Crab and Egg Soup & Pale Green Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Here's an oldie but goodie from Rosemary Zwick in Cape Town, South Africa:

The customer in the Italian restaurant was so pleased that he asked to
speak to the chef. The owner proudly led him into the kitchen and
introduced him to the chef.

"Your pasta quattro formaggi was superb!" the customer said. "I just
spent a month in Italy, and yours is better than any I had over there."

"Naturally," the chef said. "Over there, they use domestic cheese. Ours
is imported."

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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One of the things I like about most Chinese soups is that they
take just a few minutes to prepare, and this one is a good example.

Crab and Egg Soup (Hai Yook Dahn Gung)

6 cup (1.5 L) fish or chicken stock
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 Tbs (30 ml) cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with
1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water
12 oz (340 g) fresh, frozen, or canned crab meat
Thinly sliced scallions (spring onions) for garnish

Bring the stock to a simmer in a pot over moderate heat. Add
the eggs slowly in a thin stream while gently stirring the soup
and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and
simmer until the soup is slightly thickened. Add the crab meat
and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve garnished
with sliced scallions. Serves 4 to 6.

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The cabbage and scallions turn bright green when first added to
this dish, and after a few minutes of cooking they will turn a paler
shade of green to indicate when they're ready to serve, hence the name.

Pale Green Soup (Wong Nga Bahk Tong)

1 Tbs (15 ml) peanut or vegetable oil
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp (2 ml) grated fresh ginger
6 cups (1.5 L) chicken stock
1 cup (250 ml) rice
1 large Napa cabbage (Chinese white cabbage), finely shredded
4 scallions (spring onions), green and white parts, thinly sliced
1 Tbs (15 ml) Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 tsp (2 ml) toasted sesame seed oil

Heat the oil in a large pot over moderate heat and saute the garlic and
ginger for 1 minute. Add the stock and rice and bring to a boil. Reduce
the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add
the cabbage and scallions and simmer until they have lost their bright
green color, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the wine and drizzle with the
sesame oil immediately before serving. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Jan 23 13:20:30 2007