1. Slice beef thin against the grain. Slice vegetables. Mince ginger root. Crush or mince garlic. Cut scallion stalk in 1-inch sections.

2. Blend cornstarch, sherry and soy sauce.

3. Heat oil. Add ginger root, garlic and scallion and stir-fry a few times. Add beef and stir-fry until it loses its redness (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan.

4. Heat remaining oil. Add vegetables and stir-fry to heat and coat with oil.

5. Stir in stock and heat quickly. Cook, covered, over medium heat, until vegetables are nearly done.

6. Return beef, stir-frying to reheat and blend flavors. Then stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken. Serve at once.

Vegetables" for cooking time; see "Suggested Vegetable Combinations" for possible combinations. Variations:

In step 3, add with the ginger root, etc., 1 tablespoon fermented black beans (soaked), mashed; or 1 tablespoon brown bean sauce, mashed.

Cook the vegetables first (as in steps 4 and 5 ) and remove from pan. Then stir-fry the beef (as in step 3). Stir in the sherry and soy sauce (omit the cornstarch). Then return vegetables, stir-frying to reheat and blend flavors.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, Isbn 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive, http://www. Erols. Com/hosey.