THE WOKS OF LIFE

This is my new go-to Chinese cookbook. If you don’t have it, order it from Amazon.com. I have cooked three recipes from this cookbook or the authors’ web site, and they were all amazing. Shrimp with Lobster sauce… comforting and easy! Crispy egg noodles with vegetables… amazing, crunchy and satisfying! And, from the web site, shrimp in sweet and sour sauce… beautiful with a perfectly balanced tangy sauce! These days, the ingredients needed for these recipes are fairly easy to find – if not at your neighborhood grocery store then in a good Asian market. I was struck by the authenticity of listed ingredients in this book as compared to the classic Everything You Want to Know About Chinese Cooking (1983) by Pearl Kong Chen where, for example, sherry is always listed instead of Shaouxing wine which I imagine Chen thought the average American cook wouldn’t be able to access. Nowadays, we can get almost any Chinese ingredient we need for these Chinese-American recipes, and these authors tell you exactly what you need for each dish. The instructions are easy and well organized. Remember that these ARE Chinese-American recipes, the kind of dishes you would find in a good Chinese restaurant, dishes that most readers will be familiar with like Beef and Broccoli or Kung Pao Chicken. I promise you that cooking these dishes at home will remind you of how sublime Chinese-American food can be. You are going to make something you didn’t think you could make and you’re going to think you’re a genius! Personally, I think the secret to success in making these dishes is to have your ingredients in place before you start cooking, and to own a well-seasoned wok (my old Le Crueset wok is as well-seasoned and as a result as non-stick as my grandmother’s old black skillet). The authors of this cookbook are a family of four, with roots in restaurant cooking and ties to an older and obviously venerated generation who taught them to cook. Their warm personalities shine through their cooking. Check out their web site. Buy this book. Enjoy. And by the way these pictures are of MY amateur cooking from this cookbook. My wok has never been happier!