"Jaclyn" > wrote in message
...

>
> http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=179458
>
> There is a review on that page which says that a real wok is supposed to
> get hot in the sides, and this one does not, which creates a possibility
> of food-poisoning.

No, it will not cause food poisoning. You have to keep things moving
properly in a wok to cook them. Properly cooked foods will not poison yo
and the short time they are in a wok is not long enough to induce anything.

> I have also read that cast-iron woks can be good because they heat evenly
> all over, including the sides (of course there is the downside of their
> weight, and the fact that they are less responsive when you want to turn
> down the heat).

Go to China and see what they use. It will be hammered still, not cast iron.

>
> On the other hand, I have read (in some newsgroup postings and in a book)
> that the sides of a wok are *not* supposed to be as hot as the bottom,
> because that way you can push certain ingredients to the side while you
> are cooking other ingredients. Personally, I have never used this
> technique myself, and I'm not sure why it would be beneficial.

Not everything cooks at the same rate. It gives you control. You want to
keep some items warm while fast cooking others.