jsager01

this is the youtube video i found some months ago, tried it and it works well, but is not as easy as shown on video, perhaps after some practice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE1hV4dSBmc as in the video, look for the american or chinese variety of chestnuts, and not european, for easier peeling. i use chestnuts mainly in cooking, and buy frozen cleaned chestnuts from chinese grocery stores, but would not be suitable if you are just wanting fresh roasted chestnuts. have fun

it is as authentic as can be. The collard greens in stock looks like a v good innovation - hawker stalls normally just drop in chopped scallions. however, i would also have the chilli+ginger+garlic+sugar+salt+rendered chicken fat dipping sauce...for me, i cant do without chilli in HCR. Maybe its the photography, and YMMV but the chicken looks too pale and white - did you brush it with soya sauce and/or sessame oil right after you finished cooking it? The skin looks a bit thin: did you do the dipping in hot stock and ice/cold water 3 times or more? I was told that this technique increases the thickness of the skin's gelatinous collagen, but i still cannot get consistent results, and i blame it on the chicken, and not my technique :-))).

i would translate 风味鸡油辣a as chicken-flavor chilli oil (or chicken -flavored chill oil) Yes, they manufacture many (too many if you ask me) of differently flavored chilli oils. The one that i use is just labelled as 油辣椒 (chilli oil). I had previously also used 香辣脆油辣椒 fragrant spicy(hot) crispy chilli oil. i have not used the chicken-flavor chilli oil, and i doubt if there is any real chicken in it - much like if there is fish in a recipe for flsh-flavored aubergines. Isnt there a label on the bottle that lists all the ingredients in English? In EU we have additional labels stuck to the bottle that lists all the ingredients in about 5 or 6 languages. and lao gan ma means old god mother.

I live in an area that is designated as hardiness zone 8, and i dont use any special lights, extra heating, hydroponics, whatever, just plants in plastic pots that live with me in my living room/office. Below is a lineup of some of my plants; the tape measure is in centimeters (as seen on the right side of the tape). In the front row, starting from the left is one of my curry leaf plants (Murraya koenigii); next to it is a pandan plant (Pandanus amaryllifolius) ; the unfortunately named kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix); and a chilli plant grown from the seed of a packet of store bought dried Sichuan chillies. In the back row is a calamondin/calamansi (Citrofortunella microcarpa),; a kamquat (Fortunella magarita); turmeric grown from store bought rhizomes; and another of the same Sichuan chilli plant. I do have a Meyer lemon but forgot to put it into the lineup for the photo. You do not see any flowers or fruits on my citrus plants and that is because in the growing season, i remove them to encourage vegetative growth. At this time of the year, when the flower buds appear i let them grow to bloom around Xmas and New Years, and the scent permeates everywhere. Who needs air fresheners? For those interested in growing their own curry leaf plant using store bought curry leafs (with leafs still attached to the stem), here is my setup. The top goes over the bottom and it becomes a customised/personalised greenhouse. It takes about 3 months to get to this stage and success rate is about 20 to 30 % for me.

Salt fish has been an important ingredient for centuries in China (especially in the southern provinces eg Quangdong, Fujian, Hainan, etc ), and also in S E Asia, and obviously in Portugal and Spain, and has also spread to former colonies like Jamaica and Suriname (in fact, when i need to, i buy bacalhau from a Surinamese stall at our regular Friday market). However, the salt fish used by the Chinese and SE Asians are not the same as bacalhau, as cod does not exist in their seas. It is usually some kind of spanish mackerel, or even fresh water fish. While it is possible to sub bacalhau for Chinese salt fish, the flavor profile is quite different. There are 2 main types of Chinese salt fish, the usual salted and dried fish 盐鱼, and the other that is usually bottled in brine and oil, labelled as 霉香 (and sometimes as 梅香) The Quangdong Hakka use salt fish liberally. If you detect salt fish in your Yong Tofu (酿豆腐 ) or any other stuffed vegetables that the Hakka do, then you are having authentic Hakka cuisine. Or you could try Steamed meat with salted egg or salted fish (蒸肉饼 zheng rou bing), or Salt Fish Tofu with Minced Meat (客家豆腐鬆 kèjiā dòufu sōng ). And of course used in fried rice or even simple fried salt fish to accompany rice porridge 米粥 Yes, salt fish is one great and versatile ingredient.

