Wow, thanks for all the responses everyone! Arkansas girl-Yes, the burner gets super hot. Hotter, I think, than the old stove. I DO have an electric wok by Breville, that is nice. Due to grease splattering, can only use it sitting on top of the stove, under the hood. I'm a little nervous about it sitting on top of the glass, though I suppose if I were very careful, it's a possibility. Thanks! Caliloo-Will try preheating longer! Dcarch-Will check that all is working (Seems to be) and will get rid of water on the veggies, etc. Appreciate the tips. Stir fryi- I use a Calphalon wok, in fact I have two by Cal. One I hate & will probably give away, one is not bad, though not terribly traditional either, as it has stick resistant coating. The chicken has terrible texture and flavor. As I mentioned, not necessarily all to blame on my new stove, lol! Ci-lantro- You're too rugged for me! I'm a little chilly inside my kitchen as it is right now! I'm willing to work at this, but I'm not cooking outdoors! If you cook outdoors, I'd love to come sample your cooking though!(I love cilantro!) Ann-I'm encouraged that you, a gas cooking aficianado, are having good luck with your electric stove & sound pleased with it. I agree, btw, cleaning it is quite time consuming every night...looks great when I'm finally done though! Bumblebeez...HI! I hear what you are saying. I bought the second Calphalon wok because it had a flat bottom. Paid $40.00 for it, so it's not all that great a pan. Cheap stainless steel is the culprit, I think. It is, however, the ONLY flat-bottom wok I have seen. Thanks for your reply...will keep a lookout for the elusive flat wok! Doucanoe-Another satisfied customer! Thanks, it's good to hear that. Yes, the cleaning process (& it IS a process) is a bear. Rob-Yes, I may have to reach for the Breville wok and be verrrry careful placing it on the glass cooktop so I can use the vent above. Grease splatters everywhere when I stir fry! My other concern about using the wok on top of the stove is the heat not coming from the stove "shocking" the glass & breaking it. The owner's manual to this stove was very intimidating...lots of "don'ts." Momj47-Will keep looking for that flat-bottomed wok. Thanks. Johnliu-Great tips...thanks so much!! I will follow up on your suggestions. Maybe I do put too much in the pan at once. Yes, I do use a coated, non-stick wok(which in reality is very sticky, btw)...not good either. Will make more effort to reduce the moisture of all ingredients. Do y'all use chicken breast meat or thigh meat to stir fry, or does it depend on the recipe? I saw a recipe today that used thighs, & I usually use breast. Thigh meat is more tender as a rule, so I may try that too. Went to the Chinese grocery store today & wanted to ask the shopkeeper there for tips but she was just swamped, so I didn't. Was so happy to come home & find all these suggestions. I'm going to be busy trying them out! Sounds like there may be hope. Thanks again, everyone!

Oh, sure & I never believe anyone who says they never have. For larger parties I usually serve 2 main courses for those who "don't eat beef any more" or those who will eat seafood but don't eat meat. Amazing how well-placed garnishes can hide some mistakes. As long as it's cooked through, most gets eaten & even seconds are requested. Sounds like you recovered very well!

Cute video. But I feel you are doomed if you try to please everyone. Better to just tell them what you are having when you invite them and if they then say "can't eat that" you say "well maybe another time you can come when we are not having a holiday dinner" and carry on as planned. People if you have special foods requirements you need to stay home or go to a restaurant where you know they can accommodate you.

Good luck, mine always cracks. Always. No matter if I leave it in the oven, if I use a bain marie, if I don't, it still cracks. I put topping over it and no one notices. Mine also always takes longer than the recipes say, sometimes quite a lot longer. I have "odd" sized springform pans. When recipes call for an 8 inch pan, I have a 7 and a 9. I usually opt for the smaller diameter so the cheesecake is thicker, but it takes even longer to bake that way. My recipe calls for 60 to 70 minutes and, in reality, takes about 90 minutes. I cringe whenever I'm asked to bake cheesecake as I have trouble determining when it's done and am always afraid I've underbaked it. I don't even care much for the stuff, but everyone else seems to love it, plus it's gluten free so the celiac members of the family can eat it, so I bake. Merry Christmas. Annie