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The Wok: Recipes and Techniques
J. Kenji López-Alt’s debut cookbook, The Food Lab, revolutionized home cooking, selling more than half a million copies with its science-based approach to everyday foods. And for fast, fresh cooking for his family, there’s one pan López-Alt reaches for more than any other: the wok.
Whether stir-frying, deep frying, steaming, simmering, or braising, the wok is the most versatile pan in the kitchen. Once you master the basics—the mechanics of a stir-fry, and how to get smoky wok hei at home—you’re ready to cook home-style and restaurant-style dishes from across Asia and the United States, including Kung Pao Chicken, Pad Thai, and San Francisco–Style Garlic Noodles. López-Alt also breaks down the science behind beloved Beef Chow Fun, fried rice, dumplings, tempura vegetables or seafood, and dashi-simmered dishes.
Featuring more than 200 recipes—including simple no-cook sides—explanations of knife skills and how to stock a pantry, and more than 1,000 color photographs, The Wok provides endless ideas for brightening up dinner.
Whether stir-frying, deep frying, steaming, simmering, or braising, the wok is the most versatile pan in the kitchen. Once you master the basics—the mechanics of a stir-fry, and how to get smoky wok hei at home—you’re ready to cook home-style and restaurant-style dishes from across Asia and the United States, including Kung Pao Chicken, Pad Thai, and San Francisco–Style Garlic Noodles. López-Alt also breaks down the science behind beloved Beef Chow Fun, fried rice, dumplings, tempura vegetables or seafood, and dashi-simmered dishes.
Featuring more than 200 recipes—including simple no-cook sides—explanations of knife skills and how to stock a pantry, and more than 1,000 color photographs, The Wok provides endless ideas for brightening up dinner.
672 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2022
751 people are currently reading
6288 people want to read
About the author
J. Kenji López-Alt
14 books427 followersJ. Kenji López-Alt is the managing culinary director of SeriousEats.com, author of the James Beard Award–nominated column The Food Lab, and a columnist for Cooking Light. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Adriana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
March 9, 2022
The Wok: Recipes and Techniques by J. Kenji López-Alt is a 2022 W.W. Norton Company publication.
Absolutely THE best cookbook I’ve picked up in a long time! Kenji is a popular chef and food writer and has a YouTube channel with an astronomical following. This new cookbook, obviously, is centered around recipes and food preparation using the versatile Wok.
This book is packed with mouth-watering recipes- naturally- but the book could also serve as cooking class, it is so chock full of information and lessons on how to use your Wok- such as:
The science behind the way the Wok works, the type of Wok you should buy, how to season your wok, must have knives, spices to keep on hand, how to slice, and seed, vegetables, and in-depth information about ingredients- like MSG and Glutamic acid, the best way to freeze food, and the right oils to use for the best results.
All this fabulous information is packed in between pages and pages of in-depth recipes, which also includes color photographs.
This cookbook is awesome and is one my husband and I will use frequently and refer to often.
The author is so knowledgeable and explains things in such an easy-to-understand manner, it makes this book both fun and informative.
After learning how to use the Wok properly, and following Kenji’s advice, your recipes will be professional quality too!
Overall, this cookbook has a wonderful presentation and layout. I learned so much reading it, and can’t wait to try out these tantalizing recipes!
Absolutely THE best cookbook I’ve picked up in a long time! Kenji is a popular chef and food writer and has a YouTube channel with an astronomical following. This new cookbook, obviously, is centered around recipes and food preparation using the versatile Wok.
This book is packed with mouth-watering recipes- naturally- but the book could also serve as cooking class, it is so chock full of information and lessons on how to use your Wok- such as:
The science behind the way the Wok works, the type of Wok you should buy, how to season your wok, must have knives, spices to keep on hand, how to slice, and seed, vegetables, and in-depth information about ingredients- like MSG and Glutamic acid, the best way to freeze food, and the right oils to use for the best results.
All this fabulous information is packed in between pages and pages of in-depth recipes, which also includes color photographs.
This cookbook is awesome and is one my husband and I will use frequently and refer to often.
