Cold Dish: Wood Ear Mushroom Salad
Ingredients
* 1 pkg dry wood ear mushrooms, soaked in water for 2 hours. Rinse with salt and drain (about 2 cups)
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 pieces of ginger, minced
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* Sugar to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon chili oil or pinch of red pepper flakes
* 3 teaspoons sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon chopped red pepper for color, or Goji berries, soaked in water for one hour
* 1 tablespoon chopped green onions or chopped cilantro, and roasted sesame seeds for garnishing
Put soaked wood ear mushrooms into a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.
Add all the ingredients together and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Let it sit for 2-3 hours before eating to allow flavors to develop.
In Chinese cooking, we call salads cold dishes. They are served with wine before the main meal to stimulate the appetite. They usually consist of a single ingredient prepared in a wonderful sauce or marinated, and in banquets there may be 4-10 different ones.