My whole reason for introducing the ideas of hot spots was to show that for many recipes, hot spots are not good. If you want to gently simmer a rich sauce or gravy, and you can't be watching the pot constantly because there are other things to be done, hot spots can cause the sauce or gravy to burn at just that spot, ruining the whole pot. Also, when searing a large chunk of flat meat, such as a porterhouse, hot spots can cause a portion of the meat to overcook, or even scorch before the rest of the meat is cooked to the desired temp. It has nothing to do with placing your food where the flame isn't, such as the outside rim of the pan.
With my gas stove, the flame comes out the side of the burner and bends upwards in a ring. It then travels to the outside of the pan, and up the sides. That's simple physics. Hot air rises and will continue to do so until it escapes its confines, i.e., the middle of the pan. Hence, the center of the pan is cooler than where the flame first touches the pan, and then travels outwards. There are devices that help spread the heat across the whole pan or pot bottom. These are known as diffusers, and help eliminate hot spots to promote more even temperatures along the entire cooking surface, thereby cooking the food more evenly.
The idea that hot spots are good is absurd. Hot spots make cooking things like rice, beans, sauces, flat pieces of meat, stews, etc. difficult. Ever find a bit of scorched food in the bottom of a chili pot? That scorched flavor will permeate the whole of the product, making it less desirable, or even, if scorched enough, inedible.
As for your statement about putting foods around the outside of a pan like the petals of a daisy, and calling that stupid, that is somewhat condescending, and is at times, just plain wrong. With my wok, I regularly use the hot spot, the very flat, and center part of the pan, to quickly stir-fry the food, moving it to the cooler slopes of the sides, where the heat is much milder and won't overcook the food, but will still keep it warm, as I add more ingredients to the recipe. I have been known to do such things by keeping the flame lower, and using the pan sides of my 11 in CI pans to do the same thing.
Ever try to cook English Muffins in a dry pan, with hot spots? It doesn't work well, same with pizza.
You may know something about the type/style of cooking that you do. But there are so many techniques out there that you don't have a prayer at knowing them all. I invite you to discuss your opinions intelligently, giving, and taking from the discussion. That's why we discuss things, to help each other, and to learn from each other. But I promise you, that if you try to force your opinions and ideas upon everyone, and not listen to the responses, people will stop discussing things. I, for one, won't be dictated to. I have engineering knowledge, a scientific background, 40 years of cooking experience, and an intense desire to know how, and why things work. I know a lot about cooking, a significant amount about physical properties of materials, and how food reacts, and understand that there are people in this forum that know significantly more than I do. I am constantly learning new things here, and sharing things that I learn with others.
Remember, there is never a reason to call someone else's idea stupid. The name of this site is DiscussCooking, not - I am the only good cook on the site. You may disagree with something that someone has said. When that happens, it is your responsibility to argue your viewpoint, politely, with substantive fact to back up your ideas. There may even be times when you are absolutely correct, but can not convince someone else. Then, you just politely walk away. Where there is contention, no one learns anything, and pride rules.
Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