The author is so knowledgeable and explains things in such an easy-to-understand manner, it makes this book both fun and informative.
After learning how to use the Wok properly, and following Kenji’s advice, your recipes will be professional quality too!
Overall, this cookbook has a wonderful presentation and layout. I learned so much reading it, and can’t wait to try out these tantalizing recipes!
March 11, 2022
Update: Received the print book on pub day, and it’s gorgeous!
Kenji has no competitors in his field and he wants to share everything he knows with everyone so they can enjoy eating and cooking as he does.
His first cookbook, The Food Lab, was and is stellar, our own personal copy has so many bookmarks, sticky notes, and food stains, that it's beloved like a child's favorite stuffed animal.
I have a strong feeling The Wok will join its sibling in the same manner. I know many people 'highly anticipating' this cookbook, my husband included.
Well done Sir, oustanding!
Thank you to W.W. Norton & Co. and Edelweiss for the egalley.
Kenji has no competitors in his field and he wants to share everything he knows with everyone so they can enjoy eating and cooking as he does.
His first cookbook, The Food Lab, was and is stellar, our own personal copy has so many bookmarks, sticky notes, and food stains, that it's beloved like a child's favorite stuffed animal.
I have a strong feeling The Wok will join its sibling in the same manner. I know many people 'highly anticipating' this cookbook, my husband included.
Well done Sir, oustanding!
Thank you to W.W. Norton & Co. and Edelweiss for the egalley.
October 26, 2023
SO MANY dog-eared pages I can't wait to get back to 😋 and the 10 recipes I've already tried were incredible. So many flavors!! So many textures!!! So much HEAT!!!! I love giving my woks a worthy workout and this collection does not disappoint. At all.
Yummers.
For real.
Yum.
Mers.
5 Seriously Spicy Stars
Yummers.
For real.
Yum.
Mers.
5 Seriously Spicy Stars
April 6, 2022
Kenji is one of my favorite food people. His Serious Eats articles, his first book “The Food Lab”, his Youtube channel. They’re all excellent content, full of science-based cooking tips and a big dose of friendly vibes. I was excited to get The Wok and to get a wok.
That impulse didn’t last long. I liked the book quite a bit! But it put me off wok cooking, specifically stir fry. He does a great job explaining the techniques. But they sound so challenging! Precise tossing, super hot pans, everything moving fast, velveting.. It seemed like a lot. And do I really need another big pan in the house? Maybe stir fry is something I get only via takeout and restaurants.
Fortunately the book has a lot more in it than just stir fry. Really only a third of the book is even wok specific, a lot of the recipes don’t use a wok at all or will braise just fine in a Western pot. So really the book is a great tour of mostly Asian cooking. His explanations of how to use Chinese sauces is fantastic. So is his collection of relatively simple but flavorful dishes.
It’s a mistake to call the book “recipes”, it’s not a traditional cookbook. Most of it is really more a description of techniques. At its best the book is a sort of choose-your-own adventure where he explains how to prep vegetables and proteins to make a dish and then gives suggestions for good flavoring. This matches exactly how I think about cooking, and I think a lot of other people. It’s a great cooking writing style.
I seldom sit down and read a cookbook cover to cover like a regular book but I’m glad I did with this one. I should add the Kindle edition is quite nicely done, I may actually prefer it to the hardback.
That impulse didn’t last long. I liked the book quite a bit! But it put me off wok cooking, specifically stir fry. He does a great job explaining the techniques. But they sound so challenging! Precise tossing, super hot pans, everything moving fast, velveting.. It seemed like a lot. And do I really need another big pan in the house? Maybe stir fry is something I get only via takeout and restaurants.
Fortunately the book has a lot more in it than just stir fry. Really only a third of the book is even wok specific, a lot of the recipes don’t use a wok at all or will braise just fine in a Western pot. So really the book is a great tour of mostly Asian cooking. His explanations of how to use Chinese sauces is fantastic. So is his collection of relatively simple but flavorful dishes.
