Chinese Szechuan Soup

1. Place mushrooms in bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Remove and discard stems. Cut caps into thin slices.

2. Cut pork and ham into "match-stick" thin strips. Remove seeds from pepper and cut pepper into thin strips. Chop onions finely. Cut water chestnuts into slices. Cut bean curd into ½- cubes.

3. Combine chicken stock, wine, soy sauce and chili sauce in 5-quart pan. Cook over medium heat until soup boils. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes.

4. Blend cornstarch and 4 tablespoons of the water. Slowly stir mixture into soup. Cook and stir until soup boils. Add mushrooms, pork, ham, pepper and water chestnuts. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.

5. Stir vinegar and oil into soup. Beat egg and remaining 1 tablespoon water together with for, Gradually drizzle egg into soup while stirring soup vigorously. Add onions, bean curd and shrimp. Cook until shrimp is done, 1 to 2 minutes.

: Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Your Chinese Szechuan Soup is ready. Happy cooking!