FRIED RICE. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page.

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1 FRIED RICE Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish. By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe by a Vietnamese girlfriend when I was in college. Like my egg rolls, I also ate a lot of fried rice in college because it was easy to make and inexpensive. Although this is typically served as a side dish, I think it is good enough to eat as a main course. The recipe is virtually unchanged since my college days. Ingredients: 1 cup (204g) uncooked white rice, such as long grain rice or Jasmine rice 1 egg 2 tablespoons cooking oil 1 stalk celery; diced 2 green onions; diced 2 ounces (57g) bean sprouts; can be left whole or coarsely chopped 2 sprigs Italian parsley; leaves only, finely chopped 1 clove garlic; minced 3 ounces (85g) cooked ham; chopped (or other meat or fish such as chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp) 1 generous pinch each of tarragon, marjoram, and oregano (or other herbs you might like) 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or 1 anchovy fillet) 1 (see Note at end) 3 tablespoons soy sauce Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Start the rice cooking according to package directions. Mix the egg with about a tablespoon of water. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Pour the egg into the skillet and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook about 1 minute over medium heat and then break the cooked egg up with a spatula. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the celery, green onions, beans sprouts, parsley, and garlic. Stir to fry, about 3 minutes. Then add the cooked egg and ham with the herbs and the sauces. Sauté until most of the liquid is reduced. Remove from the heat and set aside. When the rice is cooked (it should be fairly dry), add to the cooked vegetables and stir to blend. Test for salt and pepper and adjust, if necessary. Serve hot. Variations: You can also add frozen peas and/or frozen chopped carrots at the beginning when cooking the vegetables. This recipe offers a lot of room for experimentation. 1 The Step By Step guide begins on the following page

2 1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 Most of these ingredients should be easy to find in the grocery store, with the exception of the fish sauce. The store where I shop used to stock it on the Oriental foods aisle. I haven t seen it there for quite a while. The local Asian markets typically stock it. You can substitute with an anchovy fillet. The fish add complexity to the flavor without giving it a fishy flavor. One interesting characteristic of the fish sauce I buy is that it is very salty. Left undisturbed in the cupboard, it will grow its own salt crystals. I have a rather large crystal developing in the bottom of my bottle at the moment. 2 Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. By mixing the egg with some water it will spread to a thin coating and cook quickly, in about a minute. Do not brown.

3 3 3 Break the egg up with a spatula (it doesn t need to be turned over to cook thoroughly). Remove from the skillet and set aside. 4 Add the remaining oil to the skillet and then add the vegetables. Cook about 3 minutes. Other vegetables, such as peas or chopped carrots, can be added at this stage if you prefer. Be creative. Vegetables are healthy.

4 5 4 Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and herbs. Simmer to reduce the liquid to less than half. 6 Add the cooked egg and ham. Stir and cover. Remove from the heat until the rice is cooked.

5 7 5 Add the cooked rice to the vegetable mixture and stir to blend well. Heat if necessary. Test for salt and pepper. Serve hot. 8 Serve as a side dish with my Chicken and Snow Peas. My Egg Rolls would also be good on the side. When I was in college, I would make an entire meal of this fried rice.

6 Conclusion This makes a quick and delicious side dish, perfect for a warm summer day when you don t want to heat up your kitchen with the oven. This recipe is virtually unchanged from my college days. The only addition is the cubed ham. I used to make it with a small amount of ground turkey because it cost less. 6 Note 1 Fish sauce is extract of anchovy. The sauce I use is made in Thailand and I no longer find it in the local grocery store. Thankfully I live near an Asian market. Although it has a very strong fishy odor in the bottle, it blends smoothly into recipes to add a subtle complexity that I like. I also use it in my recipe for Trout with Tomatoes and Mascarpone and I put some in my mixture for Egg Rolls. You can just as easily substitute an anchovy fillet, which I also keep in my cupboard.