Peggy, row covers may be an answer with flea beetles. I don't have much experience using them. My primary veggie garden is so exposed that I have trouble with wind blowing just about everything away (even the plants :o(. Some areas don't have trouble with flea beetles and some years are worse than others. In my garden, brassicas suffer the most. The worse time comes early in the season but I've learned the flea beetle larvae are feeding on the roots of the host plants throughout the year. These flightless critters grow up in and hang out in the soil as adults. The idea of using row covers for protection reminds me of using plastic tunnels and then discovering that I'd inadvertently created a wonderful home for ants! I am not, however, saying that if wonÂt work. One thing, the more stones or debris on the soil surface - the more problems I have with the flea beetles. So, some gardens have had very few problems and others have seen brassica devastation. To suppress the critters, rotenone/pyrethrum spray not only on the growing plants but on the soil surface has worked well. When the plants are small, it is easy to overspray around them onto the soil. As with any pest - if you don't have 'em or can live with Âem, don't spray 'em. And, even if rotenone/pyrethrum is organic and isn't very persistent, it IS a poison. Steve

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!

Here are a few stir-fry sauces I like to make. All three recipes are from the now-defunct cafeteria Eden, which was located in downtown Philadelphia PA: 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 1/2 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 1/2 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.

Would you have any space to cook outside? We bought a dedicated wok burner created by a Chinese engineer -- you hook it up to propane, it's 70K btus (they go higher, to 137K, iirc; we were just wussy and stuck with that), and talk about wok hay? It's a thrilling thing to cook on the deck with that baby. It has a wind protector, btw. Tonight, because it's rain/snowing, we had to use our 17.5 btu burner inside on our American Range, and I was afraid to turn it up to full high because it was spattering all over the place and there's no protection from the flame as there is with the outdoor burner (which is much safer than the deep frying turkey setup, btw). I'm spoiled. I love our outdoor burner now and only rain/snow will stop me from it :) Just thought I'd offer a (thrilling :)) alternative, if you are willing to do your cooking outside. Here is a link that might be useful: the page with comparisons to other setups