Dr. Skypants, please report to Sick Bay!

Mark has a cold and there's no cure better than homemade Hot & Sour soup (straight up from the replicator--har har). There are three critical ingredients: chicken stock, freshly diced or grated ginger, and hot Kim Chee! YOW!! Guaranteed to clear up anyone's poor little congested nose. This is the adult version of the recipe. If you can't cook without measuring everything, then your first ingredient should be a very large pour of cabernet, gulp, and begin:

SKYPANTS PRESCRIPTION HOT & SOUR SOUP

Put the following into a stock pot with heat on medium:
--half a jar of Frieda's Hot Kim Chee (heed the warnings on the jar)
--at least a quart of chicken stock (Wolfgang Puck's is good)
--two healthy pieces of fresh ginger, peeled and diced (between a quarter and a half a cup)

Additional ingredients to dice/slice and add:
--cubed tofu
--leftover chicken, ham, pork
--carrots, turnips, mushrooms, scallions/onions, kale, bok choy
Warning: broccoli, cauliflower, peas and beans are not recommended

Bring to a simmer, cover and turn heat down to low and let it "soup" for at least an hour. After an hour, add a handful of bean sprouts. Also, if you want to scramble an egg and add that, it's an interesting texture.

Individuals can season their soup with soy sauce, hot pepper oil, chow mein noodles or anything else their little hearts desire.

If you can't find Kim Chee in your town, then you need to move. Huggles, P