Pad Thai - originally posted on Jan 18/13

I heard that Pad Thai was tricky to make.  Tricky?  It's noodles.  How tricky can it be?  The first time I made it, it was terrible.
Then I had the opened of the package of tamarind paste in my fridge taunting me.  Reminding me of the failed attempt.  Inspired by this recipe, I tried again. The link is good and has a lot of good information and tips.  I didn't like the format, though, as I had to keep scrolling back and forth to check on ingredient amounts while in the ''how to" portion.
Here's what I did and what I'll do differently next time;
half a package of rice noodles
2 Tbsp tamarind paste
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp chili flakes - next time I'll use more
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 palm full of peanuts (I have a big hand, about 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 bunch green onions
1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled, deviened and tails removed
1 lime wedge
I soaked the rice noodles in cold water while I measured and prepped the rest of the ingredients.  During cooking I had to keep adding water because the noodles weren't soft enough.  Next time I'll use hot water.
I put a blob of tamarind paste that looked to be about 2 tablespoons in some hot water (hot from the tap, not boiling) in my magic bullet.  After it soaked for a little while it softened.  The problem I had last time was the big blobs of tamarind paste, that's why I soaked it this time.  I drained off most of the water, then added the sugar, fish sauce and chili flakes and whizzed it up until it was smooth.
I put my wok on medium high heat.  7 on my stove.  When it was hot, I added the oil and peanuts, then tossed the peanuts around until they were golden in spots.  Set them aside on a plate.

I needed a little more oil in the pan, then I added the shallot and garlic and tossed it around until it heated up.  Then I drained the noodles and added them to the wok.  Since the noodles were still too hard, I added some water to get them soft enough.  I added water to soften the noodles at every step, which was annoying and made the noodles a weird texture in the end.  That's why next time I'll soften them with warm water.
I kept tossing the noodles around to keep them from sticking.  Next, I added my tamarind sauce and kept tossing.
Push the noodle mixture to the side of the wok and throw the egg in.  Stir it to scramble it a little, then stir the noodles in while the egg is still soft.
Toss in the shrimp and green onions and keep stirring until the shrimp is cooked.
Slide it into a bowl and squeeze a lime wedge over it and sprinkle with the peanuts.
My second attempt was better than the first but still needs work.