[Sca-cooks] If you only had one cooking pot

[marilyn traber 011221]

> I've been thinking about getting a larger iron wok, and while most 
> of  the ones you see for sale retail are mild steel, I think iron 
> ones  feature in the better restaurants. I know I see broken shards 
> of woks  in some of the restaurant supply places on the Bowery...  
> assume  they're iron in some form.

I think you're talking about cast iron. While I love my cast iron stuff, one 
disadvantage it has is that it's so bloody heavy. Cast iron is also pretty 
brittle, so where mild steel would bend, and all you'd need to do is hammer 
ir back into shape, you'd have to replace the cast iron- and, as I understand 
it, cast iron woks are available, but hard to find, and pretty expensive. Not 
usually a concern in the average kitchen, but my poor wok travels to events 
with me, in with my smithing stuff ;-)

> I like those little ones for small stir-fry jobs, and they make the  
> best omelette pan I've ever used, with those thin-steel cheapies 
> from  Spain, with the blue weld marks on the handle, being my second 
>  choice. It seems like, with the exception of silly Teflon ones with 
> a  hinge in the middle, the best omelette pans are the cheapest ones  
> (and, I guess, as long as they're not thin aluminum or something).
> 
> But yes, a larger wok is incredibly versatile. For me, if I could  
> only have one pan, I think my cast-iron Dutch oven would be it, but, 
>  of course, since I do have more than one, that doesn't mean the 
> Dutch  oven is the one I use the most -- that would be the cast-iron 
>  skillet, I suppose.
> 
> Adamantius

I really like working with and cooking on mild steel. Stainless has its 
advantages, too, particularly when you want to avoid color changes or acid 
reactions in the food, but over all, I prefer properly seasoned mild steel. 
That mild steel sautee pan you gave me is one of my favorite pans, from its 
long handle to the way it cooks. It's absolutely great for omelets my way, or 
for smaller quantities of frying.

Phlip