The Essential Wok Cookbook: A Simple Chinese Cookbook for Stir-Fry, Dim Sum, and Other Restaurant Favorites

This book is great! I have the digital version and I love that I can search through recipes so fast. I have never used a wok before but this book helped walk me through the steps and help me feel confident in cooking Chinese food in my own kitchen. The first chapter, titled Everyday Chinese Cooking, was actually interesting and informational. (I had planned on skipping over it, but I skimmed it a little, then I went back to read the whole thing!) It talks about wok basics, like how to select the best one for you, how to season it, care for it, etc. I found it is a lot like a cast iron pan in that they say it gets seasoned over time, which makes the food better, so how you clean it matters. This chapter also talks about what makes traditional Chinese food very healthy, and how it differs from Americanized Chinese cuisine. Chapter 2, The Chinese Kitchen discusses basic ingredients you'll need, and essential cooking tools, which I found very helpful as well. Throughout the book there are also little stories about the origins of fortune cookies, what MSG is, etc. I did notice, however, when I was making the Hoisin Chicken that the last remaining steps weren't mentioned. There were sautéed onions and bell peppers set aside, then the chicken was cooked. Obviously you put the two together and serve it, but the book never said how/when to combine them. I thought it was silly that the book never mentioned the onion mixture again, but I guess they didn't feel the need to state the obvious, like most recipe books do. It was a minor issue, so I still gave the book 5 stars. Note: I received this book for free in exchange for my review, however it did not influence my opinions or my review at all.

Granted, I am not a very experienced wok user but I wonder if there might be an error in the recipe for “Better Beef with Broccoli.” It calls for 3 tablespoons cornstarch to 2 tablespoons water to coat 1 lb of cut up beef. It was pretty thick and stuck to the bottom of my wok. It was difficult to stir fry the broccoli and onion with that cornstarch coating burning to the bottom of my wok. I have seen recipes where the broccoli is steamed a bit in the wok first and removed, before the meat is cooked, which in this case might have worked better for me. The second time I tried the recipe, I used just 3 TEASPOONS of cornstarch instead of tablespoons, to the 2 tablespoons of water and it was much easier to manage and tasted better. It could be my technique that needs work. I have noticed other recipes in the book calling for either 3 teaspoons or 3 tablespoons of cornstarch for what appears to be the same amount of liquid. I suspect the tablespoons is meant to be teaspoons but as I said, it could be me and my technique, or lack thereof. Still learning to “wok.” Made the “Super Easy Vegetable Lo Mein” today, with spaghetti, and it was very good. I am loving this cookbook. All the sauces I have tried have been delicious. I like that it is American Chinese and easily accessible. Looking forward to getting better at handling my new wok by making these scrumptious recipes.

Wonderful book and great recipes. Only lost a star due to the cover damage. But not a total deal breaker. Such simple, clear instructions makes it easy for someone who isn’t a big cook to make good dishes.

As a family that loves Chinese take out and stir fry dishes, this cookbook has found a great home with us. I am amazed at how easy and inexpensive it is to whip up many of our favorite Chinese take out dishes at home with this cookbook! I always thought that it would take so much time, money, and work to make our own dishes with Chinese flair. I have found thanks to The Essential Wok Cookbook that this could not be further from reality. I love the way they have laid out recipes in this book and also include many that are under $10 to make and take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Being a busy mom of two small children on a limited income, this is invaluable. I am always looking for ways to stretch our dollars as well as my time and this book is a lifesaver. Not only am I able to make a great dish (Easy Sesame Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Vegetable Egg Rolls are favorites here) for under $10, but everyone loves it and I know that I am serving something healthier than take out food. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to make some great dishes in a wok, regardless of your expertise. The step by step instructions are a cinch to follow and many of the ingredients can be found easily at your local grocery. *I received this ebook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review, all opinions are my own.

This is a great book to help get started cooking in a wok. Lots of great information and great recipes to get started.

My husband loves this cookbook. He has made about 5 meals already since he got it for his birthday 12 days ago.

Given its impressive Amazon rating, I decided to give this book a try. It potentially deserves lower than 3 stars, but I did not try out the diverse array of recipes, perhaps there is a gem I did not come across. As stated in my review headline, the fact that almost none of the recipes have corresponding images of the steps or the final product is fairly unforgivable. I myself do not like overly greasy stir fry, and I like to limit oil usage as well, but the recommended oil proportion in this book is comical low. Even being conservative, you would have to use at least double the amount of recommended oil in these recipes for it to stir fry properly. I ended up giving this book to a coworker, who also was disappointed and had the same thoughts that I did.

I can’t say enough good things about this book! I wanted to introduce myself to cooking with a wok. I bought this book, read the first two chapters, bought the type of wok recommended, bought the basic ingredients to have on hand and got started. I have made four recipes so far and they have been absolutely wonderful. I did he smoked salmon today and it was simply incredible. Easy and clear recipes and instructions. I have tried using a bamboo steamer, stir fry (after properly seasoning my wok) and now smoking ... all first time experiences and all delicious results. Thank you! I have about 20 more recipes marked to try and can’t wait!

I bought this book because of one recipe I saw in the preview. I was very pleasantly surprised to find several more that I’ve been looking for. We have a local Indian-Chinese style restaurant which has excellent food. That menu started my recipe search, and several of them are in this book. What a great find!

Recetas muy bien explicadas. Sólo hace falta un poco de práctica y destreza.

I like recipes that are in book and it is for a Christmas pressie for son in law who has taken up Chinese cooking. He will be able to follow recipes and I look forward to taste what he makes.

Poor quality of paper and print, very basic recipes. Did not impress one bit