GraceYoung.com
About the Book| The
Breath of a Wok
"If you've never used a wok, you must have this book. If you've always used a wok, you must have this book. The Breath of a Wok is not just about the care and feeding of the wok as a useful kitchen pan, but "the wok as a way of life," a bridge between cultures for a Chinese American in search of history and destiny. It is also a remarkable collaboration between a writer and a photographer seeking to integrate text and images in a form that reveals what the wok symbolizes---a craft, an art, a container of communal harmony and balance. I'm going to keep this book right inside my seasoned wok."
."
-- Betty Fussell, author of My
Kitchen Wars
The
Breath of a Wok
Unlocking the
Spirit of Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore
 When
Grace Young was a child, her father instilled in her a lasting appreciation
of wok hay, the highly prized but elusive taste that food
achieves when properly stir-fried in a wok. As an adult Young aspired
to create that taste in her own kitchen. Her quest to master wok
cooking led her throughout the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland
China. Along with award-winning photographer Alan Richardson, Young
sought the advice of home cooks, professional chefs, and esteemed
culinary teachers like Cecilia Chiang, Florence Lin, and Ken Hom.
Their advice, stories, and recipes, gathered in this richly designed
and illustrated volume, offer not only expert lessons in the art
of wok cooking, but also capture a beautiful and timeless way of
life.
 With
its emphasis on cooking with all the senses, The Breath of a
Wok brings the techniques and flavors of old-world wok cooking
into today s kitchen, enabling anyone to stir-fry with wok hay.
IACP award-winner Young teaches not only the fundamentals of selecting,
seasoning, and caring for a wok, but also the range of the wok s
uses; this surprisingly inexpensive utensil serves as the ultimate
multipurpose kitchen tool. The 125 recipes are a testament to the
versatility of the wok, with stir-fried, smoked, pan-fried, braised,
boiled, poached, steamed, and deep-fried dishes that include not
only the classics of wok cooking, like Kung Pao Chicken and Moo
Shoo Pork, as well as unusual dishes like Sizzling Pepper and Salt
Shrimp, Three Teacup Chicken, and Scallion and Ginger Lo Mein. Young
s elegant prose and Richardson s extraordinary photographs create
a unique and unforgettable picture of artisan wok makers in mainland
China, street markets in Hong Kong, and a wok-a-thon which Young
s family of aunties, uncles, and cousins cook together in a lively
exchange of recipes and stories. A visit with author Amy Tan also
becomes a family event as Tan and her sisters prepare New Year s
dumplings. Also included are menus for family-style meals and for
Chinese New Year festivities, including an illustrated glossary
and a source guide to purchasing ingredients, woks, and accessories.
Written
with the intimacy of a memoir and the immediacy of a travelogue,
this recipe-rich volume is a celebration
of cultural and culinary
delights.
Copyright 2004. Graceyoung.com. All rights reserved. All photographs except for those of the family and where otherwise indicated are copyrighted by Alan Richardson. No photograph on this website can be downloaded, reproduced, or used in any way without written permission of the photographer.
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