Wok

On a summer night long ago, the woman I should have married and I went to a restaurant in her apartment building at 47th and Pine. Not far from where we sat, a cook prepared a pasta dish I've tried to replicate but never equaled (much the same way I've never met anyone to replicate who I was with that night, but that's another sad story). The cook whipped up a linguini dish made with plum tomatoes, fresh garlic and grated Parmesan cheese. But the key ingredient might have been the electric fry pan he used, combining three ingredients in the hot oil in the pan to make the linguini taste like Italy on a summer afternoon.

Many of us have experienced the joys of cooking with a wok. But much of the time this big metal bowl remains buried with the fondue pot and grandmother's chafing dish. But there is a cookware item that doesn't need to be stored in the remotest regions of your kitchen: the 10-inch glass pie plate that you have thus far used only to bake pies. It's the best tool we know of for preparing wok-style dishes in a microwave. If you don't have one, it is certainly worth the modest investment.

Stunning decor and soothing music are the new signatures of Wok, the Center City Chinese restaurant that shut down for a five-month makeover recently so it could keep stride with its fashion-statement Restaurant Row neighbors. If you remember the old Wok, you'll be impressed. A vaulted ceiling now is a graceful ceremonial presence, mahogany-stained chairs add a sense of conservative elegance, and colorful Chinese murals contribute a soothing touch of aesthetics. What hasn't changed are the old, classic Chinese dishes we once could find only in the standard Chinatown restaurants.

If you're in the mood for good Chinese food, and you're looking for it in Center City, with prices more closely related to Chinatown, try Wok, at 1613 Walnut St. Luncheon specials, from $5 to $6, are substantial. Except for a lo-mein dish and one with fried rice, all are served with steamed rice. And dinners aren't going to send your budget to a financial trauma unit. Entrees average $7 to $8.50. Wok has something for just about everyone. What I particularly like is the fair number of vegetable dishes, and the sauces with definitive tastes that are used to flavor them.

By now, many of us are bored with burgers, sandwich suppers and meal-size salads. But there are sure to be more 90-degree days ahead. What's the designated dinner chef to do when high temperatures sap the desire to cook? Consider a stir-fry supper. Stir-frying is nothing more than cooking food over high heat, stirring constantly so it cooks quickly and evenly. Meats and vegetables are cut into uniform pieces beforehand, so cooking is completed in a flash. With cooked rice or pasta for the base, dinner is ready with little effort.

Stir-frying is the Chinese technique of cooking sliced or chopped meats, vegetables and other foods very quickly in a small amount of oil at very high heat. When done properly, the result is a dish that is crisp, full of color and filled with flavor. Proper stir-frying - for which a wok and shovel-shaped Chinese spatula are the best tools - demands constant motion, coordination, organization and timing. The idea is to cook foods only to the point where they reach their peak of flavor, texture and nutritive value.

Chinese food has been criticized lately for its high fat content, but to me that applies only to restaurant fare. Home cooks can try healthy stir-fry recipes that use low-fat cooking techniques yet preserve authentic Asian flavor. The secret of success is twofold: Use a well-seasoned wok and stir-fry in flavorful broth or wine instead of oil. Stir-frying is a high-heat, quick- cooking method that leaves vegetables colorful, crisp and full of flavor. Woks are popular for stir-frying because they are usually made of carbon steel, a metal that heats fast and very evenly - two requirements to make successful Asian recipes.

Those who love Chinese food are aware that the ingredients often have symbolic meanings attached: Jade-green broccoli signifies youth; long noodles signify long life; the hollow tube of scallion signifies an open mind; lotus root is served as a wish of prosperity upon guests. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, a food writer and culinary arts teacher who grew up in Canton, brings those reminders to the table in her newest book, "From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking" (Macmillan/$25) - as well as some surprises.

Don't let unfamiliar ingredients or foreign techniques keep you from enjoying favorite foods at home. Kylie Kwong, Australian-Chinese chef and restaurateur, demystifies the traditional Cantonese dishes learned from her mother and some of Australia's top chefs. In Simple Chinese Cooking (Viking, $34.95), Kwong gives easy-to-follow recipes using common ingredients. Among her tasty preparations is this for jumbo shrimp fried in a cornstarch and egg batter. The crunchy coating contrasts with the sticky, salty sweetness of her honey-garlic sauce.

