Ants climbing the tree

Ingredients:

• ½ pound ground pork
• 4 clusters vermicelli (clear noodles, made from mungbean flour)
• ¼ pound peeled shrimp
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 green onion (?)
• 2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced
• 1-2 cloves finely minced garlic (optional)
• 6 dried chili peppers
• dried wild pepper (only available in China?)
• 1/5 cup chinese cooking wine (others will probably be fine too)
• soy sauce - 1/5 cup for marinating pork, 1/5-¼ cup for cooking
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• salt - 1/3 teaspoon for marinating pork, and ¾ teaspoon for cooking

Note: For the noodles, you can use either the thin type (One brand is "Kimbo", in plastic package, 10.5oz for 8 clusters per package) or the thick type (Sometimes, the thick type is also called "Dried Mungbean Thick Noodle". One brand is "Asian Taste", 10.5oz for 8 clusters per package). I prefer the thick type. You can get them from Chinese supermarkets.

Marinate ground pork in soy sauce, cooking wine, and salt. Dice shrimp and bell pepper; Mince green onion, ginger and garlic.

Boil vermicelli until it turns completely clear, remove immediately and cool in cold water. Heat oil in wok until almost smoking, stir fry pork until brown. Drain liquid, set aside. Repeat for shrimp. Stir fry ginger, garlic, and green onion briefly. Stir fry bell pepper and dried chili pepper briefly (otherwise the dried chili pepper will turn black) . Drain the water from the cooked vermicelli, then add to frying pan and stir for 1-2min Add the remaining salt, soy sauce, and sugar, stir for 2mins. Add cooked pork and shrimp, stir for 1-2min. At this point, "ants are climbing the trees" - turn off heat.