It’s a mistake to call the book “recipes”, it’s not a traditional cookbook. Most of it is really more a description of techniques. At its best the book is a sort of choose-your-own adventure where he explains how to prep vegetables and proteins to make a dish and then gives suggestions for good flavoring. This matches exactly how I think about cooking, and I think a lot of other people. It’s a great cooking writing style.
I seldom sit down and read a cookbook cover to cover like a regular book but I’m glad I did with this one. I should add the Kindle edition is quite nicely done, I may actually prefer it to the hardback.
March 9, 2022
An outstanding body of work, as has come to be expected from the author. I am an Asian living in Asia with no dearth of delicious Asian food available, but I still want to cook from this book.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
May 29, 2023
Improves on everything I didn't like from his first cookbook (meat focus, "my wife" anecdotes), and keeps/expands the good parts. He's great at giving recipes that just work (nothing has been a miss thus far) while also telling you how you can modify them (such as with charts on how to prepare different vegetables for congee or stir fry). I cook vegetarian/small fish pescatarian at home, and it's been easy to adapt many of the recipes. Breaking down the science of what actually matters is also a big component that makes it interesting to read through and understand why you are doing different steps.
November 28, 2023
Yes I put cook books in my goodreads. Kenji is my FAV chef and I love his merging of science and practical home cooking. Only one star off because it is a thick cook book and sometimes I am intimidated to open it looking for recipes.
January 29, 2023
I was lukewarm on Kenji's first book, but I enjoyed this one a lot more! I think the slightly more narrow focus worked in his favor, and just tonally I sensed a slight shift away from what I found to be a quite off-putting ''I MAN, I KNOW BEST" vibe in the first book. Lie-flat binding, and a lot of photos, though the layout of the book made some of the photo placements confusing, since they'd sometimes come well before the actual recipe itself. And I will say, this is still a MASSIVE tome, really meant to be a reference book and to really walk you through a lot of the principals of cooking with a wok, which frankly is just not personally what I'm looking for in a cookbook. I want recipes, and I want to be given the relevant information to make said recipes as concisely as possible. And I did bookmark a lot of things to make, but ultimately the layout and Kenji's style here aren't quite for me.
Recipes I've Made
Cheesy Congee with Bacon, Charred Corn, Scallions, and Cilantro - delicious twist on congee!! I swapped parsley for cilantro, which worked great, and the whole thing made for a very tasty breakfast!
Recipes I've Made
Cheesy Congee with Bacon, Charred Corn, Scallions, and Cilantro - delicious twist on congee!! I swapped parsley for cilantro, which worked great, and the whole thing made for a very tasty breakfast!
October 7, 2022
Another tome by Kenji, read cover to cover. No regrets.
Although the actual quality of the book (esp. photography) feels slightly lower than The Food Lab, I love this one just as much for what it is. It doesn't attempt to be the most authentic and genuine treatise on every type of Asian cuisine, but it provides a practical and easy to follow access point into those cuisines for clueless Americans like me. It's the perfect jumping-off point for diving deeper into East Asian cooking.
What is doubanjiang? What brand of oyster sauce should I look for? How do I select and care for a wok? What do I do with a Thai eggplant? How should I slice beef for a stir fry? It's like a choose-your-own-adventure book full of techniques and example recipes. I personally read it like a textbook, and now feel 100x more confident approaching any other Asian recipes I might encounter online or elsewhere.
Sure I could look online for all this info, but it is awfully convenient to just have it all in one place, to have someone tell you "Start here, this will get you most of the way" or "You'll never find that in the States, so use this instead".
Highly recommended for all my foodie friends.
Although the actual quality of the book (esp. photography) feels slightly lower than The Food Lab, I love this one just as much for what it is. It doesn't attempt to be the most authentic and genuine treatise on every type of Asian cuisine, but it provides a practical and easy to follow access point into those cuisines for clueless Americans like me. It's the perfect jumping-off point for diving deeper into East Asian cooking.
What is doubanjiang? What brand of oyster sauce should I look for? How do I select and care for a wok? What do I do with a Thai eggplant? How should I slice beef for a stir fry? It's like a choose-your-own-adventure book full of techniques and example recipes. I personally read it like a textbook, and now feel 100x more confident approaching any other Asian recipes I might encounter online or elsewhere.
