Instructions: Rice Cakes: Work with cooked leftover rice that is slightly moist and sticky. If too dry, reheat with sprinkling of water until sticky. Spread rice in frying pan or pie tin, 1/2" thick. Pack rice into firm cake: this is important to make sure rice holds together. Place in oven on low heat, and dry to slighly brittle texture; break into pieces. Ten minutes before combining with soup, deep-fry rice pieces until lightly brown. Strain, place in soup tureen, and keep hot in oven. Avoid holding fried pieces more than 10 minutes, as they tend to acquire a rancid taste and become overly dry. Vegetarian Soup: Wash, then soak soybeans overnight in enough water to cover. In large soup pot, combine water, beans, onion and garlic. Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer 2 hours. Strain and reserve stock until ready to finish. Save 1/2 of beans for soup. To finish soup, combine strained stock, cooked soybeans, soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Peel carrot and make thin flower slices (or use flower cutter); add to soup.

Bring soup to just under the boil. Add MSG and snowpeas. Cook for 2 minutes. To serve, seat your diners, place soup tureen of freshly fried, hot rice pieces on table and pour hot soup over them. If rice and soup are very hot, rice will sizzle and crackle to everyones joy and amusement!

Serves 8 -

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