Pad Thai

The relatively small country of Thailand has conquered the world with its unique cuisine.  It's no wonder.  They have mastered the art of balancing flavors and nearly every bite is salty, sweet, sour perfection.  Having grown up on a fairly bland diet, my first taste of Thai food was a revelation.  Needless to say, Thai food day in class was one of the best.  Thai lettuce wraps with sweet tamarind paste, red curry squash, green papaya salad, Tom Kah soup and the famous Pad Thai. 

Photo by Crystal at Zen-eats.com

I've always been intimidated by making Pad Thai, because the flavor is complex and I assumed it must be complicated.  Not so!  After soaking some noodles and julienning some vegetables, the only other prep is making an exquisite sauce with tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar and chilies.  Then it's just a quick trip to the wok or sauté pan and you have delicious, homemade Pad Thai.