YO, CHEFS! I would like to know how Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant in Chinatown makes its orange beef. Helen T. Diehl Philadelphia Dear Helen, Peter Fong, the former chef at Harmony, is now the manager of Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant, also in Chinatown. He gave us this version of orange "beef," which is a popular dish at both places. Fong makes all his "meat," "poultry" and "seafood" dishes from tempeh, or soy gluten, a protein substitute that is available at most Asian markets and health-food stores.

Company description: "Thick-cut slices of juicy Angus Top Sirloin marinated with Asian seasonings and wok-seared to perfection. Tossed in the wok with crisp asparagus, freshly sliced mushrooms, and our new zesty Asian steak sauce. " Chain: Panda Express Location: Comcast Center, 17th Street and JFK Boulevard Calories: A portion of the steak dish is 220 calories with only 7 grams of fat and a hefty 21 grams of protein and 910 milligrams of salt.

Stir-frying is so commonplace these days that many of us surely botch it out of sheer mindlessness. Stir-fry? Been there, done that. Oh, no, you really haven't. Grace Young's masterful book, Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories (Simon & Schuster) , reveals stir-frying as "a cooking method of great subtlety and sophistication. " She gives you all the advice and instruction you need to stir-fry at home, such as choosing the right wok, gauging the proper heat, and buying the right ingredients at the market.

Try these main-dish recipes as the centerpiece for your Chinese New Year celebration. CLAMS WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE 2 quarts water 30 medium-sized clams, scrubbed with a stiff brush to remove sand and grit For the sauce: 2/3 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon sugar Pinch of white pepper...

It is just after noon, and the restaurant is empty on what's supposed to be the busiest day of the year - Christmas. Owner Peter Fong isn't worried. Catering to synagogues the night before had nearly emptied the shelves at his Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant on Race Street near 10th in Chinatown, so Fong had to make a quick shopping trip to get ready for the crowd he knew would come. As Christians gather with family to mark the holy holiday, a Jewish tradition also plays out: going to the openings of new movies and eating at Chinese restaurants.

Most of these recipes use a commercial stove-top smoker; a heavy-duty roasting pan with a rack and lid can be substituted. The various types of wood chips called for are available at select cooking stores or online. 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon five-spice powder 4 teaspoons brown sugar, divided Finely grated zest of 1 orange 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 4 (1 1/4-pound) Cornish game hens, thawed if frozen 1/2 cup black tea, preferably Lapsang souchong or Earl Grey 1/2 cup uncooked white rice In a medium bowl, combine the salt, five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, orange zest, ginger and garlic to form a dry rub. Set aside.

Fried rice needs to be crisp and flavorful. That's the key to this easy-to-prepare entree of roast pork, vegetables and fried rice. For home cooking, preheat the wok, add the ingredients, and let them sit for one or two minutes before tossing. This allows the wok to return to a high heat after the cold food has been added. This is a perfect dish for leftover rice and meat. In fact, cold rice makes better fried rice. Roast pork can be bought in the deli department of the supermarket.

Lakeside Chinese Deli was the kind of restaurant that often looked closed even when it was, in fact, still open. So I figured reports of its demise must have been mistaken. The old hole punched into its sign and the frequently half-drawn window blinds were simply the ideal camouflage from Chinatown tourists who weren't adventurous enough to pass through its unassuming door. For those that did, Lakeside was the ultimate joint. It was home to some of the best hand-crafted dim sum I've ever eaten.

On a summer night long ago, the woman I should have married and I went to a restaurant in her apartment building at 47th and Pine. Not far from where we sat, a cook prepared a pasta dish I've tried to replicate but never equaled (much the same way I've never met anyone to replicate who I was with that night, but that's another sad story). The cook whipped up a linguini dish made with plum tomatoes, fresh garlic and grated Parmesan cheese. But the key ingredient might have been the electric fry pan he used, combining three ingredients in the hot oil in the pan to make the linguini taste like Italy on a summer afternoon.

Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards and kale are excellent sources of carotenoids. These antioxidants are believed to have anti-cancer properties and to reduce the accumulation of arterial plaque. Kale contains an incredible amount of beta-carotene (the best known of the various carotenoids), with almost twice the daily recommended allowance. Cultivated for more than 2,000 years, kale is very low in calories, rich in Vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron.