RICE,NOODLES and EGGS

Basic Egg Fried Rice

3 Eggs
1 tsp Salt
2 Scallions finely chopped
2 to 3Tbs oil
3 cups Cooked day old rice
4 oz frozen peas and carrots
1 tbs soy sauce
In a bowl lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of the salt and a few pieces of scallion. Heat oil in a preheated wok and lightly scramble the eggs. Add the rice and stir to make sure that each grain of rice is separated. Add the remaining salt,scallions and the peas. Blend well and serve.Makes 4 servings

STIR-FRIED RICE STICK NOODLES WITH SHRIMP AND VEGETABLES

1/3 pound rice stick noodles, 1/2 pound celery cabbage
1 pound uncooked shrimp (30-36 to the pound) ,4 tablespoons peanut oil, or flavorless vegetable oil ,
1 tablespoon pale dry sherry ,11/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar ,
1 tablespoon soy sauce ,1/2 cup chicken stock, fresh or canned

PREPARE AHEAD: 1. In a large bowl, cover the rice stick noodles with cold water. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly in a colander.
2. With a cleaver or sharp knife, trim off any wilted top leaves of the cab- bage and the root ends. Separate the stalks, wash them thoroughly and slice each stalk lengthwise into l/s-inch-wide strips.
3. Shell the shrimp, and, with a small, sharp knife, make a shallow in- cision down the back and lift out the black or white intestinal vein. Wash the shrimp, dry with paper towels and cut each in half lengthwise.
4. Have the above ingredients, the oil, wine, salt, sugar, soy sauce and chicken stock within easy reach.
TO COOK: Set a 12-inch wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat for 30 seconds. Pour in 2 tablespoons of oil, swirl it about in the pan and heat for another 30 seconds.Addthe shrimp and stir-fry 1 minute,until they turn pink.Add 1/2tsp. salt and wine ,stir once or twice,remove and set aside.Add 2 more tbs oil to wok,heat 30 seconds,add Cabbage and stir-fry 2 minutes.Add 1 tsp. salt,sugar and noodles,and cook,stirring,for 1 minute.Pourin the soy sauce and stock,boil for 3 minutes,or until the liquid has evaporated.Return the shrimp to the wok and stirring constantly,cook for 30 seconds.Make 2-4 servings.

Mandarin Pancakes
Cooking two pancakes back-to-back makes the pancakes thinner and the cooking time shorter.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp.sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
3/3 cup boiling water
1 tbs. sesame oil

Place flour, 1/2 tsp. sesame oil and salt in a medium bowl. Add 3/4 cup boiling water. Gradually mix flour and water with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough until smooth. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest 15 minutes. Use your hands to shape dough into a long roll about 1 inch in diameter. Add more flour if necessary. Place the point of a sharp cleaver on cutting surface with middle of roll under cutting edge. Chop with a quick downward motion, cutting roll in half. Chop each half into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then pat flat to make a circle. Brush top of 8 circles with sesame oil. Place an unoiled circle on top of each oiled circle. Use a rolling pin to flatten each pair of circles into one 5-inch circle. Roll both sides, changing directions frequently so flat pancake remains a circle. Cover pancakes with a dry towel. Heat an ungreased 8-inch skillet over high heat 30 seconds to 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium. Place 1 pancake in skillet. When pancake puffs and bubbles appear on the surface, turn and cook other side. Cook about 1 minute on one side until pancake is speckled with brown. Turn pancake and cook about 30 seconds until underside is speckled with brown. Remove from skillet, wrap in a clean, dry towel and place in a bread basket. Just before serving, separate each pan- cake into 2 pancakes, gently pulling apart from edges. Serve warm. Makes 16 pancakes.