If you are paying attention you will, in fact, learn something new every day. I learned several new things just this evening, so in the interest of my readers' enlightenment, I will be happy to share these recent life-lessons with you. Pay attention, there may be a quiz later.
When cooking with a wok, I find that an aromatic wok oil consisting of a blend of garlic, ginger, sesame and soybean oils imparts a delicious flavor to a healthy batch of home-made Vegetable Lo-Mein. Ideally, your wok will be just hot enough to cause the wok oil to smoke when you drizzle it into the wok immediately before adding your vegetables.
If you become distracted and allow the wok to become "blue hot" before you add the wok oil, the wok oil will quickly vaporize, burst into a fireball, and become a blazing inferno atop your stove.
The fireball is likely to cause you to reflexively jump back, which can result in you spilling wok oil on the kitchen floor and all over the front of your shirt.
Your wife will not be pleased when she walks into the kitchen and notices that there is an inferno on the stove, even if it is safely contained within your wok.
Never attempt to extinguish an oil fire with water. You should smother the fire with a large towel, but preferably not your wife's favorite new Pampered Chef's terry cloth print towel, even if it is the closest thing within reach.
After the blaze is extinguished, a dedicated chef will resume preparing his recipe, carrying on as if nothing unusual has happened, despite the smokey working conditions.
Burnt wok oil imparts an appetizing "fire-roasted" flavor to the vegetables in your lo-mein.
Wok oil stains are difficult to remove from a cotton shirt, and so is the smell of garlic and ginger.
Wok oil imparts a lovely sheen to the vinyl tile on your kitchen floor, and could be used in a pinch if you happen to run out of Mop n' Glo.
