better to let the ingredients settle and brown a little. Two wooden spatulas work
exceptionally well for tossing. The Chinese use large chopsticks. Metal tools will
play havoc on nonstick material.
As with all other methods, I very lightly season with sea salt before stir-frying
because I like to add soy sauces or other Asian seasonings, and there is plenty of
sodium to go around. MSG and added fats or oils are, in my opinion, absolutely
unnecessary.
I almost always make a small sauce to add at the last moment, with a reduced
vegetable stock mixed with miso and a little cornstarch or arrowroot. But always
be ultra-cautious with starch additions—too much is truly awful; however, it can
quickly be thinned down with added stock.Deep-Fry
I’m listing the deep-frying method because I need to explain why I’m not giving
you some cooking guidelines. To immerse a food in hot oil, especially after it has
been coated with batters or breading, is an attractive idea sensually. To avoid not
ing its almost universal enjoyment would be crass.
Having said that, I find that keeping a relatively large quantity of oil in a pot
with the expectation of using it only occasionally is naive. Set it up and, like the
baseball field in the movie Field of Dreams, you may find yourself coming back to
the fat pot with more frequency than is good for
you. Which, of course, means more fat. And fats
that are exposed to oxidation through heating in
crease the presence of free radicals, which off set
the nutritional benefits of the vegetables you are
cooking.
Oh—and when we eat out, my wife, Treena,
orders only six french fries if they are off ered.
Nothing is banned—but a reasonable moderate
quantity must be the first and fi rm rule.56 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE