Wok Star Eleanor Hoh

Be a Wok Star!

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Induction Wok Stove, Greatest Invention Since Fire!

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As a wok cooking teacher, I’ve solved the issues of wok cooking AT HOME with these four ESSENTIAL elements so you’ll have success: a good wok, the right technique, quality ingredients and most importantly, HIGH HEAT.

For the past 20 years,  I’ve recommended the 12K Iwatani butane gas stove. It is the most efficient and practical heat source for wok cooking AT HOME and the best value. Setting the gas stove on top of your electric cooktop with your wok and you’re ready to GO!   A light, portable gas stove also comes in handy during hurricanes, power outages but has MANY OTHER GREAT BENEFITS highlighted here.

However, there are issues to using an open flame gas stove. Some condo buildings prohibit their use (open flame) and you have to remember to order refills so you don’t run out in the middle of a stir fry.

Showing how to install a gas cartridge in the Iwatani gas stove during my cooking class.

My experiences with different heat sources…

GAS

I’ve used both residential and commercial gas stoves. I’ve found four main issues:

  1. Many residential gas stoves still don’t generate enough high heat, typically 7-10K BTU.
  2. The burner rings are too wide since they are designed for flat pans. The heat is not focused at the base of the wok like the Iwatani butane portable gas stove so flames are leaping up the sides of the wok and handles become hot.
  3. Gas lines are expensive to install, told about $10K.
  4. Industrial, high end gas stoves cost upwards of $4-6K.

Electric Glass Flat cooktops

These are the most common stoves installed today.   Their “modern and clean” design might be the reason for their popularity, but for me this was NEVER an option.  The surface contact area between the round bottom wok with the flat cooktop is too small to transfer enough HIGH HEAT.   The propensity of the wok to scratch the glass top also makes it impractical and would void the warranty from the manufacturer.  

Why not use a flat bottom wok? Don’t get me started, I mention ALL the reasons why NOT here.

I solved the problem of not enough heat generated by the electric cooktop with my wok by using an Iwatani gas stove ON TOP of an electric cooktop. Photo: Yanni Georgoulakis

INDUCTION…

Induction means generating a magnetic field which causes the wok to heat. No outside heat is applied to the wok. The heat is generated within the metal.  If there’s no wok on the stove, no heat is generated.

NOTE: I was NOT paid by Nuwave to write this post.  

I’ve followed the induction technology over the past 20 years. Cost and size were the biggest obstacles to the technology becoming a consumer item.  The units I experimented with were heavy and bulky (took up too much counter space), noisy (extraction fan),  power challenged (220 voltage required), and expensive (all units priced $1-4K).

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Look at this clunker.

Now, there’s a perfect unit for the home kitchen…the Nuwave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove!

It meets ALL my requirements…it’s light and attractive and retains high heat, up to 575. My 15” cast iron wok fits the unit perfectly and together they have such a small footprint that it’s always out on my counter top.  I’ll post how to actually use this induction stove in another post.

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My setup at home, I’ll explain in separate post
how to use the induction stove and
why you need the wood chopping block
if you set on top of your electric stove!

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Nuwave Mosaic Wok Induction Stove with
my 15″ lightweight, cast iron wok set.

I believe so strongly in this stove, I want to figure out some kind of partnership and offer it as an option with my WOK STAR KIT BUNDLE. 


I know many of you have been waiting for this review,
so share your concerns and ask any questions in comments below. 

CONCLUSION:

The wok cooking experience is the same whether you’re using the NuWave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove or Iwatani Gas Stove.  I like having both heat sources because a portable butane gas stove is a reassuring backup for emergency situations like hurricanes and power outages. 

When I said, “the induction stove was the greatest invention since fire,” I wasn’t exaggerating because many people aren’t allowed to have open flame stoves in their buildings, so induction would be their only choice! 

Here’s my Amazon affiliate link to purchase a Nuwave Mosaic Induction Wok Stove!
(it does come with a heavy carbon steel wok so keep that as a backup)
And still get my WOK STAR KIT HERE.
Now, you’ve really got the best of both worlds!!!

