I'm always urging people to use their woks for their other styles of cooking because it's such a great piece of cookware. Still, I'm constantly surprised by the variety of ways students put their woks to use. Whether it's frying hamburgers (better than a fry pan because the wok's large diameter catches the splatter) or warming soup (it works like an "adjustable size" pan because of the round bottom) using the wok for more than stir frying is good because it helps to build up the patina (the natural non-stick surface).

Linda Bladholm is a renowned author and columnist. Her weekly Miami Herald food column, "Fork on the Road" is available on-line at herald.com. "Easy Style" was featured in one of her columns and proof of her large and loyal readership was the fact that I spent the next three days answering phone calls. She's lived in Asia for over ten years and has authored three books about "demystifying" ethnic foods... Indian, Latin & Caribbean, and Asian (available on Amazon). Linda is a true culinary explorer but returns from her travels with a clear roadmap for the rest of us. I love going to lunch with her and listening for hours about her adventures in Asia.

Because of the variety of Asian cuisines Linda cooks, she is the best illustration of the saying: "the Chinese carry their entire kitchen under one arm" (as opposed to the French who have a different pan for every recipe). She uses her wok for Thai curries as well as Vietnamese noodle soups. She steams both the main course (fish in banana leaves) and dessert in her wok (glutinous rice with mango and coconut cream). Her knowledge of Chinese herbs is extensive and she explains how to use them in "The Asian Grocery Store Demystified". When she's feeling ill, she takes her own medicine... a healthy, home-made chicken soup with herbs (the Chinese consider the kitchen their "medicine cabinet"). Her wok is also perfect for making banh xeo, Vietnamese rice flour pancakes which she fills with beanspouts and shrimp. For her tempura parties she flash fries batter dipped veggies and shrimp. Dry toasting squid jerky in a wok is one of her favorite indulgences (served with a mayo-chilli dip).

If that got you salivating, and you're ready to try a new technique we didn't cover in the class, here's an EASY dish you can steam -- ground turkey seasoned with Chinese pickled plums.  I call it Asian meatloaf, a healthy way to satisfy your craving for meat and done in just 20 minutes. Check out, Yummy Asian meatloaf!

© 2008 eleanor hoh