Sunday, 6 May 2012

Updated review on Neoflam cookware - 26cm wok after 1 year of usage


My mom gave me the Neoflam cookware - 26cm wok last year when I moved into my new house.  She mentioned that Neoflam cookware is good because the Ecolon coating on the wok is not harmful to the human body unlike traditional cookware which is PTFE-based non-stick coating. Previously I did a review on the wok on its overall functionality after using it for a few months. (You can go to Reviews on Neoflam cookware - 26cm wok for a recap of what was mentioned there.) 

Now, after using the Neoflam cookware for 1 year, I have decided to give another updated review on its usage.


Neoflam 26cm wok

As mentioned in the previous post, I found the non-stick element of the Neoflam wok lacking and after 1 year of usage, the problem seemed to worsen. Almost everything started to stick to the bottom of the wok and washing was a nightmare. I had to practically boil water using the wok every time I used it in order to remove the debris easily. Even so, there were still stains that I cannot remove at the bottom of the wok.

My husband and I have since used the wok less frequently as we don't like the food sticking to the bottom of the wok. I have just purchased a few other woks:


1) Happy call double sided pan








My mom bought this a few months back and she said that this double sided pan is good. She felt that the food she cooked using this pan are healthier as she doesn't need to use much oil. In addition, she mentioned that this double sided pan is great for cooking fish as you can just flip the pan to cook the other side of the fish.

Note: I hate cooking fish because of all the oil splattering and it is tough to make sure the fish is evenly cooked because of its odd shape. So this pan may be good as there is a "cover" to prevent the oil from splattering.

2) Seshin Queensense Elegance Multi pan


My Mother-in-law bought this for me. It is similar to Happy call double sided pan and is made in Korea, however they are of a different brand and it is of a bigger size compared to Happy call. There are also some subtle differences which I will update in another post.



3) Happy call ceramic pot



My mom and I first saw these pots on a local home shopping program - Lejel home shopping show broadcasted on Channel U. They are of the same brand as the Happy Call double sided pan and is also made in Korea. It is non stick (Hopefully) and you can boil soup without needing to fear the soup overflowing when it is boiling. 


You can watch the original Korea happy call video here: Happy Call Double Pan (Korea) home shopping programme


I am still on a lookout for better woks and will update my findings on this blog at a later date. Do share here if you find some good cookwares!

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Sliced Fish Hor Fun

Sliced Fish Hor Fun

Ingredients:
a) 400g Hor Fun
b) 200g Fish Slices
c) 1 tablespoon Garlic (Diced)
d) 2 Slices of Ginger
e) Some Choy Sum (Vegetable)
f) Some Carrot (Sliced)
g) 300g Chicken Stock

Seasoning:
h) 1/2 teaspoon Salt
i) 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
j) 2 teaspoon Pepper
k) 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
l) 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

Cornstarch Solution:
m) 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
n) 80ml Water


Directions:
1) Marinate the fish slices with seasonings for half an hour.
2) Heat up wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil, stir-fry hor fun and add a little light or dark soy sauce. Set aside.
3) Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil, stir-fry garlic and ginger till fragrant. Add in fish slices, stir-fry. Pour in chicken stock, choy sum and carrot and boil the mixture. Prepare the dish sauce by thickening the soup with cornstarch solution.
4) Pour the sauce over hor fun when ready to serve.

* I will usually marinate the fish for about 2 hours so the fish will taste better. 
* Step 2 is very crucial in this recipe. It is a very common way of cooking used by chefs to bring out the taste of the hor fun.

This recipe is posted by a cooking trainer on 'U' Magazine.


Food ratings (10 being the best): 
My husband's rating - 8/10
My rating - 8/10

This dish is just like what chefs prepare outside but at just a fraction of the cost. The fish is tasty and the hor fun is fragrant. You can also add other ingredients like prawns or crabsticks to make seafood hor fun. Best of all, you can control the amount of sauce you want.  


Cooking complexity (10 being hardest to cook):
My rating - 4/10  

The dish is relatively easy to cook except for the stir-frying of the hor fun. I tried to make sure that all the hor fun has some soy sauce/ dark soy sauce coating. The wok which I used to stir-fry the hor fun probably makes the cooking more difficult for me. I will post more details of the wok in my subsequent post.