Katra > wrote in
:

<< snip >>

>>
>> First off, Katra, you soup sounds delicious!
>
> Danke. ;-)
>
> Something always magic about chicken soup...
> Dad was kinda dragging this morning and he said that the soup gave him
> some energy...
>
> It was quite good and there is enough to warm up for tomorrow. :-)
>
>>
>> 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.
>
> I did not thicken it at all, but I like to make "chunky" soups so that
> was how I was defining it. :-) This is more to settle a disagreement
> betwixt papasan and I. <G> There was quite a bit of liquid.

Certainly, thickening can be an option with both stews and soups. Often
I use no thickening in either. I guess by "thicker" I also meant that
for stew it is inherently thicker because of far less liquid.

>
> I forgot to add ginger. :-( I had some, just forgot it. I usually
> combine Ginger and garlic, and maybe a dash of soy to get that
> "oriental" flavor.

Great combination!

>
> He admits that I am a better cook than he is, but when he tries to
> duplicate my recipes, he makes two mistakes... He chops the food WAY
> too
> fine so we end up with a overspiced mush, (not very appealing really)
> and he has a heavier hand with some of the stronger spices/herbs than
> I do, and, worst of all, he tends to overcook egg dishes as his
> technique is totally different than mine!

I "hate" overcooked eggs! <G>

>
>>
>> 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.
>
> That's what I was thinking. Thanks! :-)
>
>>
>> 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.
>
> And that is not done with stir fry's if you use a pan? <G>
> With the glass top stove, I can't use a wok so I have to use the cast
> iron skillet for stir fry's.

To be sure, you can stir fry in almost anything. Usually high heat and
brisk stirring/tossing is the key. To do so in a wok is just a bit more
common. I have a flat-bottomed wok that I used when I had a glass top
stove. It worked rather well.

>
> I have a brand new electric wok that I've never used yet. It's still
> in the box in the store room..... <G>

I had one for years that I used a lot until it finally burned out. I've
never gotten around to replacing it.

Wayne