When I stay with my friend Fan Qun at her parents' farmhouse in northern Hunan, we sit outside on sunny days, looking out over the narrow fields and gently rising hills. The road is a track, and there ...

Soak dried fungus and dried mushrooms in separate bowls of hot water for 30 minutes. Save soaking water after squeezing excess water from mushrooms. Discard mushroom stems and cut caps into slices.