🎶♬♪ WOK THIS WAY! TAK THIS WAY!

[SwampNut]

I like this guy's dry presentation of wokking tips, though I think his excitement for the craft shows through.  No bullshit, no long drawn out crap, just lots of good info.

 

https://www.youtube.com/@wokwithtak

 

This one is a good primer on healthy wok cooking:

 

 

[SwampNut]

This is one of his "template based cooking" series.  I have been applying this method with salad dressings and some cooking, but this is helping me expand it.  Basically, you can use certain ingredients to make dishes that seem different, but are based on just the same stuff and concepts.  This past weekend I made a group dinner of Italian rice, and the Southerner in the group said it was like a cajun dish.  Template.  The same dish exists in every part of the world, but with different spices and local items.

 

 

[OMG]

Great info - thanks.

One thing I can add is I prefer a cast iron wok. They possibly are hard to find, I get them from China town in San Fran.

Also I don't use corn starch, instead I use kudzu. And I don't use canola oil for anything.

[SwampNut]

11 hours ago, OMG said:

One thing I can add is I prefer a cast iron wok.

 

I thought I would (well I did and bought one), but it's never quite what I expected.  And it's a monster, because I often make large batches, so it should also retain heat really well and all, but doesn't work out how I would expect.  My go-to has become an aluminum one that has an anodized coating, so nothing sticks but I can use any utensils in it.

 

So, tell me about your cast iron usage, why you like it, and take guesses at what I'm doing wrong?

 

11 hours ago, OMG said:

And I don't use canola oil for anything.

 

Same.  I'm never going to do everything this guy does, but the general ideas are good.  If I use oils, it's sparingly, and either sesame or olive.

 

Is kudzu arrowroot any different from the regular one?  I've also been using toasted rice powder as a thickener.  It's not neutral though so you have to think about how the flavor works.

 

[OMG]

Kudzu has a positive affect on digestion.

My first wok was steel 50 some years ago, no idea why I still have it. I have used a 13" cast for years, just my preference.

I can imagine the anodized is a pleasure to use.

His idea of cutting and freezing chicken is really good.

Edited September 13, 2023 by OMG

[SwampNut]

8 minutes ago, OMG said:

His idea of cutting and freezing chicken is really good.

 

You can also apply it to tofu.  I should do that, and keep forgetting to see how it works into my routines.  I should be able to freeze whole stir frys in fact.

 

[The Krypt Keeper]

I need to use my wok more. 

 

Dont know the variations of kudzu/arrowroot but know I read several years ago about consumption of it to often is bad for your liver and can develop toxicity. 

[IcePrick]

I watched his tutorial on "spot seasoning".  Turns out this is what I've always done, quite by accident.  Get the wok over high heat, momentarily panic that I haven't retrieved any of my favorite oil wok from the cupboard, find and open the right bottle, drop some in the wok, let it *lightly* smoke for a little bit, swirl it around some, then reduce temp and cook once it stops smoking.

 

Thanks to this thread, last night I pulled down the new-ish SS wok I bought at the restaurant supply store a while back.  Some frozen chopped veggies and about 10 minutes later, I had a tasty dinner after the addition of some 5 spice and General Tso's sauce.  I usually use my woks outside on a huge Camp Chef burner, but the stove works fine for smaller batches, a collector helps considerably.

[OMG]

Spot seasoning

I always heat cast before adding oil, it greatly reduces sticking.

All stovetop cooking for me is cast, everything else is stainless. No aluminum even in the various coffee makers.

Anodized roasting sheets, the best.

Cleaning cast is with a paper towel and salt.

[SwampNut]

Easy lunch.  Bagged broccoli florets, pre-pressed tofu, some leftover coconut curry, some leftover rice and quinoa.

 

 

[SwampNut]

Tak has taught me to leverage the wok in unexpected ways.  Like making the perfect egg.  I like it with fully cooked whites but not at all cooked yolks (I think what they call over medium or slightly less).  I like a crispy white.  Using a super hot non-stick wok with a tiny bit of oil sprayed on it is a reasonably healthy treat, on well toasted Dave's Killer Bread.  300 calories, high nutrition, low carbs/junk.  The shape of the wok lets you get two eggs into a small oval very easily to fit the bread, and lets you crisp the bottom side without cooking the yolks.  A little potassium chloride and black pepper tops it off.

 

There is good evidence that a small number of eggs is good nutritionally.  There's also very strong evidence that people with diabetes or heart conditions should not have more than 2-3 per week.  This is a once a week treat for me.

 

Some positive nutrition facts:   https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/proven-health-benefits-of-eggs#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2

 

A reasonable comparison:  https://www.heart.org/en/news/2018/08/15/are-eggs-good-for-you-or-not

 

[blackhawkxx]

1 hour ago, SwampNut said:

There's also very strong evidence that people with diabetes or heart conditions should not have more than 2-3 per week.  

What is the connection between diabetes and eggs?  

Eggs are a staple in my house but neither of us have a family history of heart issues. 

[SwampNut]

People with diabetes are more susceptible to the buildup of cholesterol AND statistically more likely to have high cholesterol.  Meta studies show a clear correlation between cardiac events in people with diabetes and heart issues who eat a lot of eggs.

 

Here is the first hit on a search, from Harvard Medical.  I think that's a community college in Boston?

 

A. People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to any adverse effect from total or “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, and eggs do have a slight tendency to raise them both. A study from Harvard found an increased risk of heart disease among people with diabetes who ate one or more eggs a day. Still, cholesterol-rich foods like eggs (with the yolks) raise cholesterol levels far less than saturated fats in meat and full-fat dairy products. Is someone with diabetes, who has low levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, at risk from eating six eggs a week? I know of no good information on that. To be safe, I would suggest that your husband cut back to three eggs a week. He might also see whether he likes the products made with just egg whites; without the yolk, eggs don’t have any cholesterol.

[blackhawkxx]

38 minutes ago, SwampNut said:

People with diabetes are more susceptible to the buildup of cholesterol AND statistically more likely to have high cholesterol.  Meta studies show a clear correlation between cardiac events in people with diabetes and heart issues who eat a lot of eggs.

Thanks, didn't know.

[SwampNut]

I learned it today, myself.  I'm not a huge egg eater, but when made perfectly I do love them.  I wanted to research the health aspects.  Tak's wok method makes me want them more.