Lindsey Nair

Features staff writer Lindsey writes about food, restaurants and recipes.

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• What restaurant staffers shouldn't do
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Recipes

• Squash custard pie
• Espagnole sauce

• Recipe archive

For the sauce:

3 Tbsp. light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. tamarind pulp*

2 Tbsp. fish sauce*

1 ¹₂ cups warm water

1. Dissolve tamarind pulp in warm water in a small bowl, then strain through a sieve to catch any seeds. Discard the seeds. Stir sugar and fish sauce into tamarind liquid and set aside.

The rest:

7 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 small shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

7 oz. dried, flat rice stick noodles*

6 oz. shrimp, peeled and cleaned

2 eggs, lightly beaten

6-7 chives or 4 scallions, in 2- inch pieces

1 ¹₂ cups fresh bean sprouts

1 cup grated carrot

1 lime, cut into wedges

¹₄ cup roasted, unsalted pea- nuts, chopped

1. Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until pliable, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs and scramble until done. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over high heat. Add shallots and garlic and stir-fry until soft, about 10 seconds. Add the fresh shrimp and stir-fry for about 10 seconds. Lower the heat to medium, then add chives, half the bean sprouts, half the peanuts, carrots, noodles, eggs and sauce and stir-fry, tossing constantly, until the noodles absorb most of the sauce and the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. If you find that you need a little more moisture, add a tablespoon of water to the pan.

4. Remove to a platter and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts and peanuts. Serve with lime and hot sauce, if desired.

*If you have trouble finding these ingredients at your grocery store, check an Asian market.

Source: Mantana Heim. To learn about Heim's Thai cooking classes, visit www.lakethaichef.com