Sure I could look online for all this info, but it is awfully convenient to just have it all in one place, to have someone tell you "Start here, this will get you most of the way" or "You'll never find that in the States, so use this instead".
Highly recommended for all my foodie friends.
January 25, 2025
The astonishing science-oriented approach to cooking has earned Kenji a large online following. I read about detailed knife skills and detailed techniques including the trigonometry of slicing against the grain. Kenji has done a lot of research for this book, testing different ways to achieve the best crunchy fried coating for chicken. I was interested to read that there are different methods for velveting meat and keen to try these as I've had limited success with this in the past.
The recipes have a lot of detail, and I now feel more confident in attempting wok cooking.
The recipes have a lot of detail, and I now feel more confident in attempting wok cooking.
April 11, 2022
The Wok author J Kenji Lopez-Alt is of one most influential food writers today. He is the author of the popular book The Food Lab. In this book, he gives us an understanding of wok cooking. He navigates from authentic Sichuan cooking to American Chinese to Thai curries. He addresses the how’s and whys of cooking with the wok from stir-frying to steaming and smoking. He provides tremendous amount of information, systematic recipes and beautiful photographs that makes it a fascinating read and useful kitchen tool. He demonstrates home style and restaurant style dishes like Kung Pao chicken, Pad Thai and San Francisco style garlic noodles, fried rice, dumplings, tempura vegetables or seafood and many other delectable dishes.
Kenji has so much personal experience with a variety of foods and cooking techniques that he can show people with less experience how to get a feeling for cooking with a wok. He explains the virtues of a wok and what wok is the “best” (carbon steel). It is a comprehensive cookbook with more than 200 recipes including non-cook sides and 1000 pictures. He discusses the science behind the cooking. I will enjoy this book for many years. His explanations of knife skills, how to stock a pantry and his explanations of cooking techniques is fascination. This is a must book for learning everything about cooking with a wok.
Kenji has so much personal experience with a variety of foods and cooking techniques that he can show people with less experience how to get a feeling for cooking with a wok. He explains the virtues of a wok and what wok is the “best” (carbon steel). It is a comprehensive cookbook with more than 200 recipes including non-cook sides and 1000 pictures. He discusses the science behind the cooking. I will enjoy this book for many years. His explanations of knife skills, how to stock a pantry and his explanations of cooking techniques is fascination. This is a must book for learning everything about cooking with a wok.
June 3, 2022
Gives you helpful photos along with instructions regarding how to cut vegetables and what the dishes are supposed to look like. I will be transparent by stating, that I did not get this book for his recipes. I wanted to see what his preferred brands were and just to get a better understanding of who he regards as great chefs, since he is a chef, as well.
Some helpful ideas include: slice and don't chop your scallions. This prevents bruising. If you want to mince garlic or ginger, take the knob, use a pestle and mortar, and smash away.
He gives major accolades to Joyce Chen, the pioneer who got America into Chinese American cooking. While her cooking is not authentic by any means, it was never advertised to be. It's an introduction to those who do not have access to various Chinese ingredients.
What I truly enjoyed and the biggest takeaway is Kenji give us name brands for which condiments. His preference is Lee Kum Kee.
Some helpful ideas include: slice and don't chop your scallions. This prevents bruising. If you want to mince garlic or ginger, take the knob, use a pestle and mortar, and smash away.
He gives major accolades to Joyce Chen, the pioneer who got America into Chinese American cooking. While her cooking is not authentic by any means, it was never advertised to be. It's an introduction to those who do not have access to various Chinese ingredients.
What I truly enjoyed and the biggest takeaway is Kenji give us name brands for which condiments. His preference is Lee Kum Kee.
June 24, 2022
A great compendium of science and culinary techniques, written with Kenji’s characteristic curiosity and verve, that addresses the hows and whys of cooking with a wok, from stir-frying to steaming and smoking. The wealth of information, systematic recipes and plentiful photographs make this both a fascinating read and an invaluable kitchen tool.
