Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   5      teaspoons     peanut oil or canola oil
  10      milliliters   garlic -- peeled & minced
   1      teaspoon      minced gingerroot
   1      pound         green beans -- (2" pieces)
   1      teaspoon      oriental sesame oil
     1/2  teaspoon      salt -- (optional)

Preparation:

1. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Add the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry the ingredients for 30 seconds. 2. Add the green beans, and stir-fry them over high heat for 2 to 4 minutes. 3. Add the sesame oil and salt (if desired), toss the ingredients to coat them, and serve the beans. Preparation tip: The beans are supposed to be tender-crisp and shriveled or even charred a bit on the outside. If you like more tender beans, cover the pan after adding the sesame oil and salt, and continue cooking the beans for a few minutes over moderately low heat.