can you set up a gas stove, much like a barbecue, in your patio? and do most of your stir fry and other highly aromatic cooking out there? If so, this will be IMO the cheapest and easiest solution. If you are into hardcore stir fry, especially when you do as much or more flipping as stirring, then your biggest problem is the vaporised oil that will spread and coat every exposed surface, including whatever electronics you may have in the living room. With a window-less kitchen and an open design into other rooms, your only other easy solution is to tone down your stir fry and other aromatic cooking. Sorry if i am being negative.

You are a lot more generous (or diplomatic?) than how i would grade Yan, if i ever do grade him at all; he is at best a showman and self-publicist. However, i do give him credit for creating interest in Cantonese cuisine in N America and UK. That is what Yan says in his Forward to the book, but Lau says later, in her Introduction, under the heading of Travelling Cuisine: "When the Hakka moved from one place to another, their cooking adapted to ingredients that were available in their new environments". Now, are they talking about the same subject matter, in the same book; and if so, then who is right or makes more sense? How does one get wrapped up and eat history? do the Hakka in the several provinces of China that they have migrated to import their ingredients from Shanxi, etc;. Are there any significant cuisines anywhere in the world that are ' wrapped up' with history and not what is locally available ..... and especially for the Hakka who are sometimes referred to as the gypsies of China? In any case, how can anyone that has had Hakka cuisine in Meizhou,/Dabu, and in Taiwan and in Hakka enclaves in Sichuan, etc, not notice the localisation of the cuisine? Even the Hakka language, or dialect if you like, in any of the provinces that the Hakka had ‘ refugee-ed, or illegally immigrated to’are significantly different. i have not bought/read the book, but i think the book would have been much, much better without that Forward by Yan, or the Introduction to Hakka history which is essentially a cut and paste (from the internet?) of stereotypical and inaccurate (IMO) accounts of Hakka history. I have read and followed Lau’s travels and travails in her search for her roots, the extensive Hakka food that she ate or had to eat. I think she first blogged on this website http://tinyurl.com/hakka01 a couple of years ago. I followed Lau’s blogs because it was how i felt and experienced. I was /am not into blogging or writing, or have any talent for such, but it was refreshing for someone else to express what i felt and experienced. However, that website/blog seems to have been fragmented in the sense that it is difficult to keep track of her travels and the food she ate and the recipes collected in China. In any case, if you are interested in Hakka cuisine i would still recommend this book, assuming you accept recommendations from someone that has not read the book, and if you can just skip the Forward and the Introduction, which was probably imposed by the publishers?

i think every poster on this thread has interpreted the OP and subsequent posters in every which way, and they are mostly correct in their own interpretations :-)) If by 'true' Chinese cuisine you mean as in the 'western' countries, or as in China? If it is as in the 'western' countries, then it is predominantly Cantonese or its derivatives, and wok hei IS a big deal in quite a lot of Cantonese stir-fry. But, Cantonese cuisine (Yuè cài) is not only about stir fry or wok hei (think dimsum, steamed seafood, blanched kai lan, etc). However, if it is about stir fry in China in general, then all bets are off, as there are at least 8 regional cuisines, of which Yuè cài is only one of them, and they differ significantly from each other. If it is only about achieving wok hei at home (are home stoves not really hot enough) as compared to what a restaurant can dish out, then IMO, its something like asking if one can produce a great grilled steak at home as compared to what can be expected from a steak restaurant, ie do most home cooks need or have an external/industrial/whatever grill and sous vide to achieve the same results? Also, a great steak, or a great wok hei, is very subjective, and if it came from ones own kitchen, one may tend to be less demanding, especially if most of the wok hei/steak experience is from ones own cooking. If it is a more general question about heat intensity and control and how it has evolved in Chinese cooking techniques, then you may want to watch this video that i had previously posted inhttp://forums.egullet.org/topic/145563-chinese-cuisine-and-cooking-techniques/The first episode is " optimal heating ' and you may then agree that it is not all about high flaming heat, and sous vide is not going to be adopted any time soon anywhere in China. Why flat bottomed on a gas stove? and why cast iron which will weigh a ton and how does one flip the contents during woking? it does not take much practice (using raw rice in a cold round bottom carbon steel wok) to learn that technique, which is somewhat similar to flipping pancakes (flapjacks), and is part of the art of achieving wok hei with or without a nuclear reactor as the heat source? I believe, as i have no proof, that Maillard reaction can only explain a small part of what it takes to achieve wok hei. happy woking.

