Hello my Foodie Friends! First let me thank all of you that have stopped in personally to let me know that you enjoy this column.  Your kind words and well wishes have inspired me to keep coming back each week with new stories from the kitchen. I recall a recent visit from a young lady who came in and asked me for help buying cookware.  It seems that there is something called “The Engagement Meal.” This works by cooking your significant other a great meal so they will finally propose. The young man in question had been taking a long time to pop the question. There is a lot of great karma in this strategy. As I discussed options for cookware, it brought me back to the first time my wife cooked for me. I still remember the candles and the gleam in her eyes.  It was chicken and fried dough that we had picked up at a local farmers’ market. There were green beans and potatoes too. I called my mom and she said eat everything on your plate because it will mean a lot to her. Yes, I was a lucky young man at least that is what the emergency room doctor told me the next day. It seems I had salmonella poisoning but that is when I knew she was the one for me. She tried her best and I remember the love she put into it and how she held my hand as they loaded me in the ambulance. Although the dinner was a learning curve for her, today she is an awesome cook. So ladies it is the thought and trying that matters. A cooking vessel that may have helped with my special dinner would have been the Chinese Wok – a must have for your kitchen. 

A wok is a wide bowl shaped cooking vessel with handles used commonly in Chinese and Asian cooking. The types of foods generally cooked in woks are stir frying, stewing, boiling, braising and steaming. Compliments to the Chef carries a large assortment of high quality woks and Stir Fry’s that suit the needs of the Asian cooking enthusiast. Some of the best companies carry this cookware: Joyce Chen, Helen Chen (her daughter), All-Clad, Lodge just to name a few. Carbon Steel or Cast Iron are my favorites. They both spread heat evenly and are easy to clean up. Though Cast Iron woks are superior to carbon steel woks in heat retention and uniform heat distribution they also allow you to form a more stable layer of seasoning which makes it less prone to food sticking on the pan.  Carbon Steel woks are a little less expensive and still perform very well. Although there are several sizes my customers prefer the 12” and 14” wok. It allows for big and small cooking. The handles are designed to stay cool on the stovetop, so you can easily remove the pan from the burner without using potholders. Its curved sides diffuse heat and extend the cooking surface, which helps with tossing and stirring. The great depth allows ample room to cook a whole fish, if so desired. Simmering, deep frying, or steaming are just a few of its multiple uses. Season them with vegetable oil before use and after cleaning. 

Whereever your tastes take you this pan can deliver. 

So when your special someone asks you if you want to go out tonight, you should say “no, I’m cooking you a great meal tonight and I have the tools to do it.” Oh and when you’re looking into each other’s eyes from across the table remember Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula