and any hard parts cut off black mushrooms: stems snapped off, caps soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, then squeezed dry and thinly sliced tree ears: soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, knobby parts cut off, and sliced into a thin julienne JoAnn note: I am guessing on the amount of pork because it was missing in the original recipe. I think chicken could be used also.

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl, add pork and toss to coat. Set aside while preparing other ingredients.

Combine seasoning liquid ingredients in a separate small bowl and set aside.

Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer. Add pork and ginger, stirring with chopsticks to separate pork shreds. Cook 2

minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except seasoning liquid and egg. Bring to a boil. Re-stir seasoning liquid and pour into the soup. Stir until thickened, then remove from the heat. The soup should not be allowed to boil once the vinegar has been added. Slowly pour beaten egg into soup in a thin stream, stirring gently with a chopstick to form 'egg flowers'. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, with additional vinegar, pepper, or chili oil.

scallion garnishes. I prefer it with them, so sprinkle 1-2 sliced scallions and 1-2 Tsp toasted sesame oil (for the entire recipe, not per serving) over the top before serving. One hint, even in using others' recipes. I've found that the small amount of sugar suggested in these recipes, used as a seasoning rather than a sweetner, makes a real difference -seems to highlight the sour from the vinegar and the heat from the pepper.

Joie Warner