Random Food Questions Thread

[Fang66]

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[itsstillmatt]



It mainly has to with durability. I haven't really made tarts before, so I wonder if going with pan that isn't coated is to going to be a nightmare when cooking them.

I prefer tart rings to pans. Better looking results, easier, etc.

 

[ehkay]

Did not see this before cooking stuff from his book, but pretty cool resource from Roellinger here.
http://www.cuisine-corsaire.fr/apprendre.php

 

[sygyzy]



Would there be any advantage to not going with non-stick?

For woks get the cheapest carbon steel you can. It's the one piece of equipment I think I would not really try to go fancy on. Woks are supposed to be used with super high heat. Carbon steel will naturally be non-stick. Don't get teflon for this application.

 

[shibbel]



For woks get the cheapest carbon steel you can. It's the one piece of equipment I think I would not really try to go fancy on. Woks are supposed to be used with super high heat. Carbon steel will naturally be non-stick. Don't get teflon for this application.

Yeah, this is what I did. Ended up purchasing a traditional Cantonese round bottom Wok with stabilizing ring from the Wok Shop, made in China, for $25. Seasoning looks straight forward, bake on some oil, then char some chives.

 

[indesertum]

oops. accidentally erased.

apply thin layer of flaxseed oil with paper towel, preheat oven and pan together, bake at 550 degrees for an hour.

soybean oil is also a good one and much cheaper.

 

[shibbel]

That's basically what I do with most of my cast iron stuff, and my De Buyer pans. The Wok Shop recommends charring chives or green onions before cooking to remove any metallic taste the Wok might impart on food. Not sure how true that is.

 

[indesertum]

i've also heard of frying potato skins. i'm not sure how true either are, but considering they sell the woks i'm sure they know what they're talking about

 

[b1os]

I've heard of frying pieces of potato, not just the skin, until completely charred.

 

[shibbel]

Not sure if it's still the case, but the De Buyers pans use to come with seasoning instructions that included boiling potato peels in the pan for 10 minutes.

 

[shibbel]

Matt, or anyone else familar with this, should the tart ring be seamless? I found this one on Amazon, it's obviously not seamless. I know one should probably own a range of sizes, but would the 9.5" at 3/4" be the most typical size?

 

[itsstillmatt]



Matt, or anyone else familar with this, should the tart ring be seamless? I found this one on Amazon, it's obviously not seamless. I know one should probably own a range of sizes, but would the 9.5" at 3/4" be the most typical size?

That is fine. Perfect, in fact.

 

[Douglas]

OK, so since we're on woks, here's a really random food question:

I also need a wok. I have a pretty hot stove; kicks out 22K BTU. I know a true wok setup would be more like 30K and I think might also sit on the flame in a little different way... anyways, the question is, how big a wok can I get without overwhelming my burner to the point where I'm not really using the high heat the way I ought to for Chinese food?

Edit: while we're at it - any good references for the basics of wok/Chinese cooking (yeah, I know that there are 7 kinds of Chinese cooking... just trying to learn a few basics about methods, etc.)? E.g. what high heat does to food that's essential to Chinese food, recommendations on things like oils, other good basics....

 

[shibbel]

D, after talking to the Wok Shop in SF, I went with a 16" for a 15,000BTU burner. If you don't get an answer here, I would suggest giving them a call, very knowledgeable people.

 

[mordecai]

Is there any point to flambe that wouldn't be equally accomplished by having doves magically fly out of the same dish?