Vietnamese Summer Rolls

• 16 6-inch rounds rice paper
• 8 leaves lettuce, washed, dried and torn or chopped
• 2 cups cooked rice vermicelli, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup shredded peeled carrots
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 32 slices cooked pork or 32 poached or grilled shrimp, split lengthwise in half, or use half pork and half shrimp
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Vietnamese chili-garlic paste, or to taste, or chopped fresh chilies to taste
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Lime wedges

1. Dip a sheet of rice paper a third of the way into a bowl of hot water for about 2 seconds.
2. Turn it and dip remaining section, then lay on a damp towel.
3. Working on bottom third of rice paper, spread a bit of lettuce, noodles, carrots, herbs and pork and/or shrimp.
4. Fold up bottom edge to cover, then fold in the sides.
5. Roll tightly.
6. Continue with remaining ingredients.
7. Combine fish sauce, sugar, ginger, chili-garlic paste and about 1/4 cup water.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
9. Serve rolls right away, or refrigerate, lightly covered, up to 2 hours.
10. Cut each roll into 2 or 3 pieces, then serve with dipping sauce and lime wedges.

rice paper, rice vermicelli, carrots, mint leaves, fresh thai basil leaves, fresh cilantro, pork, fish sauce, sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, salt, wedges

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11573 (may not work)