A wok is really not the best thing for use on most home stoves -- especially electric ones since there just isn't enough BTU's to heat up the sides. Per Cooks Illustrated (America's Test Kitchen) the best stir fried results for the home cook are when using a regular nonstick large skillet since there is more of a surface for the food to be seared on -- this prevents the food from steaming. As others have suggested, you also need to cook in small batches, have the food not right out of the fridge and let the pan reheat as you add a batch. I have used this method and produced the best stir fries ever -- no more steamed soggy Chinese food -- it was always tasty but it wasn't stir fried :) I know that the wok is a sacrosanct piece of equipment among many on these board -- the bottom line is that the small flat surface of the wok provides no advantage for home cooks since the entire style is meant to be used on a source of heat in which the wok including the sides is heated to a high temperature and used as part of the cooking process.

Here are some sauces I sometimes make on the weekend and refrigerate, if I plan on stir-frying later that week. STIR FRY SAUCES Each recipe makes 2 servings but can be doubled. BASIC STIR FRY SAUCE 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. minced ginger 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1 Tbs. brown sugar 1/8 tsp. Tabasco 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 1/2 tsp. lemon or lime juice 1 1/2 tsp.cornstarch 1 Tbs. rice wine or sherry Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry 15-30 second over medium heat to bring out the flavor. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring just to a boil, stirring. Dissolve the cornstarch in the wine and whisk into the sauce. Heat until sauce thickens and reaches a full boil. Simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside. GARLIC SESAME STIR FRY SAUCE 1/2 tsp. pepper 2 Tbs. soy sauce 3 Tbs. chicken broth 1 Tbs. sugar 2 1/4 tsp. lemon juice 1/3 cup sesame oil 2 1/4 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tsp. water Combine the pepper, soy sauce, chicken broth, sugar and lemon juice. In a small saucepan heat the sesame oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute until soft but not browned. Add the soy sauce mixture and bring just to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let boil 20 seconds. Remove from the heat. SZECHUAN STIR FRY SAUCE 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 1/2 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 whole anise stars 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar 1 Tbs. soy sauce 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. hoisin sauce 1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/8 tsp. 5 spice powder 2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs. water Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and garlic and saute 1 minute until softened but not browned. In a bowl combine the remaining except for the cornstarch mixture. Add them to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove star anise. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let boil 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more Tabasco if desired. Adapted from The Frog/Commissary Cook Book by Steve Poses, Anne Clark and Becky Roller

It's hard to make generalities about over 1 billion people, lol. But I have found that there are many, many Chinese families who don't stir-fry at all, or do it very seldom. Not every American family eats burgers and hot dogs, either, for a local analogy. I guess if others judged American culture by TV ads and billboards, they would think we all lived on a daily diet of McDonald's Big Macs! But in general, many Asian cuisines do have a "triple path". There is home cooking; there is restaurant cooking; and there is banquet, or feast, food. I was talking to my Hong Kong-born Chinese-Portugese DH a few weeks ago, and he (finally) remembered to tell me a story about one of his uncles who died over 15 yrs ago. This uncle was famous in the family for making the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, or ho yau gai lan as it used to be spelled (I'm terrible with the new spellings, sorry). I've done this dish, and it seems very simple. Blanch the gai lan, stir-fry it quickly, drizzle it with oyster sauce. What's so hard about it? DH told me his uncle was so meticulous and painstaking about doing this dish, it was intimidating even to just watch him. Every cut had to be a precise size, the water had to be just the right temperature, the timing was down to the second. The wok had to be heated for XX number of minutes with just enough oil but not too much; the tossing and last-minute steaming done always the same way. In six decades of eating, DH says his uncle's gai lan remains the best. And every time, because he was so exacting about it, it was always perfect. But it was a lot of work, done to ensure that nothing was left to chance. He very seldom made it, in fact. Just the news that there was going to be a party and that Uncle had promised to make his gai lan, was enough to make everybody, even reluctant-to-socialize teenagers, show up for dinner! Oh, and outside of the gai lan, hardly anyone in DH's family, all 200+ members in Vancouver BC, stir-fries. Most of them don't even own a wok, which is interesting because otherwise they've kept their HK culture intact very assiduously. Unlike the American relatives, all of whom by the second generation barely remember their Cantonese, all the Canadian relatives speak Cantonese at home, so that even the fourth generation little kids are bi-lingual.

Ruthanna, your sauces sound sooooo good! I tend to do mine simply like Ginger...I'm usually in a hurry but, they taste good! 2 chicken breast halves; cut into thin strips Salt & pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger 1 medium onion; sliced 2-inch pieces 1 medium red or yellow bell pepper; sliced 1 large carrot julienne cut 1 cup cut asparagus or broccoli 3 tablespoon canola oil 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 red or green onions (scallions); sliced 2 tablespoons toasted peanuts (or cashews) Garnish with chopped parsley (optional) 2 cups cooked rice or rice stick noodles Slice chicken into bite-size pieces; season with salt, cayenne and ginger; refrigerate until ready to use. Clean and cut all vegetables and grate ginger. Stir together broth, soy sauce and cornstarch and set aside. This will be quick so begin cooking 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Heat a wok or a large skillet over medium-high heat; add oil and stir the ginger into the chicken and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until done. Remove the chicken and add onion, bell pepper, carrot and asparagus for 2 or 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Add the chicken back to the pan along with the stock mixture and continue until sauce thickens. Sprinkle with sliced onions and toasted nuts along with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with or without cooked rice or noodles Marilyn