---------------------------TARO BASKET (OPTIONAL--------------------------- 40 g Taro

1 tb Salt

1 tb Cornstarch

Cooking oil for deep-frying -----------------------------SAUTEED VEGETABLES----------------------------- 95 g Thinly sliced lotus root

-(one section) 40 g Sliced water chestnut

-(approximately 1/3 cup) 40 g Soaked dried black Chinese

-mushrooms (approximately 5 -pieces) 40 g Soaked black fungi

-(approximately 12 pieces) 40 g Snow peas (approximately 15

-pieces) 40 g Celery

1 tb Chinese celery (optional)

40 g Carrot (a few slices)

-----------------------------------SAUCE----------------------------------- 4 tb Water

1 tb Cornstarch

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 ts Sugar

----------------------------------GARNISH---------------------------------- 4 Soaked dried black Chinese

-mushrooms 3 Tomatoes

6 Baby corn (approximately 80

-g) 6 Mustard green stems

-(approximately 115 g) 12 Soaked dried bamboo fungi

-(approximately 150 g) -----------------------------GARNISH SEASONING----------------------------- 1 tb Oil

2 ts Salt

1 ts Sugar

4 c Stock (or water)

---------------------------------SEASONING--------------------------------- 8 tb Oil

2 ts Salt

1 ts Sugar

4 c Stock (or water)

* (Equipment needed: two small metal strainers) ** (Any combination of vegetables can be used, according to the season and the cook's preference) Here's another fussy one. The taro basket is gorgeous, the garnishes meticulously laid out surrounding it. Very nice, time consuming presentation. No taro? No problem. Grate a potato and make a deep fried potato basket. I won't tell... Chinese Cuisine Practical Class Platinum Award - Vegetable SAUTEED MIXED VEGETABLES IN TARO NEST (12 servings) Chef: Lam Sing-lun (Hotel Furama Inter-Continental) "Fragrant Surroundings Pond" conveys images of rural peace and petite elegance, both enhanced further by the rhyming sounds of the Chinese characters. A traditional dish, sauteed mixed vegetables, is presented innovatively. 1. For taro nest , cut taro length ways into thin (3 mm) slices. Cut

two-thirds of slices into thins strips (for edge of basket). Cut remaining one-third into strips 1.5 cms wide (for base of basket). Marinate with salt for 1 hour. Then rinse under cold running water for 3 hours. Drain and mix with cornstarch. Form woven basket on inside of one mold. Lay second mold on top. Deep-fry mould-framed taro over low flame. 2. Slice each mushroom into four. Halve each fungus. Remove snow pea strings. Cut celery diagonally. Cut carrot into patterned pieces. 3. Mix sauce ingredients well. 4. For garnish (optional): Slice black mushrooms. Peel tomatoes, remove seeds and cut each into 4 slices. Cut baby corns and mustard green stems in half. Drain black fungi. To cook 1. Bring garnish seasoning ingredients to the boil, add mustard green stems and black mushrooms for 1 minute. Add remaining garnish ingredients and bring to the boil again for another minute. Drain and trim. 2. Bring seasoning ingredients to the boil, add all "sauteed vegetables" ingredients except snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Remove vegetables. 3. Blanch snow peas in boiling oil for 1 minute, and remove when crisp. Pour excess oil out of wok. 4. Add sauce and all "sauteed vegetables". Saute for 1 minute. To present 1. Place taro basket in middle of serving dish. Arrange trimmed vegetable garnish strips around basket (see photograph). 2. Place sauteed vegetables in basket. From "Champion Recipes of the 1986 Hong Kong Food Festival". Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1986. Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 27 1992.