Egg drop soup

For store-bought stock, add a slice or two of ginger; add scallion tops and greens to the broth, saving the crunchier bits for garnish.

Bring to a simmer.

To extend it, add a teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon and hot water; simmer a little to infuse the ginger and scallion flavor.

Prepare about three tablespoons of cornstarch, roughly a tablespoon per pint of broth, as a mixture for thickening.

Beat two eggs with a teeny pinch of white pepper and some salt.

Slice the scallions very thin with a sharp knife and a back slice: fingers in a claw, pulling the knife back across them with as much horizontal and as little up-and-down motion as possible, so they are not crushed.

As the broth comes to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until fully thickened, verging on slimy but not slimy.

Taste for seasoning; add a little salt and a touch of MSG if wanted.

Drip the beaten egg into the simmering soup off chopsticks held over the edge of the bowl and shaken back and forth so it falls in threads; give it a few stirs. More stirring and a harder simmer make finer curds.

Garnish with sliced scallion and serve.