and i suppose you will not add any ' raw' spices or even pepper at the table, as per the NYT and the multi year research by the US FDA, check out link on this thread: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/145587-nytimes-on-contaminated-spices/ and also dont add any hot sauce as the nasties will survive any commercial canning or bottling, as per "Hot Sauce That Packs More Than Heat" and in addition to sanitizing your digestive tract, did you remember to also sanitize the sink and your hands....... i wash chicken before cooking and for many reasons, except paranoia about food poisoning. " it is dangerous to eat, it is more dangerous to live"

There are nasties in imported spices from India and Mexico, so what? ban their import, stop using them? well, that's one way to deal with it. Stop reading the NYT? Have US citizens pay for increased funding to the US FDA to perform more multi year studies, and send its commissioners on trips to exotic India, etc? I would even join the FDA if they would send me on an all expenses paid trip or a 3 month assignment to India, Mexico, or any other spice producing country. In the NYT article, it states that "Science has revealed what ancient kings and sultans never knew: instead of improving health, spices sometimes make people very sick....". How does the NYT and its 'Science' know what the ancient kings/sultans never knew?? Maybe the Sultans and Maharajahs never knew, but I believe every housewife/cook/chef/peasant in India since time immemorial, including the earlier posters on this thread, know that you always toast your spices, or add them as a finishing touch (in the pot) before serving, if for no other reason than to bring out the full flavor of the spices. Adding ' raw' spices at the table is, i believe, a 'western' practice. If the NYT and FDA are really concerned about consumers and the nasties in spices, and not about publishing a sensational attention grabing article with overtones of zenophobia, then why not just warn against such practice? Or call for a ban of such practice?, ie do not add raw spices at the table? In a sort of techie-speak, if you use something out of spec, then you are on your own. We all know about how contaminated store bought chicken in the USofA (or any other country) can be, and the common sensible thing to do is: do NOT eat raw chicken (or raw hamburger, etc), but cook the hell out of them, especially if you are paranoid about food safety. And non-pasteurised cheese ... ok, i am getting out of topic. As for the claim of ' herbal medicines primarily Chinese.which are heavily contaminated with lead..' , i would ask if you have ever used Chinese herbal medicine. I believe that Chinese herbal medicines are used mainly by the ' ethnic' Chinese, and therefore the question is: has there been a significant increase in lead poisoning among the Chinese in the US, or in China, or anywhere else in the world? I am not a medical doctor, but i believe the symptoms of lead poisoning are very obvious, to a medical practitioner. Bear in mind that Chinese herbal medicine has been around for several centuries, and it has not prevented China from becoming the most populous nation in the world, with a life expectancy that is ' respectable' since i cannot be bothered to google for the exact figures. And bear in mind that Chinese herbal medicine is closely related to Japanese/korean herbal medicine (and i believe chinese herbal medicine is a significant export from china to japan), and the Japanese claim to have life expectancies that are among the longest in the world. And what about the latest news that anti-oxidant pills/supplements do more harm than good, if indeed it ever did any good? well,it surely did well for the purveyers of such supplements. Who are we believe? the popular and sensational news media? the bloated government agencies? In any case: It is dangerous to eat, it is more dangerous to live.