Fuchsia Dunlop
The Wok offers a new approach to mastery of this ancient and venerated culinary workhorse. López-Alt’s groundbreaking kitchen science is an unprecedented contribution to our understanding of wok cooking. This book will inspire a new generation of home cooks to embrace the wok.
Grace Young
Fuchsia Dunlop
The Wok offers a new approach to mastery of this ancient and venerated culinary workhorse. López-Alt’s groundbreaking kitchen science is an unprecedented contribution to our understanding of wok cooking. This book will inspire a new generation of home cooks to embrace the wok.
Grace Young
March 7, 2024
Kenji: The wok is the best tool ever because all meals take 15-30 minutes!
Also Kenji: Here is an elaborate process to create the most tender meat. Have your 5 bowls of cut up vegetables (including some cut into match sticks) and sauce ready before your start. Don't put corn starch into the sauce to thicken it - you must instead make corn starch slurry as a 7th bowl of prepared shit, to splash in awkwardly at the end.
It's still a cool introduction to a lot of ingredients, flavors, and techniques that I was unfamiliar with.
Also Kenji: Here is an elaborate process to create the most tender meat. Have your 5 bowls of cut up vegetables (including some cut into match sticks) and sauce ready before your start. Don't put corn starch into the sauce to thicken it - you must instead make corn starch slurry as a 7th bowl of prepared shit, to splash in awkwardly at the end.
It's still a cool introduction to a lot of ingredients, flavors, and techniques that I was unfamiliar with.
August 28, 2024
I'd give it six stars if Jeffrey Bezos would let me. I've never made beef and broccoli in my life and even with cheap, terrible oyster sauce from Stop and Shop and boil-in-bag rice I was eating it and thinking "I'd make this again". The "okay dummy, get your mise en place ready now" step from the stir-fry recipes is something that frankly every cookbook should do for every recipe. The double-page "here's how you can put anything you can imagine in fried rice" spread is something I see myself returning to time and time again. If Kenji has million fans, then I'm one of them, etc. etc.
March 28, 2025
Got me out of a complete rut with my cooking routine. I’m now making chicken stock weekly, velveting my meats, have a batch of dashi in the freezer, and am genuinely enjoying the process. My favorite part of this style of cooking is the composability - now that I’ve got the basics down, I feel confident mixing and matching based on the foundational components, e.g. sauces, proteins, and veggies. I love Kenji’s scientific mindset and that he answers the “why” with detailed experimentation and curiosity.
May 12, 2023
This is a cookbook worth buying if you're interested in either cooking excellent Chinese food or Better Cooking Through Science. Mr Lopez-Alt is painstakingly scientific but in a tremendously friendly, accessible way. He keeps the hyper-technical stuff in sidebars and the recipes themselves are the right mix of not daunting and uncompromisingly delicious and authentic seeming. Definitely recommend.
November 27, 2022
I consider myself a pretty good cook. I consider cooking to be an art and baking to be a science. I bought a wok thinking it would be easy for me. The learning curve is harder than I was expecting! This book makes cooking in a wok a science, which isn’t my flavor of cooking. That said, tons of info and a few recipes I will be trying.
December 25, 2022
If you’re just looking to expand your stir fry sauce repertoire by a couple of options this book way exceeds your needs. You get history, you get technique, you’re being told that your stovetop won‘t get hot enough (which, fair).
Still, I did find sauce options, jutted down stuff to maybe find in the big Asian supermarket and marked a couple of chapters to return to.
Still, I did find sauce options, jutted down stuff to maybe find in the big Asian supermarket and marked a couple of chapters to return to.
March 31, 2022
Holy moly, this one could double as a weapon. It is a thiccc one. Sarah, if you're reading this, get this one from the library. It's like the standard Asian dishes bible. I think you'd like it.
February 11, 2023
Seems very comprehensive. The only downside was that the pictures weren't great quality, although it's awesome there are a ton of them to help illustrate the techniques.
July 6, 2023
one of the best from the goat himself
September 14, 2025
Fantastic cookbook, transformed my kitchen.
