Conference turris::cooks

    Stir frying is so easy it borders on obscene.....I usually do this
    when we want something REALLY fast....hey....its even quicker than
    putting a frozen dinner in the micro....When I get assorted pork
    chops, I usually put the "lousy" ones aside for chop suey or stir
    fry....cut off all fat and into strips.....then when ready to use
    heat wok....add oil...add meat....stir fry.....then kind of push
    meat to one side...or take out if you have a lot....add pea pods
    stir for a minute....add water chestnuts or slices of green/red
    pepper....fry some more....cut green onions....add white part....
    fry some more....when done....put anything you took out back in...
    add greens of green onions....then stir in a concoction made of
        ....about 1/2 tesp fresh ginger
            about 1/4 cup sherry  or rice wine
            about 1/4 cup soy sauce
            about 1/4 cup chinese vinegar
    
    mix everything......stir fry minute or so.....add over white rice.....
    
    All told....takes about five minutes....I never measure the liquid...so
    you can add/delete/increase according to your taste....
    
    MMMMMMM.....might do this when I get home today
    
    Rick

    
    While we are on the subject of woks.... I need some help. I have
    a wok, but don't use it as much as I would like. That's because
    of a few things I don't understand and haven't found in any cookbook.
    
    I have the type you use with a gas stove.
    
    First of all, how HOT is HOT? 
    
    How much oil do you use ( i have wok oil and peanut oil) I always
    seem to have alot of oil at the bottom of the wok when I'm done.
    
    any ideas?
    
    bonnie
    
    

    I tend to use as LITTLE oil as I can get away with and still not
    burn things.  Now that I'm dieting (oh pain!) that means I stick
    my fingers in the oil jar and RUB oil on the pan - a very light
    coating.  If things start sticking, I add some WATER.
    
    You don't have to be quite so stingy if you are not dieting,
    but a little oil will go a long way.  Remember, woks originated
    as a way to cook food using as little fuel as possible - there's
    lots of people in China and not enough fuel to go around.  So the
    food is cooked as quickly as possible, and less oil is needed than
    we might assume.  I used to use about a tablespoon, sprinkled around
    the sides of the pan and allowed to flow inward before I added the
    veggies/meats.  If you are doing something in two stages (meat
    first, veggies next, for ex) you may need to add a capful of oil
    in between.  But go light - oil is 120 calories per Tbsp, no matter
    what type of oil it is, olive is the same as safflower.
    
    As far as heat, don't let the oil smoke.  That's your upper limit.
    Don't let the food stop sizzling.  That's your lower limit.  Try
    a few dishes and you'll get the feel of the proper heat level for
    your stove.  Note: if you add food about half a cup at a time, the
    contents of the wok won't stop sizzling.  Also, if you squeeze out
    marinades and excess juices (into the finishing broth that you add
    at the end, for flavor!) you won't end up with a soupy stir-fry
    which ends up boiled rather than fried.
    
    Good luck - try some things out - stir frying is very much of the
    "pinch of this, handful of that" school of cooking so it's hard
    to make mistakes.
    
    --Louise

A couple of hints with Woks:

	I use mine on a gas stove.  Put it on the burner using the collar, 
	and sprinkle a bit of water in the bottom.  When the water evaporates 
	completely, add a tablespoon or 2 of oil (mushrooms and eggplant need 
	more oil, since the absorb it readily), and swirl the pan about to 
	coat the cooking area.

	Add spices to the oil first, except garlic, which will burn and get 
	bitter.  A ginger grater (ala Frugal Gourmet) is not necessary, but 
	it's the bets investment I've made in a while.

	There are 2 basic methods to stir-frying:  cook each thing 
	individually for just the right amount of time, or cook things all
	at once, adding the stuff that takes longest first.  (I usually use 
	the latter.)


						     
							- JP

    Here's one of my favorites, as I promised I would post:
    
                      CHINATOWN CHICKEN
                      *****************
    
    1/4 cup oil (I use sesame)
    raw unsalted peanuts or cashews (1/2 - 1 cup, or to taste)
    1-1/4 lbs. skinned, boned, cubed chicken breast
    1 tsp. ginger
    2 tsp. sugar
    1 Tbsp. corn syrup
    3 Tbsp. water
    2-3 tsp. soy sauce
    3 Tbsp. cornstarch
    1/3 cup sherry
    large bag frozen Chinese-style vegetables, thawed
    small package frozen peapods, thawed
    
    Heat oil in wok; add nuts and cook 3 minutes.  Add chicken and cook
    just until it turns white.  Mix ginger, sugar, cornsyrup; blend
    in water, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sherry.  Add to chicken and 
    cook till sauce thickens.  Add veggies and stir-fry till hot and 
    glazed.

    My favorite stir-fry veggie mix would have to be:
    
    	1 or 2 peeled zucchini coarsely chopped
    	1 or 2 large white onion coarsely chopped
    	a dash of garlic
    	red or green bell peppers if I have any
    	fresh ground pepper
    
    To cut down on fats I usually saute in chicken or veg. stock with
    the tiniest jot of olive oil.  While saute-ing I dash in tamari
    to taste.  garnish with sesame seeds and serve.
    
    If in a hurry, one-dish meals have been created by tossing in
    chicken or scallops or something.
    
    I use either my wok or my Revere copper skillet depending on the
    quantity being produced.
    
    Annie

    
    	One of my favorite veggies for stir frying is asparagus.
    Cut the woody ends off the asparagus then cut in half. Heat up
    one tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add minced garlic, ginger, and
    the asparagus. Stir fry until the asparagus turn dark green (about
    30 seconds to 1 minute). Add about a half cup of water, cover and
    steam until tender.
    
