A Nutshell of Rationale

The Purpose of this blog : I hope it will be to post interesting, exotic, ethnic and worldly foods , recipes or humorous stories from kitchens everywhere. For my first serving of culture I present a recipe for Pad Thai. I picked up a delicious addiction to this vibrant dish my first quarter of college at a small restaurant called Singha Thai. The family owned establishment sported decor as spicy and pungent as the food whetted my excitement for Thai spices especially mint and basil. Even my Mother who is a little shy to delicious foreign foods enjoys the eastern flair of Pad Thai.

Pad Thai:

2 TBSP of tamarind paste or 1/3 C. lime juice(with a tsp. of molasses)
3/4 C. boiling water
3 TBSP fish sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
3 TBSP sugar
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 TBSP peanut or vegetable oil
8 oz. flat dried rice stick noodles, linguine width
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. of deviened and shelled shrimp, medium in size (35)
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
5 green onions or 1 medium shallot, chopped finely
6 TBSP roasted chopped or crushed peanuts
3 C. bean sprouts
1/4 C. loosely packed cilantro leaves
Lime wedges


Directions:
1. Soak tamarind paste in boiling water for ten minutes, then press through mesh strainer to extract pulp or if using lime juice combine lime juice and 1/3 C. water and 1 tsp. molasses. Stir fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne and 2 TBSP oil into the tamarind liquid and set aside.

2. Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and 1/8 tsp salt in small bowl; set aside.

3. Heat 1 TBSP oil in large skillet or wok over high heat until very hot or smoking, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 tsp salt; cook, tossing occasionally for even cooking until the shrimp are opaque and browned at the far edges, 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and set aside.

4. Off heat, add remaining TBSP oil to skillet, swirl for good coverage; add garlic, 1/2 of green onions, stirring constantly cook over medium heat until golden brown about a minute; add eggs scramble for 20 seconds. Add noodles, toss , pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase to high heat, tossing til covered evenly. Scatter peanuts, green onions and cooked shrimp over noodles, continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2 1/2 minutes.

5. Sprinkle Cilantro and Serve immediately. Most of all Enjoy with cool slices of lime.