The Breath Of A Wok: Unlocking The Spirit Of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes And Lore (2/2)

Young also uses the wok to make Classic Rice that will be the base of these meals, but if your wok is otherwise occupied, she also offers saucepan directions. Rinse, boil, cover and let steam do its work. She also shares the secret to good fried rice, in which each grain is separate but infused with flavor. Make extra rice, save it for a day to firm and then make Aromatic Veg?etarian Fried Rice, layered with the flavors of shallots, garlic, carrots, and bell pepper. Grace Young is the ideal translator. She grew up in a Chinese family and knows flavors and ingredients, but she is also expert at delving beneath the surface to find the complexity and explain it. She offers no shortcuts or simplifi?cations, but finds authenticity and accordingly deep lavor. You can cook out of this book at any level, seeking out unique ingredients like wolf berries and lily buds, and developing the skill to brown a whole chicken for Uncle Lang’s Three Teacup Chicken or simply getting that stir-fry where it should be. Will you achieve wok hay if you cook from this book? Without an auntie or a chef nodding ap?proval after the first bite, it’s hard to say. But don’t just cook from this book, step into the pictures and read every page, following Young’s travels and discoveries. Claudia Kousoulas, an estab?lished home cook and freelance writer whose passion for good food carries them to each new book with a fresh eye. She tests every book she reviews, looking for promises kept, and unexpect?ed pitfalls. Her reviews give read?ers a real taste of every book.