Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family: A Cookbook
Starred review from October 17, 2022
“Food is never just about the recipe; it’s also about how you enjoy it, share it, and pass it on,” according to the heartfelt debut cookbook from the Leung family, creators of the Woks of Life\t blog. Inspired by modern convenience and the family’s Chinese heritage, the recipes draw on parents Judy and Bill’s restaurant experience, as well as sisters Sarah and Kaitlin’s ability to devise shortcuts and quick meals. Readers will appreciate the hacks to simplify prep work; for example, dan dan noodles can be made with a premixed sauce, while the key to creamy Old Shanghai potato salad lies in adding vanilla ice cream, one tablespoon at a time. The family’s homemade chili oil—a recipe also featured in the book—adds a kick to numerous dishes, including a tender Hong Kong beef brisket in a rich, clear broth, and a “sour spicy” Napa cabbage salad. QR codes link to demonstration videos, and the guide to necessary cooking tools will help those with less experience cooking Chinese dishes. This enlightening guide will have home cooks eager to test their skills and share their efforts with loved ones.
November 1, 2022
From the family behind The Woks of Life blog, this cookbook builds on their passion for food and Sarah Leung's original desire to capture history, home, and flavor by documenting her parents' cook-by-feel recipes, uniting generations and preserving the memory and experience of Chinese cooking. Covering a range of recipes from Cantonese to American Chinese, and regional Chinese dishes inspired by travel and research, the cookbook features 100 recipes for every "wok" of life, as well as a primer on essential tools for Chinese cooking, pantry items, techniques, and more. The recipes include dim sum, starters, noodles, rice, poultry and eggs; pork, beef, and lamb; fish and shellfish; vegetables and tofu; soups and stocks; sauces; desserts and sweet things. Included are assembly instructions, tips, and handy QR codes to help home cooks master each recipe and connect further to useful blog content. VERDICT Covering a huge range of dishes and then some, this cookbook will thrill fans of the blog and appeal to cooks of all skill levels, including those looking for a challenge.--Gricel Dominguez
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