Thanks to intensive coaching from the Hogwarts School of Baking and
Computer Repair (Richard and Nancy Backus), I have made it onto the
cooking echo. Whether or not I can make it off without mismanaging a
lot of mischief is another story.

So we'll make it easy, and the rescue squad is always there.

Since this message marks my entry into the cooking echo universe, I
thought I would start here and say
A) it was an honor to participate in the picnic.

We don't stand on ceremony - we've had members who have
cooked professionally and got awards for it and others who are
just barely able to boil water -, and your level of expertise
isn't important, just so your experience here is generally
positive. Feel free to ask any questions, offer advice, recipes,
food experiences as the spirit suggests.

B) I have seen responses and thank members for them. Richard and Nancy
have always guided me in various arcane cooking and computing
mysteries, and I look to the echo to guide and cuff about the ears and whatnot.

Curiosity - whose ears to cuff and whatnot, and why?

Nancy discovered that I mismanaged mischief right out of the
box, misspelling my own name when setting up my account, so I have not
yet seen any of the messages when searching for them. T_T She has
contacted the sysop about making a correction because *she* can spell
my name.

Two possible solutions - 1. Read every message - there
aren't all that many of them; 2. do a search on Edith -
at this point there's only one of you on the echo. How
do you really spell your last name, anyhow?

C) I concur with the estimation of my potato salad. Both my parents
were very persnickety with their recipes. All the pure cooking
intentions in the world cannot do their simplicity and subtlety
justice.

It seems everybody has ideas about potato salad. Even I,
who seldom eat potatoes, make a German one for which there
is no recipe but is easy to duplicate (for me, anyway).
There is a variable, though - most of the time I use minced
onion (fresh, of course); once in a rare while I use thinly
sliced scallions instead.

D) My church was indeed blessed during our monthly dinner with the
descent of the Noble Echo Immortals from the heavenly realms, led by
Meat Pie _Sifu_. Or _Shifu_. It depends on which Donnie Yen/Jet
Li/Jackie Chan/Kung Fu Panda movie I am using as my secret cultural
key. (Either way, of course, _sifu_ roughly translated in the ancient
tongue is, of course, _l'enfant terrible_.)

One can be elliptical, can't one.

Having stumbled in, I shall now stumble back out.

Come back when it suits you, which I hope happens
reasonably frequently.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Szechwan Pork
Categories: Pork, Chinese, Spicy
Yield: 4 Servings

1 lb Pork rump
1 Leek
7 sl Ginger
1/2 c Shredded cucumber
2 T Sesame oil
2 T Chopped red pepper
2 T Soy sauce
1/2 t Sugar
1 T Vinegar
1/2 t Salt
1 T Toasted and grated sesame
-seeds
1/2 t Grated garlic
2 T Chopped onion or leek

Tie pork tightly with string and cut leek into 2-inch lengths. Boil
pork, leek and 5 slices ginger over high heat until tender (about 45
minutes). Remove and let cool. Cut very thin and arrange on serving
plate with shredded cucumber. Heat sesame oil and saute red pepper
and 2 slices ginger. When pepper turns light brown, remove it and
ginger and discard. Add soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, salt and sesame
seeds and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix with
garlic and onion, pour over sliced pork and serve cold.

From Mrs. Ma's Favorite Chinese Recipes, Nancy Chih Ma.
Tried, approved, and typed for you by Joan MacDiarmid.

MMMMM
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