---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

     Title: CRACKLING RICE VEGETABLE SOUP
Categories: Chinese, Rice, Soups, Vegetarian
     Yield: 8 servings

     2 c  Cooked rice
     1 c  Deep-frying oil
     1 c  Dried soybeans
     8    Nami black mushrooms
     1 md Onion, quartered
    10 c  Cold water
     2 ts Thin soy
     2 tb Sherry
     1 ts Sesame oil
   1/4 ts Salt
     1 ts Sugar
   1/4 ts MSG (opt)
     1    Clove garlic
    10    Fresh snowpeas
     1 lg Carrot

 Rice Cakes:  Work with cooked leftover rice that is
 slightly moist and sticky.  If too dry, reheat with
 sprinkling of water until sticky. Spread rice in
 frying pan or pie tin, 1/2" thick.  Pack rice into
 firm cake: this is important to make sure rice holds
 together.  Place in oven on low heat, and dry to
 slightly brittle texture; break into pieces.  Ten
 minutes before combining with soup, deep-fry rice
 pieces until lightly brown. Strain, place in soup
 tureen, and keep hot in oven.  Avoid holding fried
 pieces more than 10 minutes, as they tend to acquire a
 rancid taste and become overly dry.

 Vegetarian Soup:  Wash, then soak soybeans overnight
 in enough water to cover.  Wash and soak Nami
 mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 1 hour. When
 mushrooms are soft, separate caps from stems.  In
 large soup pot, combine water, beans, mushrooms (and
 stems), onion and garlic.  Bring to boil, lower heat,
 and simmer 2 hours.  Strain and reserve stock until
 ready to finish.  Save mushroom caps and 1/2 of beans
 for soup.

 To finish soup, thinly slice mushroom caps, combine
 with strained stock, cooked soybeans, soy sauce,
 sherry, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Peel carrot and
 make thin flower slices (or use flower cutter); add to
 soup. Bring soup to just under the boil.  Add MSG and
 snowpeas.  Cook for 2 minutes.

 To serve, seat your diners, place soup tureen of
 freshly fried, hot rice pieces on table and pour hot
 soup over them.  If rice and soup are very hot, rice
 will sizzle and crackle to everyone's joy and
 amusement!

 Posted by Fred Peters.

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