Hot & Sour Soup Anyone?
When I was in my first mid-life crisis in the late ’70s. I figured out that a great way to score with women, was to invite them to my house and cook them dinner. My goal was to fuck as many women as possible in the shortest amount of time.
I wasn’t wrong. Unfortunately I only really knew Mexican and German cooking and they were not showy or sexy enough to impress. So, I took cooking classes. (also a great place to meet women) I signed up for classes at a gourmet food and cookware/lifestyle store, they held classes in a kitchen/classroom at the back of the store. Those guys were no dummies, as after class you had to pass by all the merchandise to get out of the store… no easy feat to escape the cash register. But I enjoyed buying all of the equipment needed to be a successful chef. The instructors were first-rate… I took Italian from Biba Caggiano and Chinese from Martin Yan. I decided that Chinese would be showy and Italian sexy. My first class was Chinese taught by a young woman just arrived from Taiwan. She lived in Chinatown in San Francisco and came to my town to teach the class. She was very shy but a good teacher. The recipes she gave the class were hand written and I still have them.
I took two classes from her and became quite adept at The Art of the Stir-fry, or so I thought. But, it was a lot of fun and I did like to show off. I still have my wok and use it quite often, and not for just Chinese food. And, my Dexter cleaver, a must have, actually I’m on my third. No, I am not the Naked Chef, but can’t pass up a photo shoot. I figured if May More can have her bare bottom in her badge, I can be bare too.
They are quite beautiful with instructions both in Chinese and English. Each dish with a photo to show how it should turn out. These were not just recipe books, but filled with instructions on how to use tools, spices, and ingredients. With detailed drawings. Also lists of definitions of foods, oils and spices. Way more than I needed to know, but I got many good tips.
So, I became quite the chef, I bought a chef’s hat and jacket. Yes, I was a poser and a big show off and after I cooked my kitchen was a compete mess. But the Ladies were impressed as they sipped wine while watching me cook. And, I was a good cook. I always served Saki during dinner, I know it’s Japanese, but close, and I thought it was cool. My signature dessert was a Rum Ambrosia, which impressed the fuck out my guests.
One of the dishes she taught us was Hot and Sour Soup, a big favorite of mine at a Chinese restaurant, and I got pretty good at making it. I make it once a year. Here is the recipe if you would like to try. And, do not leave out the chicken blood, but it is hard to find, so you will be excused. (I only used it once)
The books I got were Chinese Cuisine and Chinese Snacks. Filled with wonderful and exotic dishes. If there is a Chinese dish you love, message me and I will see if I have it in one of these books and I’ll email it to you. Cooking is probably my second favorite activity. Here is the cover of my cookbook. The bowl on the cover is Colored Enamelware used by Emperor Yung Cheng of the Ching Dynasty (1722 to 1735).
☯︎ 🀄︎ 🀀 🀁 🀂 🀋 🀉 🀊 🀈 🀅 🀃 🀇 🀌 🀏 🀎 🀍 🀪 🀣 🀧 🀤 ☯︎
Love that this week’s prompt is a fun one at Food Matters… Recipes! One of my favorite things to talk about. Be sure to check out my original recipe for Pastabation.
17 comments on “Hot & Sour Soup Anyone?”
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
 | Mark on Mirror Images |
| Mark on Selfie |
| Mark on Baring it in the Bush… g… |
| Mark on Mirage |
| Mark on DreamCatcher |
Life of Elliott... 
I would not be able to eat the hot n sour soup, chicken blood or no chicken blood… But if you have a veggie-friendly alternate recipe, I’d love to try it! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will look for a different soup for you, Feve. Do you like slpit peas?
LikeLike
I… Don’t know?
: laugh :
Thank you for the offer. 🙂
I like Chinese food, but I’m a vegetarian.
(Thai is a favorite. Does that help?)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, some vegetarian you are, I saw the shrimp in your stirfry recipe. Sorry about the typo, I have a recipe for you. Pea and Corn Soup, it’s too bad I can’t attach a photo to this comment, as it is done in a yin-yang design. There is also Fluffy Asparagus soup, and there is Three-Flavor Shredded Soup, but that calls for sharks fin, fish skin and pork loin, but I guess you have not lowered your vegetarian standards to pork yet.
LikeLike
Hot & Sour soup is one of my favorites and yet I’ve never tried to make it. You’ve got me thinking I need to give it a try. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do make it. It’s a fun one to make, invite a friend over, they will be impressed.
LikeLike
Hot and sour soup is my favorite Chinese dish but it’s not one that I ever learned to cook in my Chinese cooking classes. My specialities are BBQ pork and pork-filled deep fried wontons. Love the last picture too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Looks like I opened that cookbook to the right page for you. Do make soup. I like the last picture too, it’s a beautiful bowl.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will most definitely try this one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They say a way to man’s heart is through his stomach, well the way to a woman’s heart is a man that can cook! Fabulous sneaky photos and I’m going to try out the soup recipe as my family loves Chinese cuisine. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do that. Food always seems better when it’s homemade.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this story and photos, thanks for sharing! The hand written recipe from your teacher, the dual language cook book, and the talk about your Dexter clever. (I need to add one to my kitchen tools.) Glad that stir fry pan is still getting some loving!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should, it’s called a Chinese Chef’s Knife, I use it every day.
LikeLike
A most enjoyable feast of a post Elliott. I love cooking too but have never had the wonderful lessons you had. When I was a teenager I taught myself to cook with books from the library. When I bought a large book called World Cookery, which I still use to this day. PS. I love cheeky cookery shots.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Pons. And I do have a bottle of HP Sauce in my arsenal, in case I decide to throw together a little Bubble and Squeak. I will have to look up your book. What is your favorite Chinese dish?
LikeLike
Pingback: Broken Stairway to Heaven - Sex Matters by May More
First class post and droolworthy recipe. I found loads of reasons to start cooking and most of them are here in this piece. Respec!
LikeLiked by 1 person