Hot And Sour Tofu Soup

8 md Dry shiitake mushrooms

-(about 3/4 oz. total) 1 tb Salad oil

1 Clove garlic, minced or

-pressed 1 tb Minced fresh ginger

1 1/2 qt Regular-strength chicken

-broth 1 lb Soft or regular tofu,

-rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch -cubes, and Drained well 3 tb Rice vinegar or cider

-vinegar 1 1/2 tb Soy sauce

3 tb Cornstarch

3/4 To 1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 To 1 teaspoon chili oil

-(optional) 4 Green onions (ends

-trimmed), thinly sliced Crisp noodles (recipe -follows) Crisp-creamy peas (recipe -follows) Soak mushrooms in hot water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain; cut off tough stems and discard. Cut caps into thin strips; set aside. Pour oil into a 4- to 5-quart pan. Place over medium heat and add garlic and ginger; stir until garlic is light gold. Add broth and mushrooms; bring to a boil on high heat. Add tofu; cover and simmer until tofu is hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch until smooth; stir into soup. Cook, stirring, until soup boils. Add white pepper and chili oil to taste. Stir in onions. Pour into a tureen. offer noodles and peas to add to taste. Makes 6 servings. CRISP NOODLES: Pour about 1 inch salad oil into a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pan. Heat oil to 350F. Add a handful of fresh Chinese noodles or fresh taglierini

(you'll need 3 oz. total) to oil; fry, turning, until crisp and golden, about 1 minute. Lift out; drain on paper towels. Repeat to fry remaining noodles. Serve, or let cool and store airtight for up to 5 days. Makes 3 cups. Or omit this step and use 1 can (5 oz.) chow mein noodles. CRISP-CREAMY PEAS: Rinse and drain 1 can (16 oz.) black-eyed peas. Spread out on a double layer of paper towels and pat dry. Place beans in a 10- by 15- inch baking pan. Add 1 tablespoon salad oil and mix to coat

beans. Bake in a 400F oven until beans are lightly browned and crisp on outside, about 15 minutes; stir occasionally. Serve hot or warm. Makes 1 cup. Sunset Magazine, 4/89. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; February 10 1992.