Wok Wednesdays: The Breath of a Wok | Liang Nian Xiu's Snow Peas, Tomatoes, and Chilies

As I mentioned in my last post, we have finished cooking our way through Grace Young's Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, and so we begin a new odyssey with her book The Breath of a Wok, an IACP Cookbook Award winner.

Most people think of only stir-frying when they see or hear of woks; but there is so much more that can be done in this amazing vessel which we are soon going to discover - such as steaming, braising, boiling, poaching, deep-fat frying, pan-frying, and yes, even smoking in the wok, proving that the wok is quite the versatile pan to have in your kitchen arsenal.

Oh, and it makes great popcorn too!

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Bacon, ginger, garlic, chili

Bowl 2: Snow peas

Bowl 3: Tomato

Bowl 4: Salt, sugar

We started with a simple vegetable stir-fry of crisp snow peas, sweet tomatoes, and smoky bacon - what a wonderful fusion of flavors.

This makes a great side dish or even a light lunch served alongside some rice.

The recipe can be found on page 132 of The Breath of a Wok, which you may just want to pick up at your local bookstore for it is more than just a cookbook, it even has a whole chapter dedicated from finding the perfect wok to seasoning and caring for your treasured pan - a wok manual of sort and is filled with personal stories and gorgeous photos from Grace's travels during her research in wok cooking and culture, which sadly is becoming a lost art; but hopefully there will be a resurgence in authentic wok cooking thanks to Grace and her books, and the Wok Wednesdays group which is just shy (and by shy I mean 6) of 2000 members as of this posting.


We have been asked not to post the recipes on our blogs, so why don't you grab the book and join in on the fun and become a Wok Wednesday member yourself! Come check us out on Facebook.

Book 120 | Martha Stewart Living: Annual Recipes 2003 | Pomegranate Pilaf

by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

What a colorful (the photo doesn't do the colors justice) and festive side-dish to grace any holiday table; or spruce up a weeknight meal, for this was a cinch to make!

To make this lovely pilaf, red onion is sautéed in a small amount of butter until softened. Rice is added and stirred until the grains have been covered in butter, at which time chicken broth is added and brought to a boil, the pan is covered, and the heat is set to low, and the rice is cooked for about twenty minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Once the rice is cooked, and has been fluffed with a fork, apricots, almonds, pomegranate arils, thyme, salt, and pepper are added and combined; and voilà! You have one beautiful pilaf.


 

amazon  

Wok Wednesdays | Hong Kong-Style Broccoli

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young

This is the second recipe we have made that calls for Chinese broccoli. It truly has become a favorite of mine. If you have never had this wonderful vegetable, you really need to seek it out, and while you're at it, you'll want to get Grace's book, Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, so you can make the most delicious stir-fries. Ever.

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Ginger

Bowl 2: Chinese bacon

Bowl 3: Chinese broccoli (aka gai lan in Cantonese)

Bowl 4: Soy sauce, dry sherry

Bowl 5: Sugar, salt

Such a simple and tasty side dish to prepare. A quick sauté of the ginger until it is fragrant, toss in the bacon and stir until it releases its fat, add the broccoli - stems first - for about a minute or so, then the leaves, and stir-fry until just wilted. The soy sauce mixture, salt, and sugar are added, and tossed together for a short time until the broccoli is crisp tender. 

Voilà! A most delicious side to any meal; and the sauce that accumulated at the bottom of the serving bowl... tasted fabulous poured over my grilled salmon.  

We have been asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 190, of  Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed.  

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!