I’m trying to figure a way so you can have the one-stop shop experience. I’ll keep you posted.

NOTE: I was NOT paid by Nuwave to write this post.  

Different ways I’ve used Nuwave Mosaic Precision Induction Wok Stove…

Husband’s 2 cheese, scallion omelet.
Stir Fry Chinese Broccoli and colorful bell peppers.
Steaming tamales.
Blanching Yu Choy.
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Dream Dish: Steamed Ribs in Brown Bean Sauce

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Do you ever dream about a dish you like?  For me Steamed Spare Ribs in Black Beans is one of them. It’s a mystery to me why it’s only served as a dim sum lunch item and never on the dinner menu?  

Addictive Dream Dish! Every riblet is so tender and tasty.

Note: I have an Amazon affiliate store for those who cannot get seasonings and products easily. I will get a fee when you click on these links.

This is what makes being a Wok Star so fun, because we don’t follow rules, we swap out ingredients and often get better results than the original dish PLUS get a nice surprise! 

When I came across pork riblets at Costco recently, I immediately thought of making Steamed Spare Ribs in Black Beans for dinner. 

Here’s video as promised, https://youtu.be/Mdwo742mmDg

About Pork Riblets
I’ve only seen pork riblets at Asian supermarkets and Costco only has St.Louis Ribs, not Spare Ribs which have more marbling. If your market or Costco don’t have riblets option, tell butcher to cut ACROSS the ribs to bite size chunks. It’s more versatile, you can make so many kinds of stews, soups and curries. I’ll share more soon.  

The secret to getting these little pork riblets tender is to steam long and on low heat in your wok. Yes, another way of using your cast iron wok. Choose a dish that’s wide and can hold some sauce! 

About Brown Beans
Steamed Ribs in Black Beans are typically made with fermented black beans but I didn’t have any and I find they are too salty and overpowering. Don’t confuse these fermented black beans with the Latin Caribbean Frijole.

The Koon Chun Brown Bean Sauce I use are more mellow and easier to prepare. They come ready mashed in a saucey consistency. This is the same sauce that comes in your Wok Star Kit. I also use this sauce in my cooking class to poach Tilapia and it’s always a big hit.

NOTE: Fermented Black Beans come in a sack and will take you a year to get through them, ha, ha. They have to be rinsed and mashed. If interested in its origins and want to try them, Chef Norman Van Aken does a great job explaining.

What to pair with?
Because Steamed Ribs in Brown Beans has quite strong flavors, it’s best to pair with a simple stir fry or blanched vegetable to complement each other. I chose Baby Bok Choy and brown rice, yum. My hubby raved about my traditional Chinese dinner, a rather rare occasion! He slurped down all the sauce with rice.

Here’s how to make this dish so you can have it anytime, it’s SUPER EASY and what a WINNER..

Serves 2 
Ingredients:
6 ribs cut across
2 scallions cut diagonally

Brown rice 

Ribs marinade:
TSPC…
Koon Chun Brown Bean Sauce
Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
Toasted Sesame Oil
Garlic and Ginger Chopped 

Vegetable:
6-8 Baby Bok Choy bunches, split lengthways
Garlic and Ginger thwacked
Avocado Oil

Seasoning:
San-J Tamari
Medium drinking sherry wine (from your local supermarket, NOT sherry vinegar)

Method:

  1. Start with cooking brown rice.
  2. Marinade ribs in wide dish.
  3. Put steamer rack OR pair of wooden chopsticks in your wok, add water to just reach top of rack.
  4. Put dish of ribs on rack and close with wok lid, switch stove to high. As soon as water boils, switch to medium low. Check every 15 minutes and add more water if needed. 
  5. After ribs finish steaming, sprinkle chopped scallions and cover to keep warm. Remove rack and empty any water. Wipe wok clean and dry.
  6. Start with stir frying Bok Choy with a squirt of avocado oil and garlic and ginger. Add a little water and cover with lid. When Bok Choy is tender, drizzle San-J tamari and sherry and squeeze of fresh lime or lemon. Done.
  7. Zap steamed ribs if needed.

