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Avoiding fat for healthier eating
While some fat in the diet is necessary, and it would be a
mistake to try to eliminate all fat from the diet, most people
simply eat too much fat. Cutting back on fat is an important
part of creating a healthier diet and lifestyle.
There are...
How To Make Sausage and Cornbread Cabbage Rolls
Here is a simple method to make fantastic Sausages and cabbage
rolls! Try it when you have time...
Ingredient:
4 ea Large Cabbage Leaves 1/2 lb Bulk Pork Sausage
1 ea Large Beaten Egg 1/4 c Water
1 c Apple Chopped (1 Med) 1/3...
Sauces for Quick Gourmet Cooking
The saying goes that "The French have a hundred sauces to disguise a few foods - and the Americans have a hundred foods disguised only by white sauce!" It is true that many great gourmet dishes involve a special sauce, which used to take hours to...
Simple Pepper Salad with Vinaigrette
Salads can range from a dramatic wedge of ice berg with a tangy
blue cheese dressing to a huge taco salad that could feed a
family of four. They can be served as a simple start to an
elegant meal or as a stand alone meal all in itself.
This...
Teaching your children how to cook
If you're ready to teach your children how to cook, here are
some simple tips for teaching them the basics, and giving them
skills that will last them a lifetime!
First of all, think safety. Any child that has to stand on a
stool or chair...
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Wok this Way! (Part 2 of 5) Selecting a wok
As mentioned in Part 1 of the series, woks come in different sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, but a wok that's 11 to 14 inches in diameter should suffice for use in a household kitchen.
Woks come in 2 different bottoms, the traditional round-bottomed woks, and the “westernized” flat-bottomed woks. Both have their advantages, but there're reasons that the traditional wok lasted thousands of years in Chinese kitchens. The flat-bottomed woks do not heat as evenly. The flattened area creates a little angle around the bottom that makes it harder to manipulate your cooking utensil. Food may get caught in this area, becoming overcooked or even burnt due to the lack of movement. This also could present a problem when you clean it afterwards. That little angle also increases the likelihood that you will accidentally scratch the wok while stir frying. The flat-bottomed woks were designed for better balance on flat American stovetops, especially the electric stove. But there is a simple solution for that. You can purchase a “wok ring” that you put on the stovetop, and sit the wok over it for balance. We will go through that in more detail in Part 5, “Wok accessories”.
A wok is generally made of iron, copper, carbon steel, or aluminum. Carbon steel and aluminum are the better ones because of their superior heat conductivity, but the general consensus is that carbon steel is, by far, the best material for a wok. C arbon steel is the most porous, and when exposed to high heat, the pores open up to absorb the cooking oil, contributing to developing the "patina", and then the elusive "wok hay" (covered in Part 3). If you go around Chinese restaurants and ask their chefs the kind of woks they use, an overwhelming majority will swear by carbon steel woks. The best part is that carbon steel woks are relatively inexpensive to buy. There is an old adage that says “you get what you pay for”. This is definitely not the case for woks.
There are now stainless-steel versions of the wok, although it is
generally not recommended. Stainless-steel is not a good heat conductor, which defeats the purpose of Chinese cuisine that relies heavily on quick cooking on high heat. They sure look nice, but would you rather have a nice looking wok, or a tastebud-tickling, mouth-watering gourmet dish? The answer should be obvious. Woks with non-stick coatings are not desirable, either. They all inevitably scratch and food gets stuck to the metal, ruining the taste, smell, presentation of the dishes, not to mention the extra effort needed in cleaning the wok. In addition, the high heat required for Chinese cooking may eventually damage the non-stick coating. A well-seasoned wok will last forever, where as a non-stick wok will inevitably need a replacement over time.
There is an enamel-lined version where there are no reactions between the metal and the food, which makes it a nice alternative. But, if a steel carbon wok is seasoned well (covered in Part 3), it will become virtually non-stick, and will work better than any other versions out there. If you must buy one with a non-stick surface, we recommend purchasing a hard-anodized, or heavy-gauged aluminum wok, but the downside of that is that they are very expensive. Why spend a big wad of money on an expensive wok when you can get one that will do a better job, at a fraction of a price, right?
The bottom line is, if you're serious about cooking Chinese food, and create dishes that taste authentically Chinese, pick a round-bottomed, carbon steel wok, and include a wok ring as an accessory (if necessary) to balance it on the stove.
In Part 3 of Wok this way! we'll cover the all important subject of “Seasoning” a new wok
About the Author
Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com
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Cooking Tips - @ CDKitchen.com :: it's what's cooking online! |
Cooking Tips - - Easy recipes to gourmet meals - 200000 recipes online in CDKitchen's archives. Copy cat restaurant clone recipes, crockpot recipes, ... |
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Cooking Tips and Resources |
Get some cooking basics in this article, including tips on making mouth-watering meals and where to find recipes. |
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All recipes – complete resource for recipes and cooking tips |
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Cooking Tips - food cooking tips, kitchen tips |
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foodies.com, Cooking Tips, Advice and How Tos |
Need cooking assistance? Visit foodies for tips and advice, recipes, inspiration. From eggs to olive oil, cookies to nuts, click here for help in the ... |
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Holiday Cooking Tips |
Thanksgiving and Holiday Cooking Tips. The holiday season can be a busy time in the kitchen. We hope these links help you in your preparation of the perfect ... |
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Cooking Tips For the Average Home Cook |
A collection of cooking tips including grilling tips, general cooking tips and turkey tips for the holidays. |
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Low Fat Cooking Tips and Recipes |
Try some of the following low fat cooking recipes for fruits, vegetables, lean meats and fish. Lower the fat in your foods, get in your Omega 3 fatty acids, ... |
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CookingCache.com is in the process of collecting a variety of cooking tips and cooking related articles together. These tips, tricks and techniques will be ... |
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Barefoot Lass's Cooking Tips |
A page filled with cooking tips and helpful hints to make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. |
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Diabetic-Lifestyle: Recipes and Practical Information for Managing ... |
Diabetic-Lifestyle Cooking Tips features useful ways to cook with more flavor, using less fat, salt, and sugar. Diabetic-Lifestyle offers recipes, menus, ... |
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The Global Gourmet ® |
The Global Gourmet features weekly updates, international recipes, cookbook profiles, regular columnists, food news, cooking tips, wine and product reviews. |
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Healthy cooking tips - Better Health Channel. |
Healthy cooking is easy. In many cases, your favourite recipes can be modified so they offer a healthier alternative. Non-stick cookware can be used to ... |
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Zee News- |
Cooking tips. 1. Avoid sticky rice Wash the rice a few times until the water runs clear. Remove all the water until no water remains. ... |
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Canadian Living : Food : Cooking Tips |
Menus • Recipes • Recipe Box • Make It Tonight • Step by Step • Cooking Tips • Eat Smart - Feel Great! ... Cooking Tips ... |
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Texas Beef Council |
Welcome to txbeef.org the website from Texas Beef Council. txbeef.org is your one stop site for recipes, nutrition, food safety, cooking tips and more! ... |
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Cooking Tips |
Cooking Tips Barbecue/Brisket Barbecuing Brisket: Commentary from Texans · Beef Brisket How-To's · Braising Brisket: Moist-Heat Cookery Hints ... |
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Cooking Tips | Tips For Cooking |
Discover hundreds of cooking tips to make life easier in the kitchen! |
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Cooking Tips |
Read Articles:. After the latest help relating to coo... Converting a Stovetop Recipe to a Cro... Cooking Lesson: Seasoning Cast Iron L... ... |
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