Wok

What's hot and only getting hotter? The fiery-food category, according to the Food Channel, a Chicago-based trend letter. Fueled by consumer interest in foods that are low in fat, yet flavorful; curiosity about different ethnic cuisines; and greater availability of condiments, spices and produce, spicy food sales may hit $1.8 billion in the year 2000, about double that of a decade earlier. Let's face it - boneless chicken breasts do not taste like beef tenderloin and nonstick cooking sprays don't have the flavor of butter, so if you're going to stay on a low-fat diet, you're no doubt looking for ways to put flavor back into your menu.

Stir-frying has long been associated with exotic Asian ingredients and Chinese-style entrees. But why should such a versatile cooking technique be confined solely to the savory flavors of the East? Why not a stir-fried dessert? As unusual as this idea seems, it is not all that far-fetched. Stir-frying is nothing more than sauteing or braising in a wok, and it can be applied to any dish in Western cuisine that commonly uses these techniques. The apples for an apple pie, for example, are typically tossed in hot butter, flavored with sugar and cinnamon, and then thickened with cornstarch.

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.

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.

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.

Q. Is it possible to purchase a wok that will not rust? I follow the manufacturer's instructions for seasoning my wok but still have trouble. After washing and before seasoning, my dishtowels pick up a terrible metallic residue. Is that residue harmful to my family's health? Are cast iron woks available? What do Chinese restaurants use? Phyllis Dodd Avalon, N.J. A. Woks are made in various metals from thin iron to stainless steel, copper, brass and aluminum. Irene Kuo, in "The Key to Chinese Cooking," advises that the thin iron is the best to buy. I'm assuming that this is the one you bought, so keep it. Rust is not harmful to your family's health, but to prevent its unsightly occurrence Kuo recommends the following: "A new wok should be seasoned with oil before using it to prevent food from sticking and the metal from rusting.

Wok and Tofu, the plain-looking, wood-paneled restaurant on the southeast corner of 11th and Spruce Streets, certainly lives up to its name. Lots of fresh white tofu and a good number of stir-fries. This Chinese restaurant has been serving the neighborhood well for a little over a year. The food is decent and the prices reasonable, with the average entree pricing out about $5.95. If you are a lover of tofu and happen to be in the neighborhood, Wok and Tofu is worth investigating.

Stir-frying is perhaps the best-known of the Chinese cooking methods. It involves quick cooking over high heat in a small amount of oil and stirring the food frequently during the process. Stir-frying can be done in a wok or in any large, nonstick frying pan. Although you can use an ordinary frying pan, it won't cook as fast or keep the vegetables as crisp as cooking in a wok would. I prefer to use a heavy gauge, 14-inch stir-fry pan that features the sloping sides of the typical wok. A pan of this size is similar to the wok in that the heat concentrates at the bottom of the pan and the curved sides allow you to push cooked ingredients to cooler areas.

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.

If you're newly graduated, newly married or newly single, equipping a new kitchen can be a daunting experience. Whatever your resources, you want to make the area as efficient as possible. And who knows better what the cook really needs than someone who does it for a living? We asked several chefs and food writers what advice they would give to those who are new to the kitchen experience. Some of their answers may surprise you. Knives: A good knife is the most important investment you can make, says Nathalie Dupree, author of "Nathalie Dupree Cooks for Family and Friends" (William Morrow.