Black Fungus and Celery Salad

As the weather gets hotter, I find myself shunning away from "hot" dishes like soups or stews. Cold dishes appear to be more appetising to me and I've been preparing Chinese-style salads (涼拌菜) or cold noodles more frequently these days. I will share more cold dishes recipes in the next few weeks, but in the mean time, here's a recipe of black fungus and celery salad.

Black Fungus and Celery Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
3-4 stalks of celery
3-4 large pieces of fresh black fungus (If you are using dried fungus, soak them in warm water until soften)
5cm knob young ginger
1 tsp white sesame, toasted
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Seasonings:
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs dark vinegar 烏醋
1/2 tsp sugar
2-3 drops sesame oil
Note: The amount required for seasonings is just an estimation, feel free to adjust to your taste

Method:
1) Peel and then cut young ginger into thin strips, set aside.
2) Rinse and cut celery into strips of 4cm long. Cut fungus into bite-size pieces.
3) Put a pot of water to boil. Cook celery for 2-3 minutes. Dish out and put into a bowl of iced water.
4) Boil fungus for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked. Dish out and leave to cool.
5) Mix all ingredients for seasonings in a small bowl.
6) Put celery, fungus, ginger and garlic in a medium bowl, and then toss the mixture with seasonings until well combined.
7) Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle sesame on the mixture, serve.