it may be difficult to get fresh curry leaves in the winter, but i will be most surprised if you cannot buy it at this time of year. Try south indian/Sri Lankan grocery stores. Google and you may find some fresh leaves and plants for sale, sometimes at quite a steep price. The dried leaves are a waste of time. If you do decide to grow your own, its easiest to buy a growing plant (or two), instead of growing from seeds. I have successfully grown from cuttings, ie buy fresh leaves still attached to stem or branch, trim off excess leaves, put into a glass of water for a few days and then stick them into a pot with rooting hormone. There are lots of gardening websites that will go into details of grow your own. While you are at it, you may also want to grow your own turmeric, especially if you want the fresh leaves (eg for malaysian style rendang). Otherwise buying fresh turmeric and burying them in a pot of moist soil, it will keep them fresh for a much longer time than sticking it in the fridge, and better than freezing.

if you are interested in Chinese (as in China) cuisine, have a look. http://tinyurl.com/cctv-doc

i assume you mean the Nuevo Mercato dell'Esquilino located between Piazza Vittorio and Termini station? When i was there quite a while ago, i was not specifically looking for lemongrass and did not see any, but i will be very surprised if you ask around and cannot find fresh lemongrass on sale somewhere around there.

I have not used it, but as far as i can determine, Spectrum Organic Shortening is refined/processed oil from the fruit of a species of palm, commonly refered to as oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), and the oil is commonly referred to as palm oil. On the other hand the botanical name of the coconut palm is Cocos nucifera and as far as i am aware its oil product is never referred to as palm oil, but simply as coconut oil. To add to the confusion, palm sugar as available in the western countries, is frequently made from the sap of the cut flowers of the coconut palm. The oil palm industry is a major agribusiness (corporate farming) in S.E. Asia, West Africa, and S America, so i doubt the validity of Spectrum's claim to it being organic. There is the so-called 'red palm oil' which is unrefined palm oil and the oil of choice in many west African cuisines. In stews and braises, it gives the reddish color similar to curries, but the flavor profile is distinctly different. It is available in most reputable grocery stores specializing in west African products. It is also credited as a valuable source of anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc., ie a very healthy and nutritious cooking oil, and diet supplement. BUT, this is not the same as the highly refined, deodorized Spectrum product. However, for the OP's requirements, the spectrum may be preferable.

and what do cheap motel lobbies smell like? Does it smell the same as cheap motel lobbies in Amsterdam, or New Delhi, etc ? the point i am trying to make, and has already been made my many earlier posters, is that curry, in the english language, can mean many totally different things to different people. Maybe we should identify a particular curry, or family of curries? While it is interesting to post and read about personal preferences/likes/dislikes, its just that. If we really want to get to the "bottom of the curry hatred/love", then i guess we will need a psychologist, food technologist, etc,to analyse each and every ones hates/loves.. if we take it to the national, instead of the personal level, we will find that curry houses are very popular and ubiquitous in UK, and that Thai restaurants, with their curries, are still popular in the US? In Germany, they have the currrywurst (german fusion? for those interested in fusion cuisines), which is german sausages smothered with some curry sauce, it is apparently popular as i see it being offered wherever there is a stall selling sausages (hot dogs), etc. You mean HongKong Chinese style curries? in which case, i will lump it with Japanese curries... yuck! Have you tried Malaysian/Singaporean Chinese curries, ie Nonya style curries or cuisine in general? One popular dish available in hawker centres is Laksa, and this varies quite significantly dependent on the state you are in (Malaysia is made up of 11 states and 2 federal territories, unless they have changed it since i last checked). and going off topic, if you are into asian fusion cooking, Malaysia is it (not even singapore).

could be that " tastes change with age" ? as kids, my sister and i HATED cilantro (and rucola aka rocket aka arugula, and in fact most herbs and vegetables) and would pick them out of our food, much to the annoyance of our parents, who would then claim that we were not their kids but were adopted. i dont recall consciously trying to acquire a taste for cilantro, but by about age 20, we stopped picking them out and just ate them, and still did not use it in our home cooking until a few years later. When my sister bought her house with a backyard, the first thing she did was to grow cilantro, and she now uses cilantro almost like a vegetable. I am a bit more restrained. Go figure. As for those who believe that liking cilantro is gene related, in our case our genes must have mutated? :-))