ENJOY! 

Garlic & Ginger (aka G&G)
Start with TSPC; add Koon Chun Brown Bean Sauce, Kadoya Toasted Sesame Oil and Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce.
Use metal or bamboo rack to set dish of ribs. In my video, I show how to use a pair of wood chopsticks set apart to balance the dish. Do NOT use disposable wood chopsticks.
My wok lid is stainless steel but very light.
TA DA! Taste better than it looks. You’ll want to drown your rice in this sauce!
Look how simple this Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry is!
Split Bok Choy lengthways, they’ll cook faster!
Self Explanatory! But PLEASE use AVOCADO OIL instead of Grape Seed Oil.
Fry Bok Choy with avocado oil, garlic & ginger, add a little water and cover with lid. When tender, sprinkle San-J tamari, sherry, squirt of lime juice, DONE!

Best Ground Turkey Weeknight Dinner Ever!

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Seriously, this easy Ground Turkey dish for a weeknight is the BEST!  And so EASY.  You can adapt it to whatever diet you’re on…Weight Watchers, Keto, Paleo, South Beach, etc.  Vegetarian or vegan, no problem!  Try with kidney, red or black beans, chick peas, butter beans, lentils or tofu. This delicious Ground Turkey dish was inspired by a conversation I had with my sisters, isn’t it funny the power of association?

Ground Turkey with multi-colored, mini sweet peppers, tomatoes and a handful of peas on a bed of soba noodles. Add some chili oil for extra heat if you like.  I did, yum!

For 2019, I wanted to reintroduce you to my approach to cooking without recipes or measuring and use what you have in your fridge and pantry. It’s what I teach in my cooking classes in Miami and in my online Udemy course (click for your discount!). So, be prepared because I may not include specific measurements.

Cook this way and you’ll be less stressed AND you’ll start enjoying coming up with surprise dishes of your own! It’s a meal that can stretch for big families, for one tray of ground turkey, it gave my hubby and I enough for 3 meals. 
Go wild with variations and combinations! You can keep it even simpler and use only ONE veggie like frozen peas. No need to defrost, just throw in a couple of minutes when you’re doing recombine, easy, DONE!
Try with just one veggie like tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, you get the gist!
About the meat…
If you stick with using Ground Turkey, don’t use breast cause it’ll be dry and tasteless.  Ground Pork is not common at western supermarkets but it’s very popular in Asia.  Get your butcher to grind the pork for you. The best cuts are pork butt or shoulder, you need marbling of fat so it’s not dry.

Use this cooking process…
– cook soba noodles first
– prep veggies
– make sauce, using TSPC, my 4 basic seasonings for marinade and sauce..
T: San-J tamari; S: Sherry (medium);  P: Pepper (white pepper); C: Cornstarch 
+ 1 tblsp. Koon Chun Brown Bean Sauce + 1 heaped tsp. Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce
– marinade meat with same TSPC 

Use same stir fry process…Wok Stars, check your Stir Fry Crib Sheet!
– fry veg
– fry ground turkey in 2 batches, flip over when it’s golden brown one side and cut into crumbles
– heat sauce
– recombine veg + meat in sauce

It”ll be your GO-TO dish you’ll want often!  Don’t forget to invite your kids, family and friends to chip in with prepping and cooking. Cooking together makes it less lonely and you’ll find it’s a great time to bond!  Most of my food memories are of cooking with my mom and sisters and I KNOW those moments have contributed to our close relationships to this day!

Here are my complete step by step process for the BEST Weeknight Ground Turkey dish ever!

 


 


 

 
Here’s another great dish using Ground Turkey, my famous, signature Rainbow Lettuce Wrap Appetizer I make this in my cooking class and is a big hit!