I DID IT---YOU CAN TOO!

   I love the lettuce wrap appetizers served in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, and wanted a culinary challenge, so I taught myself to make them. Most recipes call for rice paper, but I couldn't find any in the Bothell area, so I settled on tapioca sheets instead. Turns out they were exactly what I'd eaten at the Chatterbox restaurant in Stanwood.
   These wraps are light and vegetarian, and can be loaded with your favorite combination of fresh veggies, or converted to a carnivorous offering with shredded beef, chicken or shrimp tucked inside, but I have to say, it's the mint that's the secret ingredient, and really makes the crunchy coolness of the wraps stand up and sing!

LETTUCE WRAPS WITH THAI SWEET CHILI SAUCE

   On a platter, assemble shredded iceberg lettuce, cilantro, mint, carrots, cabbage, chopped green onions, chopped radishes and any other fresh veggies you fancy.

   Fill a sloping-sided dish (like a pie plate) with the hottest tap water. Place one tapioca sheet in at a time, let sit till about the count of 12. You will see the tapioca sheet turn clear and slippery. Gently pull sheet from water onto a lint-free, smooth textured kitchen towel.

   Fill sheet with your favorite combination of prepared vegetables, then roll up, burrito-style. Fold the sides up, and sort of tuck and roll as you go.

 The tapioca sheet is somewhat self-adhesive, so it will all stick together nicely. It takes 2 or 3 to get the hang of it, but it's not difficult. Assemble your finished wraps on a platter and serve with:

THAI SWEET CHILI SAUCE

---recipe from shesimmers.com, a fun and beautiful food blog I discovered.

In a blender combine and process:
   3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
   2 jalapeno or serrano peppers (omit seeds for less heat)
   1/2 cup granulated sugar
  3/4 cup water
   Transfer mixture to a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower to medium and simmer about 3 minutes longer, till vegetable bits soften.
   In a small dish, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry. Whisk slurry into the pepper mixture and stir constantly until sauce thickens, about one minute.  Let cool completely, then refrigerate.  Makes just over a cup.

FAUX PHO
   After I made my lettuce wraps for a family party, I still had leftover shredded veggies. Also on hand was some leftover grilled flank steak and a container of beef broth.  I dumped everything into a stockpot, added a dollop of the chili sauce, and voila---I had phony pho! Kind of a two-fer recipe experience.

Fruitfully your, 

Karin