The closest i can think of as a substitute for pandan is vanilla, but i have not tried it. I would definitely not recommend the use of bay leaves, tarragon, dried basil, etc as substitutes, i would rather do without, as earlier posters have written. Frozen panden leaves should work, but you may have to double the amount called for in the recipes. Similarly, i cannot comment on extracts or essences, as i have not used them. However, as previously pointed out, make sure that the extracts/essence is the real thing, ie extract of Pandanus Amaryllifolius (although i am not sure they would go into such detail in their list of ingredients), and with nothing else added in, if possible. The so-called Thai Pandan rice, or Thai jasmine rice, may be as difficult to get in Ecuador as pandan leaves, but if you can get them (import from Canada? they are readily available in chinese/asian grocery stores there), they could provide some of the aroma of pandan leaves, if you are hankering after the ' authentic' HCR. For what i think you are after, your ultimate solution would be to grow your own pandan leaves, it should be Pandanus Amaryllifolius. I have seen pandan plants for sale in some nurseries and asian grocery stores in and around TO (obviously in the summer months). I am quite sure you can buy it online either US or Canada, but doubt if they will deliver across their borders. You may want to consider smuggling, or importing a pandan plant and go thru whatever loops and expenses necessary to import plants to Ecuador. I am quite sure they will thrive in any equatorial or tropical climate, and if not, then perhaps as indoor plant? There are many, many varieties or species of pandanus, just make sure it is Pandanus Amaryllifolius (and not any other pandanus, I know i am repeating myself ad nauseum), and if you are buying the physical plant, ie not thru the internet, then just crush a small sample of the leaf and smell it to confirm its what you want. I think gardenweb has info on buying and growing pandanus amaryllifolius... its been awhile since i last checked into that website. Try online nurseries that sell ' exotic' or tropical plants in canada, i am quite sure they stock them, perhaps at a price premium. IMO, the reason why there are HCR recipes that do not call for pandan leaves could be because of the personal preference of the author or, much more likely, because the recipes are authored by emigres living in countries where pandan leaves are not available. I find it hard to believe that pandan leaves would NOT be an ingredient in any ' authentic' HCR recipe. The plant is ubiquitous and grows easily in SE Asia (no matter what you do or do not do to it) and is frequently used in SE Asian cuisines. It is used in ethnic Malay cuisine when rice is flavored, eg in nasi lemak, nasi kuning, nasi minyak, etc. HCR is Chinese-Malay fusion cooking and the recipe for the rice is one feature that distinguishes the rice component from the usual Chinese (which is usually plain boiled rice) or the Malay recipes for rice. In Malay or Nonya desserts, pandan is commonly used, and often paired with coconuts and palm sugar. Other than the rice and pandan leaves, you may want to also concentrate on what distinguishes HCR from any other poached chicken (Chinese or otherwise). HCR is a chicken-y overload experience. The chicken is poached in chicken stock which is then used to cook the rice. The rice is first fried with rendered chicken fat, with garlic and ginger before being boiled/steamed with the stock and pandan leaves. It is quite common to add rendered chicken fat to the 2 condiments, the chilli/garlic/ginger mixture and the ginger by itself. And of course, the chicken. It should have an exfoliating scrub with coarse salt, for aesthetic reasons and i believe it denatures the skin such that if you use the multi-dipping method (alternating between hot and cold water) you could get a chicken with skin that is thick and plump with gelatinous collagen.

