Sam's Sweet-And-Hot Soup

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 13 cup sugar
• 4 cups vinegar, preferably molasses vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoons finely ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons black soy sauce
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 pound squid, cleaned and sliced into matchsticks
• 1 pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined and diced
• 1 cake tofu, sliced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup bamboo shoots, drained and sliced into matchsticks
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 2 scallions, minced

1. Combine the broth, sugar, vinegar, salt, black pepper and soy sauce and bring nearly to a boil.
2. Add 1 cup of this broth to the cornstarch, whisk well and then slowly and carefully stir this slurry into the soup.
3. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
4. Add the squid, shrimp, tofu, bamboo shoots and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Whisk the egg whites and sesame oil together and stir into the soup.
6. Ladle into bowls, garnish with minced scallions and serve immediately.

chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, salt, ground black pepper, black soy sauce, cornstarch, shrimp, cake, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, egg whites, dark sesame oil, scallions

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1223 (may not work)