Hunan Hot & Sour Chicken

-Chicken - 2 ts Each cornstarch and dry

-sherry 1/4 ts Each salt and pepper

1 lb Chicken breasts, skinned,

-boned, and cut in bite-siz -pieces 3 1/2 tb Salad oil

1 tb Minced garlic

2 ts Minced fresh ginger

1 tb Fermented black beans,

-rinsed and drained 1 sm Green pepper, seeded

-and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 Medium-size carrot, thinly

-sliced 8 oz Can sliced bamboo shoots

1 tb Water

-Cooking sauce - 2 ts Cornstarch

1/2 ts Each crushed red pepper

-and salad oil 2 tb Soy sauce

2 1/2 tb White wine vinegar

1/2 c Chicken broth

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to coat, then stir in 1 1/2 t of the oil and let stand for 15 minutes to marinate. Prepare cooking sauce by blending all ingredients in another bowl, set aside. Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add 2 T of the oil. When oil begins to heat, add garlic, ginger, and black beans. Stir once, then add chicken and stir-fry until chicken is opaque (about 3 minutes). Remove chicken from pan. Add the remaining 1 T oil to pan. When oil is hot, add green pepper, carrot and bamboo shoots. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add water and stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Stir cooking sauce, add to pan, and cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens. If you like food that produces watery eyes and a burning mouth, pass a little bowl of hot pepper & black bean sauce (recipe follows).