Hot and Sour Soup

Name: Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients: 8 cups broth (see headnote); 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns; 2 whole star anise; 2 inch knob ginger, unpeeled, cut into coins; 4 black wood ear mushrooms; 8 dried mushrooms; 1 ounce dried bean thread noodles; 4 ounces lean pork, such as loin, thinly sliced in strips; 8 ounces firm tofu, sliced into strips; 1 cup green or napa cabbage, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons white vinegar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce; 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1 egg, beaten; 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch, dissolved in 3 T cold water; 2 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish