takadi

That's exactly why I love the wok in the first place and why I bought one, but I guess I kind of forgot about that in the premise of my question when I got caught up in all the "flame" and glory of Hong Kong style stir-fry. After all, a wok is just a giant metal bowl, which allows it to adapt to almost all cooking styles and methods I feel like I've rediscovered myself through some Zen like enlightenment

Does this apply for any cross grain board, for wood boards in general, or specific types of wood boards?

I've always wondered that myself. Is there really any difference or advantage of a wok to a skillet? Some say that woks get hotter due to its shape, but it seems like it's a niche design only for pit flames, not flat stove tops. Not to mention the whole flat bottom vs round bottom wok debate

http://www.wokshop.com/HTML/products/cleav...ping-block.html "Chinese Chopping Blocks The Chinese version of the cutting board, these chopping blocks are better than their Western counterpart, for not only are they anti-bacterial (as studies have proven), but the soft wood also does not dull knife blades like harder woods and plastics. Made of pine wood from the California gold country (Auburn/Placerville area). Approx.3" thick. Storage Hint: store chopping blocks upright (not on flat sides) so they do not retain moisture." Are there actual studies out there as the claim says?

Forgive my ignorance, but it just seems different to me to use leftover "used" ingredients from stock. I guess I'm a wasteful person

Wow, it looks like you can sleep on that head

jo mel For a regular kitchen stove, I find it easier to just use a regular frying pan. It seems that flat bottomed woks are just overkill and a flat bottomed pan works so much better since my stove is pretty weak. I'm not sure if all the flipping is for show, but from what I got, "true" stir fry, as a opposed to just sauteeing, involves intense heat which requires the food to be tossed rapidly. I think the tossing is also done so the oil and food is mixed with the air, allowing it to ignite into flame and basically char-broiled the entire dish within seconds. Talk of stir-frying tends to make a big deal about "wok hei", which can only be achieved apparently from monstrous heat. Of course if used correctly, practically anything can be cooked in a wok with any method. I just recently learned about velveting, and man I wish I knew about this technique sooner. I was always wondering how Chinese restaurants got their meat a certain texture. I found this article on wok cooking pretty great http://www.peiwei.com/realestate/online/articles/03-01.php

Used Kombu??? That sounds almost as intriguing as selling french bread stumps or Parmesan rinds

Isn't consumption of aluminum tainted products correlated with Alzheimer's?

← The study is for soybean oil in particular, and oil taken to 365F. There is no mention of other types of oil, except to extrapolate the results to include "oils that are highly unsaturated and contain linoleic acid" (but no further experiments have been done to include those other oils), nor does it mention results for frying at lower temperatures, such as 350F (which a lot of recipes call for). ← Does that mean saturated fats like lard are more stable for higher frying temperatures?

Actually, kelp or kombu is an excellent source of glutamate which gives everything umami flavor. In fact, I think kombu soup is where glutamate was isolated and made into MSG.

Fried mars bars just aren't the same without that hint of fish!

From my vague knowledge, Southern and Central Vietnam was part of the ancient Khmer empire. In fact, I think Saigon was originally a Khmer name. My family comes from Hanoi and they remembered moving to the South and describing it as being in a totally different country with different food and dialect, so that person's statement about Cambodian influences in the south may have some merit. There's quite a strong culture of rivalry between Cambodians and Vietnamese, especially since alot of Cambodians see Vietnamese as the conquerers (though it happened centuries ago, lol). It's stupid, but you'd be surprised how many different "ethnic" groups out there have those sort of sensitivities.