Really? That seems odd. I can find any number of recipes which do not use or call for pandan leaves. In any case you don't NEED pandan leaves to make decent HCR. I myself don't normally use them in making my rice for HCR, even though I can get them (frozen) easily in my area. In many places in the region of origin of HCR the use of pandan leaves is not universal. In some places (especially Singapore) folks would tend to do so, but in other places (such as in Malaysia) they would not. Oh really? really? could you list the recipes do not call for pandan leaves, and to be fair those recipes that DO call for pandan leaves? Maybe we live in different worlds?

i also do wonder.... try the KFC recipe... ie Korean Fried Chicken, for a change ETA: here's link for KFC recipe http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/10/korean-fried-chicken-recipe.html

i have been following this thread as i have been looking for a replacement PC, for sometime. I agree with MIssPriss in her post above, ie Which is the lesser (or latest) model in the Fissler range of PCs? the vitaquick or the vitavit? Check out the Fissler website http://www.fissler-shop.de/Schnellkochtoepfe/ Can anyone give a rational explanation of why a PC should be conical in shape?

They come in various sizes (and prices) and "saltiness" but yes, they are mostly fairly salty. In general the type of anchovies referred to as "ikan bilis" are not the European or North American ones you may be used to or may be thinking of. See this reference for some useful stuff. Think Vietnamese and Thai "Fish Sauce". Or sambals. Well, "fishiness" is in the palate of the sampler, but they would have a fairly strong odor and taste. Yes, you ought to be able to find them in decent Chinese or "Asian" (especially those who carry significant amounts of SE Asian products) groceries. The dried fish as packaged/sold is not eaten as-is. It is always cooked in some way. The simplest is to just deep-fry them when they become salty crunchy tasty little things. These deep-fried ikan bilis or the corresponding sambal ikan bilis is often considered an indispensible ingredient in Nasi Lemak in SE Asia, for instance. They were once even bar snacks (the equivalent of peanuts in Western/North American bars :-) ) and have returned in some places, so I understand. They range from cheap to not inexpensive usually depending on size and grade. Buy some medium-priced ones and try cooking some. :-) [Mind you, someone I knew could not abide the idea of eating them when she first encountered them (she's Western European in origin) stating that she just couldn't eat what looked to her like pet fish...guppies... :-) ] Perhaps a few tips would be helpful to those new to ikan bilis ?whenever motivated enough, i buy them whole, ie with head and gut still intact, and then i dehead, and degut them ( as you may expect, the heads and guts will add a bitter taste, among other undesirable flavors to what you are cooking). This deheading and degutting is a PITA, and therefore i sometimes buy them cleaned, ie already deheaded, degutted and deboned. However, the cleaned ones are too cleaned, they have removed all of the backbone, which i believe is a good source of dietary calcium. If you are not concerned about this, then definitely buy the cleaned ones, but then the cleaned ones may be more difficult to source (depending on where you live).In the chinese grocery stores around here, the ikan bilis are usually in sealed plastic bags, displayed in coolers and quite often in freezers. Obviously check that the fishes are still whole and do not have a lot of debris, or broken bodies,etc.in prep,i always soak them for sometime, or until i can get back to them after doing some other prep, about 5 to 15 minutes? Then i rinse them, and repeat soak/rinse as many times as i have the patience. This soaking and rinsing will remove some of the very high salt content and other undesirables that could be removed by soaking and rinsing. Soak/rinse as many times as you wish until you get them to be at the saltiness level that is to your liking.Then i dump them into a strainer and let drip dry, or in fridge for more effective drying (especially if i am going to deep fry them later).If i am using the ikan bilis for its umami punch, eg to flavor stocks, chinese porridge/congee, stews, stir fries, etc, then i dry fry/roast them, and i believe this improves the flavor (similar to dry frying/roasting spices) and removes some of the fishiness. Then i use my spice grinder to grind the ikan bilis, bones and all, and use it right away or store in fridge for later use. No waste, no need to strain out whole ikan bilis.If you are into similar ingredients that could be used for their umami punch, try shrimp skin 虾皮 xiapi, sometimes translated as krill. I prep them the same way as above, except that these seem to be less salty. Check out F Dunlop on http://www.fuchsiadunlop.com/magic-ingredients-papery-dried-shrimp-%E8%99%BE%E7%9A%AE/

