3 tb Soy sauce 1/4 c Dry sherry or Chinese rice -wine 1 tb White or brown sugar 1 tb Cider vinegar 3 tb Cornstarch 2 tb Peanut oil 1 md Onion, thinly sliced 1 lg Eggplant, cut into strips, -thinly 3/4 ts Salt 2 tb Minced garlic 1 tb Minced fresh ginger 1/4 ts Black pepper Cayenne pepper to taste 3 Cakes firm tofu, cut into -strips 8 Scallions: greens minced, -whites in strips, keep -separate 1 bn Cilantro, minced (optional) SZECHWAN EGGPLANT & TOFU SAUCE: Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, sugar in a liquid-measuring cup. Add enough water to make up to 1 cup. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, pour in the liquid, pour on the liquid & whisk till dissolved. Set aside. Heat a large wok over a high flame. Add oil & onion & stir fry for about a minute. Add eggplant & salt & stir fry for 8 to 10 minutes till the eggplant is soft. Add garlic, ginger & black pepper & cayenne. Cook a few minutes more. Add tofu & scallion bottoms. Stir the bowl of liquid that has been set aside & add to the wok. Mix well & stir fry for another few minutes till the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat & serve over rice topped with scallion greens & cilantro. Serves 4.