Katra > wrote in
:

> Dad and I were discussing the "soup" that I made this morning for
> lunch, it was basically a chicken and oriental veggie soup, but I like
> to leave stuff in fork sized pieces... so he said it was actually a
> stew. Hmmmm...
>
> It included cubes of chicken thigh, celery, bok choy, onion, scallion,
> garlic, and 3 different types of mushrooms including button mushroom,
> straw mushroom and oyster mushroom. I then stirred some egg into it
> when it was done and added some bean sprouts.
>
> This makes me wonder, what defines a stew vs. a soup?
> What is the difference between pan frying and pan broiling?
> What is the difference between stir frying and sautéing?
>
> K.

First off, Katra, you soup sounds delicious!

I'm not going to look and cut and paste answers out of dictionary. I
think we all have our own perception of the things you're asking.

To me, the consistency, amount of liquid, and size of pieces define
whether something is a soup or stew. I also think there is a lot of
overlap. IMHO, stew is usually thicker with less liquid and much larger
pieces in it.

Pan frying and pan broiling? Ya got me. However, pan frying seems to
indicate a certain amount of fat being used in the skillet, perhaps
1/8-1/4" or more. Pan broiling, if not actually put under the boiler in
a heavy pan, would seem to be cooking with very little if any fat, and
cooking at a higher heat to sear the food. Broiling also seems to
indicate no coating on the food, whereas much pan frying includes a
coating.

Stir frying is quickly done, usually with rapid stirring, and usually
done in a wok. Sautéing is usually done in a sauté or skillet The food
is usually moved about and turned over to insure even cooking, and is
often lightly browned.

These are my impressions and certainly may not align with a dictionary,
but they work for me.

Wayne