Frankie,
I am sorry for the feedback because of the holiday.
1)My daughter don't eat spicy food but she can accept the numbing feeling. But with a very small amount, especially in soups. The children cannot notice it.
2)Yes, we need 1 whole nutmeg.
3) Yes, cinnamon bark in Chinese stores is Chinese cinnamon. They have small differences in flavors.

1) Sichuan peppercorn: will this leave a strong tingle on your tongue when eaten? I have young kids (ages 4 - 10) and not sure if they will find this "spicy". Or is the amount small that we won't notice the "numbness"?

2) Nutmeg: when you say 1 Nutmeg is that a "whole" nutmeg? I have never cooked, nor really seen whole nutmeg before.

3) Chinese cinnamon - I've never seen cinnamon bark labeled "Chinese cinnamon" before but I have seen them packaged in Chinese grocery stores. Is that "Chinese cinnamon"? Is there a difference between Chinese cinnamon and the cinnamon barks I buy at Western grocery stores?

Much thanks for your time in answering my questions. Cheers!

Happy cooking, Chris.

since I first made this recipe following your instructions I've found and tried a lot of variations coming from all parts of China. I really like the Sichuan twist you gave it. It remind's me of potato salad here in Germany which is present everywhere, but if you eat it you can tell which region the cook comes from 🙂

Thank you Carlo for your feedback! I am so glad to know they turn out good. You are a very talented cook to make so many dishes in just one night. Happy cooking!

Thanks Elaine for this wonderful recipe! Aside from this, I also tried your braised chicken feet, Har Gow, beef dumplings & dry-fry green beans on 1 single night & my friends really love them! Looking forward to try some of your other Sichuan dishes next week. We are a small group of Filipinos here in Saudi Arabia. Many thanks!

Carlo,
Light soy sauce and spices can be added after adding the stock.