wok this way

If I wasn't 3/4 Dutch and 1/4 German, which is a great, tall and blue-eyed thing to be, I would want to be Asian. I loved the small portion of Asia that I saw at this time last year. I love the food, the tidy design and the lovely smiles everyone was wearing. Except in Siam Reap, where things are too intense for everyone to be smiling.

My love for Asia has deepened with time, similarly to how the cooking surface of my new carbon steel wok is going to season into a glorious, non-carcinogenic, non-stick, low-fat delight. I have wanted to purchase a wok for some time, and finally got up the energy to check them out, do some research and make my choice.

I ended up with a flat-bottomed model (instead of round and with a wok ring for the stove) that cost me $20. After reading some information about cast iron vs steel vs anything else, I gathered that the lightweight carbon steel had the best temperature control and longest lifespan. I went with a Taylor & Ng model from Uwajimaya.

This is my first wok meal. I threw some tofu, garlic and onion slices in, then added broccoli, mushrooms and some Chinese egg noodles that I boiled first. For sauce, I made it up. Soy sauce, anchovie paste, lime juice, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, ginger powder and sesame seeds. Totally inappropriate ingredients, but the closest things I had in the cupboard that resembled what I could remember of a nice brown sauce. It was delicious and for the first time I thought that maybe I am not such a poser in the kitchen after all.

In addition to buying a wok and eating a lot of noodles, I am generally fascinated by post and lintel architecture, silk, chopsticks, shoji screens, Hello Kitty, open floor plans, miniaturization, small spaces, and all things clean, simple and quality. I do understand that my perception of a vast and varied culture is limited and probably way off, but it is what it is. That is until I make my way back to Asia, or at least the International District, to find out more. I am ready to travel again, by the way.