    	I usually boil the water in the microwave so when it's added
    to the wok I don't loose a lot of heat. I like to stir fry the
    asparagus last and use the boiling water to make the sauce, I love
    saucy chineese dishes.
    
    	The asparagus is just one part of a stir-fry dish. I mix a sauce
    with whatever moves me at the time, add whatever other veggies I
    have in the fridge and usually marinate chicked. If anyone wants
    me to enter a recipe for chicken and asparagus I will.
    
    

    A note about asparagus.... don't "cut" off the woody bottoms, instead
    *snap* them off.  Hold the asparagus spear in both hands (with
    your hands fairly far apart) and bend the bottom part - the right
    amount of stalk will snap off.  Sometimes it will be just a small
    amount, and sometimes it will be quite a bit of the stalk, but in
    either case you will never get any of the woody bottom and only
    the most delicious vegetable in the world!
    
    Cathy
    

    I haven't tried this myself, but was reading the Victory Garden
    Cookbook the other day -- they recommended that instead of chopping
    (or breaking) off the bottom of the asparagus spear, instead just
    whittle or peel off the outer edge of the bottom.  The inside should
    be just as tender as the rest of the asparagus, and you're not wasting
    unnecessarily.
    
    Anyone tried this technique?

I snap off the bottoms, then munch on them while making dinner.  When I get 
the large diameter variety, I also peel them, but I've never used these in 
stir fries, just steamed, then drizzled with butter and sprinkled with 
Parmesan cheese (mmmmm).

						     
							- JP

    I never use a recipe for stir frying.  Every time I stir fry its
    just a little bit different, depending on what is in the refrigerator.
    When my kid were younger I found that they would eat almost any
    thing if I stir fried it. If I said we are having fried broccoli
    they would have left home, but if I said we are having stir fried
    veggies they couldn't wait for dinner. Once a week befor grocery
    shopping I would clean out the refrig., chop up all the week old
    veggies, ie: celery, green pepper, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce(yes
    lettuce) onion, and what ever, also left over meat, fish or poultry.
    Now start frying, things that take the longest first.  Season with
    seseme oil, ginger root, soy sauce or what ever pleases you.  Do
    some experiments with seasonings. 

    Stir frying is a great way to "eat your veggies" in a most pleasing
    way.  I've found a great way to keep and use ginger root so that
    I don't end up with a withered stump in my fridge - freeze the root,
    unpeeled, and when you want some, grate it - it explodes with flavor
    and is much stronger than when you slice or dice it so go easy unless
    you are as excessively fond of ginger as I.
    	I've begun experimenting beyond the standard ginger, sherry,
    garlic flavorings - here are a few of my favorites - splash a small
    amount of sesame oil on stir fried chicken, fermented black beans
    have a wonderful affinity for shrimp, chinese five-spice powder
    tastes great on pork, oyster sauce and beef are a natural.
    	If you've not tried dusting your cut up meat in arrowroot or
    corn starch, it is a good way to help seal in the juices and makes
    for a very tender cooked meat.  It works best if you have time to
    marinate in arrowroot, sherry, oil,and tamari but if you have no
    time just dust the arrowroot on while you get the rest of the stir
    fry ready.

    Another great way to store Ginger is to
    slice it up into quarter size pieces and place
    in a bottle of Sherry.

    mmmmm...

    
    I cooked this up for myself the other day and it came out excellent.
    
    1 chicken thigh- de-boned and de-skined, cut into chunks.
    1 handful of bean sprouts.     
    chopped scallions
    soy sauce
    oyster sauce
    
    I dont measure anything so use what you think is right.
    
    Stir fry chicken for one minute,
    add scallions,soy sauce, and bean sprouts.
    sitr fry until done, then add oyster sauce and mix well.
    
    Very easy and very good.
    
    I just bought the wok two weeks ago and like it alot. I'm trying
    all the different recipes I've found in here. My main problem in
    cooking is rice. Is there any way to get the rice to come out like
    it does in a restaraunt? I bought regular white rice and it sticks
    together. Is there a special type I should buy?
                                                   Thanks
    
                                                    Walt

    I use Carolina Rice and use 1 1/2 cups of rice to 3 cups of water
    or even better broth.  This ratio works for me.  Add a dab of butter
    and a little salt if you like.  Cook rice over medium high heat until
    craters form, cover, lower heat and cook for another 20 minutes.
    Don't peek.  
    
    I only stir the rice as I am adding it to the water or broth.

    I freeze any leftovers in containers and microwave lightly covered
    or package in aluminum foil and when ready to reheat any leftovers
    sprinkle with a few drops of water and place in the oven until heated
    through.
                                                                      
    Hope this helps.
    
    Flo
     Actually, it pays to make extra.

    Here's a stir Fry I have tried a few ways over the last few weeks:
    
    Stir-fry some minced ginger in a little sesame oil
    Add some chopped green onions and brown
    Add some diced carrots and cook a little bit
    Add some diced butternut squash and cook some more
    Add some chinese cabbage and cook until all is tender
    Some tofu and/or mushrooms may be added
    Throw some sesame seeds (I like toasted but raw will work)
    Throw in some previously cooked Brown rice
    Toss the mixture in the Wok until it is mixed well and warm
    
    Serve.  A little Tamari goes great with this.
    
    As a variation, try replacing the brown rice with Quinoa.  Quinoa is
    a grain and can be found in most health food stores.  Prepare as
    directed on the package then stir fry it in as you would the brown
    rice.
    
    Denise