Woks (was Re: [Sca-cooks] Spices

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

>For the average American, a standard 12" flat-bottomed skillet is BETTER for
>stir-frying than a wok. An American stove is (a) not hot enough and (b) not
>designed to provide adequate heat up the sides of the bowl (ever watch them
>cook in a Chinese restaurant? the woks sit in a ring, which suspends them
>over a fire - so there's heat all the way up the sides).

I'm sure Master A can fill in information on this as well.  I would have to
agree with Avraham's assessment.  If you're doing regular stove top
cooking, a wok is pretty much useless.

You might have seen the flat bottomed woks out there.  Kinda defeats the
purpose, eh?

When I worked at the Taoist Tai-Chi Society Conference Center in
Orangeville, ON, we received a wok range, with three burners.  It kinda had
to be watercooled, as the heat was *intense*.  Each burner released about
110K BTU's straight from the factory.  The Chinese chef on site when we
received it, however, kept on mumbling "not hot enough, not hot enough",
while walking around with a crazed look in his eyes...  He ended up
drilling more holes for air intake in the bloody thing.  Oh, yeah, got hot
indeed!

If I had the funds, this is the baby I'd purchase (after building a decent
kitchen):
http://www.all4cook.com/detail.asp?product_ID=iSP-JW13
Note it says it has 18 burner tips.  That is, 18 heads that deliver fire
similar to the small propane torches you can get at the hardware store.
:-)  Also note that the gas delivery control is an L shaped handle on the
front of it.  You would normally control it as you stand in front of the
range with your knee.


Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd
Clan of Odds
Shire of Forth Castle
Meridies
mka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry