INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

~----------WOK AROUND THE CLOCK-------------------------------------
Spr spatulas toss food high into the air above the pot. Tie a tea
towel around your head and make noises like a samurai warrior. You'll
have your family or friends laughing hysterically, but chances are  you
won't be cooking effectively. Speed and control are the keys to a
successful stir-fry. The ancient Chinese invented stir-frying as one
of their more than 50 methods of food preparation. However, many
recipes now use the technique for many non-Asian dishes. It's quick,
requires little fat, and leaves food with a toothsome texture we  enjoy
today. While it's possible to adapt many recipes to  stir-frying, oil
rather than butter should be used. Dairy solids in  butter burn at a
very low temperature--about 250F--so it can only be  added as a
flavoring agent once food is cooked. Oil, on the other  hand, doesn't
begin to smoke until more than 400 degrees, so it's a  better choice.
Another key principle: Never place too much food in a  wok or skillet
at a time. Food must be able to be seared all over,  without steaming
from being buried under a layer of food. Stir-frying  itself is a very
quick process, so the food must be sitting in bowls  or dishes placed
within arm's reach, ready to be cooked. Cut all the  pieces the same
size, have your seasonings at hand, and make sure  that any partial
cooking of vegetables--such as blanching broccoli or  carrots--is
complete. If your grocery store has a salad bar, it can  save a lot of
preparation time. Go through the salad bar and measure  out just the
ingredients needed for a recipe. Place the wok or  skillet over a high
flame, and heat it very hot. Listen for the sound  of sizzles. If a few
drops of water evaporate immediately, the pan is  ready. Add the
required amount of oil to the pan, and swirl it around  gently to coat
all sides. At this point, it's time to add the food,  and keep it
moving in the pan. If stir-frying in a wok, use a wire  mesh spoon
designed for the job. If stir- frying in a skillet, use a  spoon that
will reach to all places on the bottom, and with which you  can keep
food moving. It's important to add ingredients in the order  given, and
stir constantly. In some recipes, liquid is added and the  pan is
covered for a brief time. In other recipes, it's fry and eat.  Whatever
the method--wok or skillet--you can stir-fry dinner in less  time than
it takes to watch a commercial on the evening news.  From Gemini's
MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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