Tangy Multi-mushroom Soup

Ingredients

 * 1 small package enoki mushrooms
 * 5 to 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms
 * 1 large can straw mushrooms
 * 3 to 4 black fungus mushrooms or any variety of mushroom you're comfy with — I used a dried version of these and they became huge!
 * 8 cups water
 * ¼ cup dry sherry or rice wine
 * ⅓ cup cider vinegar
 * 2 tbsp soy sauce
 * 2 to 3 egg whites
 * 3 sliced scallions
 * ¼ to ½ tsp white pepper
 * 2 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

 * 1) Boil 2 cups of the water and pour it over the shiitake and fungus and any ever other dried mushrooms you may have chosen.
 * 2) Let this sit in a bowl for 30 minutes.
 * 3) When the mushrooms have finished soaking, squeeze the juice out of them and cut them into bit sized pieces; do not use the stems.
 * 4) Pour the soaking juice into a large soup pan with 5½ cups of water.
 * 5) Bring the water and all the mushrooms except the enoki mushrooms to a boil.
 * 6) Add rice wine or sherry, soy sauce and vinegar.
 * 7) Reduce the heat and allow mixture to simmer for at least 10 minutes.
 * 8) (if you"re trying to get other dishes to come out at the same time, this is a good place to just let the mixture simmer till youire ready for it!).
 * 9) Mix the cornstarch and the remaining ½ cup of cool water in a cup.
 * 10) Whisk the mixture into the hot soup.
 * 11) This is the possible lump stage, but with all the mushrooms and egg whites, who will know?).
 * 12) Drizzle the egg whites into the soup, whisking or stirring constantly.
 * 13) Add the white pepper.
 * 14) Wait 2-3 minutes and then dish up the soup, garnishing each bowl with scallions and enoki mushrooms.
 * 15) (these last add a lot of flavor!).