SKU: 16142700491

The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore

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The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and LoreAward winning author Grace Young celebrates and demystifies the art of wok cooking for the Western home cook. 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. Grace Young's quest to master wok cooking led her throughout the United States, Hong Kong, and

Award-winning author Grace Young celebrates and demystifies the art of wok cooking for the Western home cook.

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.

Grace Young's 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 instructions, 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 details the fundamentals of selecting, seasoning, and caring for a wok, as well as 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, but also 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 in which Young's family of aunties, uncles, and cousins cooks together in a lively exchange of recipes and stories. A visit with author Amy Tan also becomes a family event when Tan and her sisters prepare New Year's dumplings. Additionally, there are menus for family-style meals and for Chinese New Year festivities, 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.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 09/02/2004
ISBN: 9780743238274
Pages: 240
Weight: 2.25lbs
Size: 10.00h x 7.80w x 1.10d
Award: IACP Crystal Whisk Award - Winner
Award: IACP Crystal Whisk Award - Winner
Award: Gourmand World Cookbook Awards (USA Only) - Winner

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 06/21/2004 pg. 61
Booklist 08/01/2004 pg. 1887
Library Journal 08/01/2004 pg. 112
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SKU: 16142700491

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James M. McBee
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 1
Painful Read
Format: Paperback
This is a painful read. I only got it because I’m reading the rest of the EU Booms.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2025
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Sarah M
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Avatar is about reflecting real world issues, and this comic does not disappoint
Format: Paperback
I will admit that at first, I was disappointed that Turf Wars portrayed homophobia in the Avatar verse. My thought was that if this is a fictional world, why not just have homophobia not exist. But Avatar has always been about reflecting real world issues, and this comic handles those issues in a way that felt honest and close to home. It didn't feel like it was using homophobia to exploit the LGBT characters for drama. As a lesbian, I felt that I could relate deeply to the obstacles that Korra and Asami face while entering their relationship, and dealing with coming out. My girlfriend and I both come from conservative families, so it was important early on to communicate coming out boundaries with each other. When Asami hesitates toward immediately coming out to Korra's parents, this isn't portrayed as a negative thing, just that it's important for Korra and Asami to communicate about this. Another thing I loved was the look that Kya gives Korra and Asami, and how she's immediately able to recognize that they're in a relationship. I love that she becomes a support for them, and they have an LGBT mentor in their lives. That's what makes this comic special, to me. This doesn't just realistically portray an LGBT romantic relationship, it also portrays LGBT community, which I find is far rarer in media. It's virtually non-existent in children's media. The only other example I can think of is an episode of Danger & Eggs which features a pride parade. The media landscape is starved for healthy, realistic, and nuanced portrayals of LGBT couples, but what I hardly ever see is LBGT community and culture shown on top of that. I believe there is room in media for both fiction where homophobia doesn't exists, and fiction where it's portrayed with realism without exploitation. In these cases, it's important to show LGBT characters facing these struggles by finding community with each other. Connection through community is powerful. I don't know who I'd be if I didn't grow up without LGBT friends supporting me and guiding me throughout my coming out process. Seeing a comic portray that process is beautiful, and I hope that's the direction the creative world continues to go in. The art is gorgeous, and the story feels like a natural continuation of the television series. When I read the dialogue, I can hear the character's voices in my mind as if I were watching another episode. I'm excited to learn more about the Avatar universe, and watch Korra, Asami, and all the other characters continue to grow and develop with each other.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2017
M
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Ms. Buttercup
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
I expected it to be good, but instead it's great.
Format: Paperback
A surprisingly re-readable little book. I really look forward to part 2! WRITING: Feels like a true continuation of the show. The characters and the world are just like a Season 5, Episode 1 might have been. Mako and Bolin were great together. Korra and Asami were great together. Of the supporting characters, I was glad to see Tenzin and Lin, and a little sad not to see Varrick or Wu. (Maybe they will fit naturally into the plot somewhere in book 2 or 3 of this series? If not, that's okay. It's better for writing to make sense than to have cameos.) ART: Wow. Just the right amount of additional detail for the comic format. I love the clarity of these panels and the camera shots chosen for them. How each character feels shows in their face and body. How a fight scene unfolds can be seen--you can actually tell what the characters do when they fight. It's wonderful. (I'm a bit of a fight scene enthusiast.) Also, the spirit world was whimsical and gorgeous to behold. Nice variety of lush color palettes for each scene. The new characters have distinctive faces, and the new villain has very cool-looking weapons.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2017
A
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Angela
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
It's been three years.
Format: Paperback
This was a great read! It felt like I was actually watching an episode of Korra while flipping through this. Michael DiMartino did a good job at making the dialougue sound like it could've been part of a Korra script. Of course the plot isn't going to be too dramatic since poor Korra already dealt with most of the worst situations ever in the show. The tone is much calmer, with much of the comic's focus being on Korra and Asami's budding relationship and a realistic conflict involving a greedy businessman wanting to turn the spirit portal into a tourist attraction. This comic is very much a suitable continuation of the show. Irene Koh's art is so beautiful!! I love how it's not the typical children's comic cartoony style. I've heard that people have actually been complaining about how it's so different from the show's original style, but I personally think it's fitting and very charming. It gives it a more mature feel. My main complaint is that it's too short. It took nearly three years after the finale for this comic to be released and it's only 80 pages! And the next part isn't going to be released until January! I guess me and other Korra fans are just going to have to stay patient for another 6 months or so.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017
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Chloe
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
I just finished reading Part One and can safely say that I was not at all disappointed. Reading this story felt like being welcomed home ...
Format: Paperback
To say that I was excited for this comic to be released is an understatement. I was waiting all day for it to be delivered and immediately ripped the package open once I got my hands on it. I just finished reading Part One and can safely say that I was not at all disappointed. Reading this story felt like being welcomed home into a world that I grew up in. I started watching the Avatar series when it first aired when I was nine years old. I grew up with those younger characters in ATLA and then spent my teenage years alongside the characters of The Legend of Korra. I was figuring myself out at the same time that Korra was. The finale when Korra and Asami got together came at the perfect time for me as I was still wrestling with my attraction towards multiple genders, especially to women, so to see two female characters (both of whom are also women of color) find comfort in one another and embark on a romantic journey together was everything to me. This comic continued from that point beautifully. We see the infamous Korrasami vacation and it is absolutely stunning. The artwork in this comic jumps of the page. It fits in wonderfully with that of the animated series while still maintaining its own identity. The story itself acts as a set-up for what's to come, but we got another layer of world-building for this wonderful universe and the characters are still the people I remember from the end of the series. I adore every bit of it.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2017

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