[Woks - Buying, Care, and Use]

Firstly, as a relatively new e-gulleter and a brand new explorer of these forums in particular I would like to take a moment to gush about just how great they are. There.

I have recently been trying to season my wok but have met with a flaking problem.

As an aside, anyone care to explain wok hei to me?

[hzrt8w's wok and burner shopping project]

Wow, what a great thread! I too have been using a skillet as a substitute for a while as I am quite frustrated with my electric stove and flat bottom wok. After a lot of thinking I am thinking of purchasing a 16 or 18 inch double metal ear wok from the wok shop who I have found to be the best online vendor in terms of selection and price. I am also considering buying this cool special wok-stove which with its special design and a 32000 btu output seems like would be ideal to me. Any thoughts, comments, and/or suggestions on it welcome.

I also favor the stovetop seasoning method due to the problems hzrt8w outlined, though I favor peanut oil as the last time I seasoned with lard I thought I was going to be violently ill and have since been very sensitive to the smell of burning hot pork fat. I have been some problems with flaking when seasoning my woks, an I have now reposted in the chinese cuisine forum with hopes of help.

As a last note I am all for dark meat chicken as well. As a poor student I walk away from the butcher with 4 pounds of chicken thighs every week or two only 5 dollars poorer, with a smile on my face while I pity the white meat lovers and their obscenely priced breasts.

[ground pork]

Hello everyone, thanks a lot for the the helpful advice, much appreciated. I will be using the pork for many different miscellaneous dishes such as stirfries, stuffed pastries, stuffed omelettes etc so I don't think I need a high fat content such as several people have recommmened for sausages although I wouldn't want the pork to be overly lean. I said I would be grinding in my food processor as that seemed my only viable option at this point as I have no money atm for any new purchases and am not sure I really want to invest in a grinder at any rate. Perhaps I am missing something though? I would really have no qualms about mincing finely with my chef's knife or perhaps I'll just get one of my butchers to grind for me day of if a food processor is that undesireable.

At any rate while we're on topic can anyone weigh in on producing ground chicken at home?

[ground pork]

I'd like to grind my own pork at home but I'm unsure about a few things. I understand that any part of the animal could be used to make ground pork but are certain parts more suitable than others? I don't need great amounts so I'm thinking that just grinding at home in my food processor will be acceptable..

Any thoughts or comments?

[Why fast foods are bad, even in moderation]

I find myself very tired of the issue of fats and health at times too, but all it takes is a look at the world that surrounds me to remind me of the many inconsistencies of modern society. I certainly don't believe that a meal now and then at a fast food restaurant will result - or even increase the chances of - some form of negative health effect. However, I think it is important to recognize that the public's general picture of the role of fats in health is somewhat skewed. In my case the stigmatization of saturated fats is particularly frustrating especially in light of the relatively inconsequential evidence pointing to their adverse health effects.

I am not searching for some kind of miracle diet nor "the right answer" as to what is healthy and what is not, and I too weary of the innumerable studies that often contradict themselves. However, the general consensus on what's healthy seems very troublesome to me. Olive oil is lauded as the king of all fats, placed upon a pedestal of monounsaturated greatness, and although olive oil certainly is a good fat it has its own pros and cons like everything else. Its strong flavor (depending on the type) is not always suitable for all types of cooking, and it is really not suitable for cooking above medium or so heat due to the production of carcinogenic free radicals beyond a certain temperature. Butter, coconut oil, lard, and other animal fats are generally seen as "very bad for you" and to be consumed "sparingly". And yet these were all consumed in much vaster quanitities 75 to 100 years as compared to today. Rates of heart disease and other maladies generally associated with excessive consumption of saturated fat were a fraction of what they are today. There is a strong link between the rise of heart disease and obesity and the increasing prevalence of trans-fats in the 20th century.

Thankfully awareness of trans fats has reached a decent level of public knowledge but it remains incomplete at best in my opinion. It is time we stopped looking for succint answers of whats good and bad and looked towards the evidence and information we have to make informed and rational choices about our diet. Of course this becoming a reality does strike me as wishful thinking but damnit, butter isn't bad. Even LOTS of butter isn't bad depending on your lifestyle choices. It is suprising what you discover when you venture beyond the bubble of public health consensus.

[Fruit flies: Where do they come from and how do you get rid of them?]

Once again they have invaded. I have an infestation of fruit flies in my kitchen and I simply cannot wait to destroy them. I have tried a trick recommended to me by a friend where you set up a bottle with a bit of jam in the bottom, and a cone in the opening with a very small hole at the tip. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working all that well. Any expert fruit fly exterminators out there?

[Why fast foods are bad, even in moderation]

Actually, from what I understand there are a lot of misconceptions about fat in general, particularly saturated fat. Of course everyone knows that trans-fats are generally not good for you, but unfortunately most people think the same of saturated fats that have been lumped in with trans-fats unfairly. Many of the studies that assesed the varying degrees of "healthyness" of different types of fats grouped trans-fats and saturated fats from natural sources together. Hence a lot of the stigma that has been associated with trans-fats has also been unfairly heaped onto saturated fats as well.

Many indigenous cultures around the world consume huge amounts of animal fats and animal products yet still have rather remarkable bills of health. The inuit in northern Canada have eaten copious amounts of marine products such as a blubber for hundreds of years and are among the healthiest in the world. There are tribes in africa who sustain themselves almost solely on buffalo meat, milk, and blood and yet have rates of heart disease that put north america's to shame.

This links (http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/cocgood.html) to an article on Kasma Loha-Unchit's website about the many beneficial properties of coconut and coconut oil, it also contains links to various websites with a lot of good information on nutrition and the role of animal products in our diet.

[Maps, Lime presses, and other things]

Hello everyone, there are a number of things I've been trying to find in Montreal related to food and I thought I would post on e-gullet to see if I could get any assistance. First and foremost is a lime-press, these little gadgets are great and after using one I don't think I can ever go back to the dreary frustration of using a fork and my hands? Anyone have any idea as to where I might find one in montreal?

Next are maps of the Jean Talon market and Chinatown; I have been able to find a nice map of the Atwater market but no such luck for these two places.

I am also in search of a butcher that carries a lot of free range/ethically raised meat, I know of a place in the Atwater market but it seems a bit on the expensive side and is a little out of the way. I live in the Mcgill ghetto, are there any butchers of this sort relatively close to this part of downtown?

I am also searching for a source for high quality, minimally processed butter and cream. I have been told that there is a fromagerie at the Jean Talon which carries unpasteurized cream but I don't know which one, does this mean that they make butter out of this cream too?

I have been scouring the city for almost a year or so since I moved here and am attempting to compile as much information pertaining to quality ingredients as possible. I am mostly interested in asian cooking, Indian and Thai and particular and have managed to gather some good resources for these cuisines, so if anyone has any questions pertaining to Indian or Thai cooking in montreal please feel free to ask.