This Soup is Hot...and Sour

About a month and a half ago, my mom and I went shopping at H-Mart, a Korean grocery store and we picked up a few items for our spin on a homemade Hot n' Sour soup - a bottle of Soy Sauce and dried Chinese shiitake mushrooms.  And for the past month and a half, the Soy Sauce has sat in a shelf in the refrigerator and the mushrooms have sat on a cupboard on top of the refrigerator.  Until today, when the magic happened.  It started with a medium size soup pot, then I added four cups of low-sodium Chicken Stock for the broth base.  After the stock began to boil, I sprinkled in some black pepper, two tablespoons of Soy Sauce, a quarter-cup of white Vinegar and two packets of sugar.  I stirred the ingredients around in the pot, as the broth darkened from the spoonfuls of Soy Sauce.  Then, in a separate container, I poured two cups of boiling water and the packet of dried shiitake mushrooms, as they revived themselves and became their original plump, meaty pieces.  I then took the large white firm-rectangle of tofu and cut into half-inch cubes.  On the left side of the stove, the soup continued to cook to a rolling boil as I added the cubes of tofu.  Then I took about a quarter cup of water and mixed in two and a half spoonfuls of corn starch (used to thicken the soup), then I added the corn starch and as a final step, I whisked an egg.  I continued to whisk the egg as I added it into the soup, where it separated out into thin strands of egg and spread throughout the broth.  After the soup continued to cook on a low-heat for about an hour, I decided it was time for the taste test.  A heaping amount of soup was ladled into a clear bowl, as I took the first spoonful, the flavors bursted in my mouth; the bitterness of the Vinegar, the spice of the pepper and the saltiness of the soy sauce.  The squishiness of the tofu melted in my mouth and the mushrooms were soft and easy to chew.  The soup took about an hour to prepare and hour to cook, it was so easy and so worth it.  Who needs to order in when you can just make it at home? #deliciousmeal