bundle of scallion julienne at one end and roll up securely.

Arrange on trays, seam side down, cover tightly with plastic wrap

(make sure the plastic is in close contact with the beef),

and refrigerate until time to serve.

Egg Rolls

1 lb. chinese cabbage (Napa)

2 stalks celery

1/2 lb. cooked shrimp

1/2 lb. cooked pork or chicken livers

10 water chestnuts

1/3 cup bamboo shoots

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

Liberal dash pepper

1/2 tsp. light soy sauce

1/4 tsp. sesame oil

1 beaten egg

10 egg roll skins

3 cups oil

PREPARATION: Boil cabbage and celery until very tender. Drain and squeeze

out excess water. Shred very fine and set aside to

drain further. Parboil shrimp and fry or bake pork. Mince both. Shred

water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Mix all ingredients but egg together.

Beat egg. Wrap filling in egg roll skins and seal with egg.

COOKING: Heat oil in wok or deep fat fryer to 375 degrees and drop in egg

rolls. When skin turns light golden brown, remove from oil and drain. (At

this point restaurants refrigerate them and finish the cooking process as

needed.) When cool, drop again into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

Makes 10.

The two−stage deep frying method is actually a professional Chinese chefs'

secret. It assures that the inside will be moist and not overcooked (as

anything overcooked becomes dry) and the outside will be crisp.

Shrimp with Snow Peas

2/3 lb. tiger prawns

Marinade for shrimp:

1 1/2 tsp. sherry

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grated ginger

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. water

Seasoning:

1 Tb. chicken broth

3 Tb. water

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tb. oyster sauce (very important)

1 Tb. hoisin sauce

also needed:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 lb. snow peas

Shell and devein prawns. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine

marinade in medium bowl. Add prawns and mix well. Let stand 30 mins.

Heat wok over medium heat, add oil, and stir fry garlic for 15 secs. Add

prawns and stir fry until pink. Remove from wok, and place on plate.

Add salt and snow peas to oil in wok. Stir fry 30 secs. Add seasoning

sauce and stir slightly until think and bubbly. Add cooked prawns. Stir

to coat everything with sauce. Serve hot with cooked rice.

Foo Yung

6 eggs, beaten well

1 cup shredded cooked meat (roast pork, shrimp, almost any!)

2 cups fresh bean sprouts (or 1 can)

2 scallions, chopped, including the green ends

1 medium onion, shredded

1 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Vegetable oil for frying

Make gravy if desired (recipe follows). Preheat oven to 200F. Line

a platter with several thicknesses of paper towel. Mix all ingredients

except the vegetable oil together in a mixing bowl.

Heat a frying pan hot and dry. Put in vegetable oil to a depth of

about 1/2 inch. Keep oil at this level by adding more, as some is

absorbed in cooking. Bring oil temperature to medium. Stir up the

omelet mixture each time before you take a scoopful of it out, in

order to have the proper ratio of liquid and solid ingredients in each.

With a ladle or soup scoop, take a scoop of the egg mixture and gently

put into the frying pan. When the first omelet has stiffened, gently

move it over to make room for the next. The number of omelets you

can make at once depends on the size of your frying pan. When one

side of the omelet has turned golden brown, turn over gently with

pancake turner to fry the other side. When done, transfer from

frying pan onto paper−lined platter. Keep warm in oven until all

the omelets can be served together. Serve with or without gravy.

Gravy:

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil

slowly with frequent stirring. When gravy has thickened, turn heat

to very low to keep it warm until ready to use. Foo Yung

Hot and Sour Soup

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 block (16 oz.) of tofu, cut into 1 1/2 inch long strips

5 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 1/2 cups bamboo shoot strips

2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

3 eggs. beaten

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine first seven ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.

Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring to thicken.

Then drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring. Top with sesame oil.

Fried Rice

2 eggs

1 teaspoon MSG (optional)

1/8 teaspoon groung white pepper

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 cups cooked rice

4 scallions, chopped, including green ends

2 cups diced cooked pork, ham, chicken, shrimp, or any meat

1 slice ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Put first four ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir slightly;

the eggs should not be well beaten.

Heat wok or pan hot and dry. Add the oil. Brown the garlic and

ginger slightly, then add the rice. Cook for 2−3 minutes, stirring

to break up lumps and coat with oil. Add the rest of the ingredients

except the egg mixture. Fry and stir constantly until thoroughly

mixed. Add the egg mixture while stirring the rice so it will cover

as much of the ingredients in the pan as possible. Cook about

2 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve while hot.