| 1 | Soak mushrooms in hot water to cover until soft, about 20 minutes. |
| 2 | drain; cut off tough stems and discard. |
| 3 | Cut caps into thin strips; set aside. |
| 4 | pour oil into a 4- to 5-quart pan. |
| 5 | Place over medium heat and add garlic and ginger; stir until garlic is light gold. |
| 6 | Add broth and mushrooms; bring to a boil on high heat. |
| 7 | Add tofu; cover and simmer until tofu is hot, 3 to 5 minutes. |
| 8 | Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and cornstarch until smooth; stir into soup. |
| 9 | Cook, stirring, until soup boils. |
| 10 | Add white pepper and chili oil to taste. |
| 11 | Stir in onions. |
| 12 | Pour into a tureen. |
| 13 | Offer noodles and peas to add to taste. |
| 14 | makes 6 servings. |
| 15 | crisp noodles: |
| 16 | pour about 1 inch salad oil into a 2 ? to 3-quart pan. |
| 17 | Heat oil to 350°F. |
| 18 | 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. |
| 19 | Lift out; drain on paper towels. |
| 20 | Repeat to fry remaining noodles. |
| 21 | Serve, or let cool and store airtight for up to 5 days. |
| 22 | Makes 3 cups. |
| 23 | Or omit this step and use 1 can (5 oz). |
| 24 | Chow mein noodles. |
| 25 | crisp-creamy peas: |
| 26 | rinse and drain 1 can (16 oz). |
| 27 | Black-eyed peas. |
| 28 | Spread out on a double layer of paper towels and pat dry. |
| 29 | Place beans in a 10- by 15- inch baking pan. |
| 30 | Add 1 tablespoon salad oil and mix to coat beans. |
| 31 | Bake in a 400f oven until beans are lightly browned and crisp on outside, about 15 minutes; stir occasionally. |
| 32 | Serve hot or warm. |
| 33 | Makes 1 cup. |
| 34 | sunset magazine, 4/89. |
