Wok This Way

[Rob Wright]

Dread, I bet that would taste great on fresh indian fry bread or soapapilla's as well.

I love raspeberry habanero jelly, and get a a couple of jars for christmas from a sweet old lady who can stand so much heat I think she has asbestos lining in her stomach!

Rob

[Dreadbelly]

The Big Iron Wok arrived from Amazon. That was fast!

It's huge. It's beautiful. It's inky black, and I am seasoning it in the oven right now. It's pre seasoned, but I like to add a few extra layers.

It's heavy, and there has got to be 2 inches of solid cast iron on the bottom. It's a traditional rounded bottom inside the wok, but flat on the outside for Western electric stoves. It is, with out a doubt, one of the finest pieces of cookware I have ever handled, used, or owned.

It's a 14 inch wok, it's fairly deep, and the sides of the wok are thick. I must say, Lodge's Pro-Logic line is impressive, and it's easy to see why career cooks choose it above all others. It's constructed like a battleship. If I dropped it on my toe, I wouldn't have a toe left.

If this was a kilt, it would be a nine yard tank, complete with a full rig.

I forsee many meals made in this monster wok.

Oh, I should mention. I made the most delicious home made marina sauce today... Served with roasted eggplant, tossed with pasta, and with ooey gooey gobs of feta, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese.

I think, if I can move my incredibly full and lazy hindquarters, I am going to waddle off to the coffee shop to try and walk this off... And have me something nice and cold.

[davedove]

Tex-Mex. Gag-a-maggot. No offense to anybody, but I loathe Tex-Mex. It's a greasy ball of glop. Disgusting.

True Mexican food has very little meat. Strange, but very true. Most of the poorer folk can not afford meats. Hence a diet rich in beans for protein. And avocados, which are life sustaining. And everything centers around masa. Maize. Corn. From tortillas to hominy, from corn and peanut soup to corn tamales, you are going to find a lot of corn. And veggies. And most Mexican meals are light, with the exception of the middle of the day meal, which may be seven or eight courses. Traditionally speaking. About 5 to 6 am, Merienda. A waking snack, to invigorate the body for morning chores. Pan dulce and coffee. A little later, maybe 9 am, Almuerzo. A light but high energy breakfast. Probably involves a lot of hot fresh tortillas and corn. 2 pm. Comida. Lunch. Mid day. A very large meal, followed by a siesta for proper digesting. 5pm. Merienda again, not long after waking. Antojitos and coffee. The heat of the day is gone, it is back to work for many hours still. And finally, at around 9 to 11 o' clock at night, Cena. Supper. Coffee and pan dulce. And maybe, just maybe, some leftovers from lunch. But not bloody likely as everybody eats a great deal at lunch, and leftovers are a rarity.

I don't know. Once in a while a greasy ball of glop can be quite tasty. But I'll have to agree that Tex-Mex isn't really that close to Mexican cuisine. Real Mexican cuisine puts me in mind of Mediterranean cooking. Lots of vegetables and only a little meat. In fact, a lot of what I cook at home is kind of a fusion of Mexican and Italian cooking. The two blend well, mainly because of similar ingredients.

[jfellrath]

Don't forget how there are regional variations of Mexican food as well (like any other country). When I was in Cancun, I made the effort to find some VERY authentic local restaurants, and was rewarded with some of the best Mexican fish and seafood I've ever had.

[davedove]

Don't forget how there are regional variations of Mexican food as well (like any other country). When I was in Cancun, I made the effort to find some VERY authentic local restaurants, and was rewarded with some of the best Mexican fish and seafood I've ever had.

So true. Most people tend to forget that Mexico is a big country. What we tend to see here in the states is most like northern Mexican cooking. The cooking of the Yucatan is completely different. Like you said, lots of seafood. A lot of people would think of it as Caribbean cooking, which makes sense since it is on that sea. One cooking method on the Yucatan is to wrap the food in banana leaves and cook it that way. The banana leaves impart their own flavor to the food.

[JackK]

New Lodge wok has arrived, broccoli and bean sprouts are ready, oh what a meal tonight.

Jack

[Dreadbelly]

New Lodge wok has arrived, broccoli and bean sprouts are ready, oh what a meal tonight.

Jack

It's beautiful aint it?

It takes a while to get hot... Just turn the burner up to high and wait for some smoke.

I made some fried rice with peas and brocolli in mine last night. And some eggs. Turned out much better than the carbon steel wok version of the same dish. More of that wok hee smokey goodness flavour.

Damnit, now I am all hungry.