Wok Wisdom

Chinese cookbooks abound, especially now that the world is enamored with all things Oriental, particularly Chinese. More than sweet and sour pork, chop suey and crab and corn soup, people are looking for "authentic Chinese food" as well as "authentic Chinese restaurants", venturing to dine even in inconspicuous little eateries in out of the way locations.

Attempting "authentic Chinese cooking" at home is a bit more complicated. While recipes are an invaluable tool, "real" Chinese cooking involves more than exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.

Chinese cooking demands a unique set of components. A wok, of course, is a good start. (Let me say at this point that if you don‘t know what a wok is, Chinese cooking is definitely not for you.) While some may argue that a cast iron skillet or a large frying pan will do just as well, a wok is essential for more than technical reasons–there is a psychological edge when you cook Chinese food in a wok.

Spices, sauces, condiments and flavorings are also must haves, and the range is wide–from hoisin sauce and rice wine to a whole list of preserved bean products, chili sauces with subtle differences in taste, and a dizzying range of soy sauces that will make you wonder how toyo can get so complicated.

Bottled, tinned and otherwise packaged goods make the cook’s life so much simpler and easier these days, but for "amateurs" like me a trip to the Chinese provision store can be an intimidating–but thoroughly exciting–experience.

My heretofore tentative attempts at cooking Chinese got a much needed boost with a book, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen (Classic Family Recipes for Celebration and Healing) by Grace Young (282 pages, Simon & Schuster editions, available at National Bookstore). The book is part recipe book, part food discourse, part family history, part social commentary–and all the parts add up to one good read, and a valuable kitchen companion.

The author is an American Chinese who works as "Kitchen Director and Director of Food Photography" for a New York publishing company. The book is described as "a daughter’s tribute–a collection of personal memories of the philosophy and superstitions behind culinary traditions that have been passed down through her Cantonese family..."

I shared the book with a friend, a Chinese-Filipino who has recently picked up the family tradition of home cooking. Though she is Fookienese, she totally relates to what is in the book, with frequent enthusiastic endorsements of "Ai-ya!" and giving the Fookienese equivalents of Cantonese terms in the book. Even she picked up a trick or two from the book, not to mention several recipes (she is looking for an occasion to try out "Uncle Tommy’s Roast Turkey").

The book starts from the basics–how to steam, stir fry (not as easy as you think), even how to cook rice–goes on to semi-difficult dishes and then the really fancy ones usually eaten in restaurants. It gives a helpful glossary of Chinese terms (plus Chinese characters) and a picture guide of ingredients and even herbs. There are how-to pictures, as well as charming family photos.

On the following page is a recipe from the book for a vegetarian stew; the ingredients may sound really exotic but they should be available in a Chinese provision store. It is labor intensive, to be sure, but this traditionally New Year’s dish is as healthy as it is delicious.