Serves 6

This Vietnamese recipe is a great appetizer to serve alongside rice paper spring rolls. The add-ons are basically the same—lettuce leaves for holding the canapé, herbs and dipping sauces for additional flavor.

Happy Pancakes

1 cup rice flour

1½ cups water

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ cup finely sliced straw mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry

3 ounces cooked salad shrimp, rinsed and patted dry

½ cup bean sprouts

¼ cup mixed, chopped herbs (mint, cilantro, basil, etc.)

Chili dipping sauce

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the rice flour, water, eggs, salt, and sugar. Set aside and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Strain the batter through a mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
  3. Add the vegetable oil to a large sauté or omelet pan. Heat on high until very hot, but not smoking.
  4. Pour the batter into the hot pan, swirling it so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Sprinkle the mushrooms over the batter. Cover and let cook for 1 minute.
  5. Sprinkle the shrimp and bean sprouts evenly over the pancake. Continue cooking until the bottom is crispy and browned.
  6. To serve, cut the pancake into quarters. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs. Pass a favorite dipping sauce separately.