Woks, pots, pans, and other cookware
Now is as good a time as any to review the different types of pots and pans you can find in the kitchen. Choosing the right type of pan will make cooking much more fun.
You can think of a wok as simply a frying pan with a large round bottom. The beauty of the wok is it’s simplicity and versatility. The “proper” way to cook with a wok is to cook your meat and vegetables very quickly and at high heat. Because of the rounded bottom, your food doesn’t go flying out of the wok when you stir your food in the wok. In addition, you can add liquids like soy sauce for flavor and make sure that it will cover all of your food.
A frying pan can be used like a wok, but is designed to be set down with a larger surface area over the direct heat of the stove. Foods that do not need to be rapidly turned, or should not be cooked over high heat are more suited to a frying pan.
A saucepan is designed for simmering over a low heat. You should not do any frying in a saucepan, or let food cook without enough liquid. A saucepan is perfect for making a sauce (of course!), or steaming vegetables over.
One of my favorite pieces of cookware is the opposite of the wok – the crock pot! When cooking with a crock pot, you want to add foods that will cook very slowly over several hours. It’s easy to add some lean meat, hearty vegetables, and other root vegetables to make a quick and tasty stew.
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