Hoisin sauce от John Spottiswood

Simmer for 12 minutes: ¾ C pitted prunes + 2 C water + 1 tablespoon crushed garlic, then add 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce + 1 ½ tablespoons dry sherry and puree. (Adapted from recipe in Good & Plenty: America's New Home Cooking by Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman. See my sources.) OR ¼ C soy sauce + ¼ C plum sauce + 1 teaspoon flour + dash five-spice powder + dash garlic powder + sugar or honey to taste (From a usenet posting by Lynn M. Wiegard. See my sources.) OR chee hou sauce (spicier) OR apple butter (Thanks to reader Richard Nolles for this suggestion.) OR sweet bean sauce (spicier)