Another month, another rotation - Neurology has been by far the most foreign one. From squinting at MRIs ("oh yes, I definitely see that tiny blip") to scratching my head at disease names ("What is DADS, MADSAM, POEMS, TAC, PANDAS?"), it was quite a steep learning curve.

Interesting neurology physical exam techniques I learned: tap someone between the eyes repeatedly, put ice cold water in their ear, flick their fingernails, stick a tuning fork on the forehead, and listen to their eyeballs.

I promise these are legit physical exam tests.
What's hard about Neurology is once you finally piece together the story, which is definitely challenging when the patients themselves can't tell you what's going on, is that treatment is often limited. So while from a nebulous standpoint, the pathology is fascinating, but it can be a little depressing.

So let's go back to something simple and comforting. Egg drop soup - Chinese buffet style.
Egg drop soup or "Egg Flower Soup" is super fun to make - you slowly add beaten eggs and it cooks instantly, forming the silken strands that float in the soup. This soup has been around a long time, and there's a zillion variations - add-ins can include peas, tomatoes, tofu, scallions, ginger, and even seaweed. I prefer the thinner Chinese style egg drop soup than the cornstarch laden American version (huge pet peeve). Recipe adapted from Full Thyme Student.

Egg Drop Soup with Fried Wontons

Ingredients
EGG DROP SOUP
3 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
3 eggs
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
ground black pepper, to taste
1 green onion, diced
optional: cooked mushrooms, shredded carrots, sliced asparagus, etc.

FRIED WONTONS
5 wonton wrappers, stacked and cut into ½ inch strips
vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
EGG DROP SOUP: 
In a pot over high heat, add 2 cups chicken broth allow to come to a boil, then lower to medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together corn starch and 1 cup of remaining broth until completely dissolved (corn starch will not dissolve in hot liquid, but will clump instead, so don't add it directly). Whisk corn starch mixture into hot broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in frozen peas and any additional vegetables, if desired, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add sesame oil and soy sauce.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk eggs. Pour eggs in a slow steady stream into the broth (now on low heat), whisking the entire time to get the egg ribbons. Stir in green onions, and black pepper. Adjust sesame oil and soy sauce to taste.

FRIED WONTONS:
Add a small amount of oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a pan/pot on medium heat. Once hot add a few wonton strips and fry until golden brown (about 15-30 seconds). Remove from oil with slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve the soup with wonton strips and diced green onions. Enjoy!