yes, SPRAY to moisten the top layer, but not a deluge from a watering can. nowadays with the easy availability of fresh turmeric, ginger, and other asian spices from where i am, i dont bother... just buy enough to last a month or so, and they will be ok on my kitchen countertop. No, i dont keep them in the fridge. Turmeric will keep much better and for a longer time than ginger. Obviously, the length of time that they will remain useable depends on how fresh they were when bought. However, I do grow turmeric (and a few other herbs, spices, etc) indoors, mostly for the leaves, which is required in some Malaysian recipes, eg rendang, and i add them to south indian style curries, whether it is called for or not. To grow turmeric, water the pot regularly, instead of just spraying to moisten. If you are patient enough, they will even produce new turmeric rhizomes.

Ah! Every time I post, I dread that question. Butchers in China do not use the same cuts as those in western countries. In fact, it often seems that they just chop away at random. For this type of dish, I just look for a fresh looking, reasonably lean piece of meat. Something like this. pork.jpg It is absolutely true that butchers in China do not use the same cuts as those in western countries, just as butchers in UK do not use the same cuts as those in US, 'mainland' europe, etc, countries. For that matter, butchers in different regions in China do not offer the exact same cuts, although there are some commonalities. what i find useful, in whatever country where they " they just chop away at random", is to ask the butcher for the specific application of the cut of meat that i am interested in or just curious about. It will be an amazing free lesson into the local cuisine, assuming you speak the local dialect/language, or have a local to interpret.

If the OP wants to do 'chinese' stir fry, then i would recommend: 1. heat wok until you can feel the pan heating up with your palm at a safe distance of about 10 cm from bottom of pan. Once you get used to your pan, you will not have to do this 'palm' test. I assume your pan has been well seasoned? 2. pour in oil. It is not necessary to use rice bran oil which from where i live is several times more expensive and (from my stir frying experience) has no advantages over peanut or canola oil. My wife actually prefers sunflower oil because it is cheaper still. Swirl the oil around the pan (assuming you can lift it :-)). This will help to even out any hot or cold spots in the pan. 3. when the oil starts to 'shimmer', or smoke, and i do know some people with senstive noses being able to smell when the oil is hot enough (whichever comes first for you), then add in the garlic/ginger/aromatics. Stir immediately- this is stir frying, right? As mentioned several times in previous posts, if the aromatics burn right away, then your oil is too hot, and all you need to do is to add in the aromatics earlier (dont preheat for so long then), or add in the meat right after the aromatics and before the aromatics burn, or 'turn the heat off, swirl the oil on, and then turn the heat back on', etc. 4. Add in the meat as soon as the aromatics begin to change color, ie turning light brown - and usually it is about 2 or 3 seconds after you add in the aromatics. Then add in soy sauce/oyster sauce/ whatever sauce that you wish, and stir like crazy to get even cooking. Then add in any vegies (eg blanched broccoli, carrots, etc ) if that is the combination that you want to stir-fry. If the meat gets tough and exudes lots of water then try the technique known as 'marinating and velvetting' (search this forum as it has been well documented and discussed). In fact i do this all the time as it allows me to use 'tougher but more flavorful" cuts of meat when stir-frying meat+vegie combination as above. As the marinated meat has already been seasoned, then be careful when adding additional seasoning in the final woking step. With or without the 'marinating and velvetting' technique, if you find the meat letting out lots of water, then what i would do is to put the meat on a strainer/sieve and let it drip dry for perhaps 15 minutes or until it looks like it has drained itself, and/or divide the meat into portions and stir fry each portion separately, lots of work but should help. happy woking

Superior Soy is a type of high grade soy sauce that is used in a lot of Cantonese fried noodle dishes. It has a deeper flavor. It comes in light and dark versions. I'm not sure of the manufacturing process but there's a page here i believe a more accurate definition of superior soy sauce or other soy sauce 'variants', without the commercial hype, can be found if you scroll down this page http://ediblyasian.i...cipes/soy-sauce, which is sourced from wikipedia and you may prefer to go directly to wikipedia.