New wok & New Battery; Dinner

My new wok arrived from the Wok Shop in San Francisco. It is a 14" carbon steel flat-bottomed wok with two wood handles. I seasoned it using the oven method. I found that cleaning it was more effective scouring with a "green pad" than with steel wool, though this may be because the steel wool was too fine. At any rate, it looked nice and golden after it's fourth cooking in the oven, as the instructions suggest.

My new 4800 mAh battery arrived also and I began using it. It did hold a charge overnight, but it seems to lose charge very rapidly. Instructions suggest resetting the PMU, which I plan to do today. It is done by depressing the little button on the back between the video out and the telephone ports and then rebooting.

To initiate the wok's career, I cooked two dishes and Nancy added a tossed green salad.

• Orange Asparagus Stir-Fry Pasta w. Shrimp (tofu) - Serves 4
  
  # 1 pound Mostaccioli, Ziti or other medium pasta shape, uncooked (1/2 lb)
  # 2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
  # 12 oz. frozen small shrimp, thawed (or use 1/2 lb tofu)
  # 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal
  # 1 bunch scallions, sliced
  # 1 pound asparagus, cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths
  # 1 cup fresh orange juice (used frozen, reconstituted with only 1 can water)
  # Salt and pepper to taste
  ## ADDED: some nuts would add flavor, texture: several recipes suggest slivered almonts, pecans, and I think also of pine nuts, all lightly toasted in the wok - used pecans in this instance.
  ## AND: 1 1/2 tablespoons oriental sesame oil - forgot to add; next time.
  
  - Prepare pasta according to package directions.
  - While pasta is cooking, warm 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over high heat in a large non-stick wok or skillet.
  - Stir-fry the shrimp until firm, opaque and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. (Stir fry cubes of tofu in oil until golden: drain.)
  - Add the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pan and stir-fry the carrots for 2 minutes.
  - Add the asparagus and scallions and stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes, until asparagus is tender-crisp.
  
  When pasta is done, drain it well. Add pasta, shrimp (tofu) and orange juice to skillet and toss until hot, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately. (Scatter toasted nuts over dish.)
  
• Broccoli Pad Nahm Man Hoi (Stir-fry w. Oyster Sauce)
  
  A Recipe of Kasma Loha-unchit; Recipe Copyright © 1998 Kasma Loha-unchit.
  
  This recipe is similar to another featured recipe, Stir-fried Asparagus, Oyster Mushrooms and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce (Naw-mai Farang Pad Nahm Man Hoi). Compare the two to see how adaptable a Thai recipe is. In fact almost any vegetable can be stir-fried with Oyster Sauce. Be sure to use Thai oyster sauce, not Chinese. You can order it online from one of the online markets found on the website: look for the "Mae Krua" brand.
• Ingredients
  * 2 medium-size stalks of broccoli
  * 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  * 2-3 sliced shallots, or 1/2 cup sliced onion (optional)
  * 2 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying
  * 2 -3 Tbs. Thai oyster sauce
  * 2-3 tsp. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste
  * 2-3 dashes of ground white pepper
  
  Cut the broccoli into small bite-size pieces. Use the bottom stem also, after peeling off the tough, fibrous outer skin. Prepare the garlic and shallots or onion (if using). Also, I blanched the broccoli for a minute or so - was not enough as the broccoli was a little more chewy than needed.
  
  Heat a wok over high heat until its surface is hot. Swirl in the oil to coat evenly. When the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic, followed a few seconds later with the sliced shallots or onion (if using). Sauté 10-15 seconds to flavor the oil, then toss in the broccoli. Stir-fry about a minute. If your stove is very hot, add 2-3 Tbs. of water as needed to help steam the vegetable so that it doesn't burn.
  
  Sprinkle in the oyster sauce and stir-fry another minute. Then season to taste with fish sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the broccoli turns vibrant green and is crisply cooked. Sprinkle liberally with white pepper, stir well and transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm along with other dishes with steamed rice.
  
  Recipe is Copyright © 1998 Kasma Loha-unchit.