FELLOW VEGETARIAN CHILEHEADS: X What dishes are y'all planning for your respective winter holidays? This will be the main dish at my Solstice feast: x -Begin Recipe Export- QBook version 1.00.14 x Title: Szechwan Eggplant and Tofu Keywords: main dishes, vegan, chiles Yield: 4 servings x 3 Tbsp Soy sauce 1/4 c Dry sherry or Chinese rice wine (dealcoholized is fine) 1 Tbsp White or brown sugar 2 Tbsp Chinese or Vietnamese red chile paste, or to taste {ed.--My addition; not in original recipe.] 1 Tbsp Cider vinegar 3 Tbsp Cornstarch 2 tb Peanut oil 1 md Onion, thinly sliced 1 lg Eggplant, cut into thin strips 3/4 ts Salt 2 tb Minced garlic 1 tb Minced fresh ginger 1/4 ts Black pepper 3 Cakes firm tofu, cut into strips 8 Scallions: greens minced, whites in strips, keep separate Cilantro or parsley, minced (optional) Cooked rice Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, sugar and chile paste in a liquid-measuring cup. Add enough water to make up to 1 cup. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, pour in the liquid and whisk till dissolved. Set aside. Heat a large wok over a high flame. Add oil & onion & stirfry for about a minute. Add eggplant & salt & stirfry for 8 to 10 minutes till the eggplant is soft. Add garlic, ginger & black pepper. Cook a few minutes more. Add tofu & scallion bottoms. Stir the bowl of liquid that has been set aside & add to the wok. Mix well & stir fry for another few minutes till the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat & serve over rice topped with scallion greens & cilantro or parsley. [ed.--Good with jasmine tea; follow with almond cookies, more tea and tangerines.] Sourcetag missing, but came to me from Jim Weller <smooch> -End Recipe Export-