December 24, 2022
Certainly not read cover to cover. But what I have read/referenced is pure Kenji. So, 5 stars. :-) And gratitude to my nephew who told me he (Kenji) now has a YouTube channel.
April 9, 2022
This is a must-have cookbook for every kitchen. The book itself is heavy. It is filled with gorgeous photographs, recipes, and EVERYTHING you need to know about using a wok. At first, I found this somewhat intimidating, but after preparing several recipes I could not be more pleased. Goodbye googling recipes and Youtube videos. It is all here. A+
I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway in return for my honest review.
I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway in return for my honest review.
June 16, 2022
This did not come in time for AAPI Heritage Month but that's fine. I had read other works by López-Alt and was curious what he might have to say int his behemoth of a book (I mean that in a nice way). I've never cooked with a wok, didn't really have any thoughts or expectations and wasn't looking to really try any of these recipes yet, but was excited to see where this would go.
It's a cookbook, breakdown of the history and background of the wok, plus a general tips and tricks that you can adapt for yourself. There's tidbits of historical information, cooking techniques, stories, pictures and more. Some have also personal anecdotes of his that you may like or maybe not, depending on what you're looking for.
There's not much to it than that. If you're looking for a more traditional cookbook it's not that, nor is it an examination of the wok itself (in the context of historical, social and other situations, etc.) It's more of a mix that is probably for foodies, serious chefs and the like. If you're just a newbie or someone who has passing interest, it might not be for you.
It'd probably make for a fantastic gift for a chef or foodie. If you're a layperson, a library borrow is probably best. I borrowed this as an e-book as it IS more than 600 pages, eeek. So be aware that it's probably fairly hefty/heavy if you're considering issues such as space and/or moving it around, etc.
Library borrow was best for me.
It's a cookbook, breakdown of the history and background of the wok, plus a general tips and tricks that you can adapt for yourself. There's tidbits of historical information, cooking techniques, stories, pictures and more. Some have also personal anecdotes of his that you may like or maybe not, depending on what you're looking for.
There's not much to it than that. If you're looking for a more traditional cookbook it's not that, nor is it an examination of the wok itself (in the context of historical, social and other situations, etc.) It's more of a mix that is probably for foodies, serious chefs and the like. If you're just a newbie or someone who has passing interest, it might not be for you.
It'd probably make for a fantastic gift for a chef or foodie. If you're a layperson, a library borrow is probably best. I borrowed this as an e-book as it IS more than 600 pages, eeek. So be aware that it's probably fairly hefty/heavy if you're considering issues such as space and/or moving it around, etc.
Library borrow was best for me.
May 18, 2022
If you love asian food but are thinking "I don't have a wok, so this book isn't for me." you are mistaken. I kind of wish the title was more broad because this a great asian recipe cookbook, wok or no wok (and full disclosure, I do not own a wok].
Not a only are there lots of pictures that show what the dish should look like, there are how-to pictures showing you various techniques. I love that J. Kenji López-Alt provides detailed explanations regarding ingredients, as well as recommended brands. If you've ever wandered the aisles of an H Mart or Super 88, you know how overwhelming all the choices can be. This book provides me with the author's preferred brands of ingredients, and this is so VERY helpful and APPRECIATED.
The author notes before each recipe provide some extra info regarding the recipe, be it a warm personal explanation of how the recipe impacted him in some way or some extra technique tips. The instructions for the recipes themselves are straight forward and easy to follow. Any recipe that seems like it might be complicated is explained quite clearly so you won't be nervous about trying to make it.
Not a only are there lots of pictures that show what the dish should look like, there are how-to pictures showing you various techniques. I love that J. Kenji López-Alt provides detailed explanations regarding ingredients, as well as recommended brands. If you've ever wandered the aisles of an H Mart or Super 88, you know how overwhelming all the choices can be. This book provides me with the author's preferred brands of ingredients, and this is so VERY helpful and APPRECIATED.
The author notes before each recipe provide some extra info regarding the recipe, be it a warm personal explanation of how the recipe impacted him in some way or some extra technique tips. The instructions for the recipes themselves are straight forward and easy to follow. Any recipe that seems like it might be complicated is explained quite clearly so you won't be nervous about trying to make it.