I've actually bought a pretty cheapo wok burner that burns at about 30-50K BTU I think. Hong Kong chefs crank up the heat up to at least 120k BTU, enough to make the metal glow red hot. But even with my wok burner, I still have a very difficult time with the heat control. I think Hong Kong chefs have a pedal or a switch they can hit with their feet to adjust the flame, but I have to reach over for the propane valve, which can be dangerous with a searingly hot wok (including a hot handle) heavy with food. Plus it's really difficult to handle the wok over such a cheap burner, it's hard to keep the wok still and balanced. I wish I had some sort of specialized stable working area. Btw, this site is where I got the wok burner from http://www.outdoorstirfry.com/

Dabbling around here and there in wok cooking, I've gotten the perception that the general consensus about cooking in a wok (at least for stir frying) is that the hotter and faster you can cook food without burning it to a crisp, the better it is, and the more "wok hei" it has. It seems this way since I've seen lots of videos of wok chefs putting the rounded piece of metal over enormous swirling jet flames and food spontaneously igniting while stirring. Of course I have alot of practicing to do before I can get to that level and cook food fast enough without burning it. However, I have a feeling the adage that "hotter is better" seems to be a little oversimplified. Am I anywhere close?

I'm wondering if "frying" the bones in the fat actually hinders the process of exuding all the collagen out of it. I watched a "good eats" episode where Alton explains that boiling at too high of a temperature binds the collagen in the bone and prevents it from seeping out.

Hmm, I've never heard of term "baluchuan" in my life nor have I seen such a fish paste. The majority of my family originated from Ha Noi, which probably explains why. I'm going to have to ask my grandmother about this though

They do that with Balsamic Btw, does anyone have the translation for the last picture Dick posted?

Are just skin and fat cracklings used in this or are meat and bones also used? And do you salt the skins before you fry them?

That picture looks incredibly familiar, perhaps I saw it on this forum before? Anyways, I doubt there's a US source for those types of soy sauces, for I already have a difficult time with Asian supermarkets.

Then you'd have to define the meaning of "alive", something which can go on for centuries if it could, as witnessed by the abortion debate. Pain and suffering a two totally different things, and as Slkinsey has pointed out, suffering is a construct that comes with conscious existence. Consciousness is already a philosophical debate. What is amazing is how deep a conversation about lobster can go though. Food truly binds the universe together

Annecros, I think both are right!

Because out of compassion, alot of people feel a need to speak out and act against such acts they perceive as cruel. It wouldn't be an issue for the "live and let live" types, but there are quite a few who feel morally obligated to fight against injustices. To some, serving a live lobster or fish with half of its body cut up and its flesh being eaten in front of its eyes is a delicacy, a show without any further thought. It can even be a revered cultural practice. To others it is a crime. I'd hate to polarize the issue, but when controversy is added to the mix, the end result is always two extreme sides feuding with one another nonstop.

You could be right that a lobster isn't conscious, but by asserting it you're presuming to be more certain than any researchers in the field of animal cognition. It's an immature science, and a difficult one practice. At any rate, there are a number of recent studies that support the idea that lobsters feel pain. Some focus on the presence of opioid receptors in the lobster, others examine response to trauma. Like this one: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...ac7081b826bde99 None of these studies is conclusive. In fact no one currently knows how to conduct a study on the topic that would be conclusive. That includes you and me! ← I think the problem is that it's next to impossible to know what exactly IS consciousness. The very act of observing our very own consciousness automatically makes us a poor candidate for controlled research, not to mention that there is no real measurement for such a concept for other physical creatures. Again, it's a philosophical debate, just like trying to prove the existence of God.

I'm pretty sure you are talking about Phu Quoc. It's hard to find the real thing in stores nowadays (I think there are some legal issues involved for copyrighting to prevent fraud, like they do with wine). Phu Quoc is basically the king of all fish sauces. Phu Quoc has sold some of its rights to Knorr, so nowadays the "real thing" is sold under that brand, although with preservatives For vietnamese fish sauces, they indicate the highest grade with the word "nhi" or "thuong hang", which is akin to using "extra virgin". The two best fish sauces made in Vietnam are from Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet, kinda of like Modena and Reggio Emilia for balsamic vinegar Btw, what were some reasons why Tra Chang made a good cooking fish sauce?