April 10, 2022
I was SO excited to find this book at Costco, especially for $29.99. I almost bought The Food Lab too, but decided to start with just one. Glad I did!
This book gets 5 stars for technique, history, science, pictures that make you want to cook and eat everything in it. However, I’m only giving it 3 stars because it is definitely not for the average person. This book is for someone who literally wants to be a chef and has the time to dedicate to it.
I absolutely love to cook! I love to learn new techniques and try new recipes. I have had a wok for over a decade and was excited to read this and maybe use it more. This book made me want to stay away from my wok and just go out to a nice place to enjoy Asian specialties or do takeout.
Way too many ingredients (including hard to find ingredients for the average person). Too much instruction. Definitely not quick and user friendly.
Again, this is a fantastic book for someone who wants to dive DEEP into culinary art, but very expensive book if you thought you were going to learn how to make your favorite take out at home.
This book gets 5 stars for technique, history, science, pictures that make you want to cook and eat everything in it. However, I’m only giving it 3 stars because it is definitely not for the average person. This book is for someone who literally wants to be a chef and has the time to dedicate to it.
I absolutely love to cook! I love to learn new techniques and try new recipes. I have had a wok for over a decade and was excited to read this and maybe use it more. This book made me want to stay away from my wok and just go out to a nice place to enjoy Asian specialties or do takeout.
Way too many ingredients (including hard to find ingredients for the average person). Too much instruction. Definitely not quick and user friendly.
Again, this is a fantastic book for someone who wants to dive DEEP into culinary art, but very expensive book if you thought you were going to learn how to make your favorite take out at home.
April 6, 2022
It's a bit disingenuous to rate a cookbook I've read but haven't used. I starting making note of the recipes I wanted to try and that I thought were within my skillset, and it quickly became more than I could keep track of. I got this from the library but I'm going to buy my own copy of it and work my way through it.
So much of what's in here is the food I like to eat, some of it being food I've tried to make but always in a series of one-offs; here it is organized, explained, documented, with photographs, with step-by-step sidebars, with charts laying out everything you could possibly wonder.
For sure once I get into using this I'm going to run up against my own inexperience and maybe even hope for more or different content. But even with this book in my hands I've read more than any other cookbook I've gone through, so I'm really hopeful for a lot of delicious meals to come.
So much of what's in here is the food I like to eat, some of it being food I've tried to make but always in a series of one-offs; here it is organized, explained, documented, with photographs, with step-by-step sidebars, with charts laying out everything you could possibly wonder.
For sure once I get into using this I'm going to run up against my own inexperience and maybe even hope for more or different content. But even with this book in my hands I've read more than any other cookbook I've gone through, so I'm really hopeful for a lot of delicious meals to come.
January 24, 2023
Read more or less straight through this, frequently cooking stuff -- I think I've already cooked more recipes from this book than I have from any other cookbook I got in the last 20 years. Some really interesting recipes, plus a really strong organized approach early on. Did have that issue I had with The Food Lab cookbook -- he includes very detailed instructions that sometimes just don't work for me.
The Red-Braised Pork recipe, for instance -- his instructions for browning the sugar at the beginning didn't work at all for me, and for the last step I turned the heat way up and it still took an hour longer than the recipe suggested. That said, the end result was at least as good as any red-braised recipe I got from Fuchsia Dunlop's books.
Anyway, speaking as someone who has a dozen Chinese cookbooks, this was absolutely a worthwhile buy IMO. I look forward to trying more recipes from it as soon as possible!
The Red-Braised Pork recipe, for instance -- his instructions for browning the sugar at the beginning didn't work at all for me, and for the last step I turned the heat way up and it still took an hour longer than the recipe suggested. That said, the end result was at least as good as any red-braised recipe I got from Fuchsia Dunlop's books.
Anyway, speaking as someone who has a dozen Chinese cookbooks, this was absolutely a worthwhile buy IMO. I look forward to trying more recipes from it as soon as possible!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews