The Woks of Life - by Bill Leung & Kaitlin Leung & Judy Leung & Sarah Leung (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The family behind the acclaimed blog The Woks of Life shares 100 of their favorite home-cooked and restaurant-style Chinese recipes. While briefly living on different continents, Judy, Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung created the beloved blog The Woks of Life to document their family's history and traditions through food. Now, in their first cookbook, they present an in-depth and unique approach to the Chinese table with stories and recipes from each family member: heritage dishes from Judy, who was born and raised in Shanghai; restaurant-inspired dishes from Bill, who comes from a long line of chefs and cooked with his father in Chinese restaurants in upstate New York and New Jersey; and trend-driven, easy weeknight and vegetable-forward recipes from their millennial daughters, Kaitlin and Sarah. With four multi-generational voices in one book, the Leungs share a wide range of dishes, from simple and approachable meals like Shortcut Dan Dan Noodles and Sesame Crusted Tofu to celebratory ones like Cantonese Roast Duck and a whole collection of dim sum favorites. Kicking off the book is a wonderfully comprehensive look at how to build your Chinese pantry and fridge, essential tools (including the all-important wok), and the low-down on game-changing Chinese cooking secrets like how to "velvet" meat to make it extra tender and juicy. Woven through these treasured techniques and recipes are never-before-seen family stories from China and their home in New Jersey. Featuring gorgeous full-color photography alongside the recipes, The Woks of Life offers advice and traditions that will deepen your knowledge and empower your culinary growth-whether you're new to Chinese cooking or you already dabble in bean paste and chili oil"--

Book Synopsis

JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE - NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW - "The Woks of Life did something miraculous: It reconnected me to my love of Chinese food and showed me how simple it is to make my favorite dishes myself."--KEVIN KWAN, author of Crazy Rich Asians

The family behind the acclaimed blog The Woks of Life shares 100 of their favorite home-cooked and restaurant-style Chinese recipes in "a very special book" (J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok)

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: San Francisco Chronicle, Simply Recipes
ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Food & Wine, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Delish, Epicurious

This is the story of a family as told through food. Judy, the mom, speaks to traditional Chinese dishes and cultural backstory. Bill, the dad, worked in his family's Chinese restaurants and will walk you through how to make a glorious Cantonese Roast Duck. Daughters Sarah and Kaitlin have your vegetable-forward and one-dish recipes covered--put them all together and you have the first cookbook from the funny and poignant family behind the popular blog The Woks of Life.

In addition to recipes for Mini Char Siu Bao, Spicy Beef Biang Biang Noodles, Cantonese Pork Belly Fried Rice, and Salt-and-Pepper Fried Oyster Mushrooms, there are also helpful tips and tricks throughout, including an elaborate rundown of the Chinese pantry, explanations of essential tools (including the all-important wok), and insight on game-changing Chinese cooking secrets like how to "velvet" meat to make it extra tender and juicy.

Whether you're new to Chinese cooking or if your pantry is always stocked with bean paste and chili oil, you'll find lots of inspiration and trustworthy recipes that will become a part of your family story, too.

Review Quotes

"The Woks of Life did something miraculous: It reconnected me to my love of Chinese food and showed me how simple it is to make my favorite dishes myself, something I never thought I'd be able to do. Beautifully and lovingly created by the Leung family, this fantastic cookbook should be in every home!"--Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians

"For years, Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin have been my go-to source for recipes and techniques that have roots firmly planted in Chinese tradition but with a uniquely American experience and voice. Their intergenerational approach makes The Woks of Life unique in its ability to inspire and educate, with an eye toward practicality and usefulness. This is a very special book."--J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok

"The Woks of Life blog has been one of my absolute favorites for years--these recipes are not only delicious, but they make me excited to try new dishes and flavors. The Leungs help home cooks by explaining everything from cooking tools to pantry staples, and even providing QR codes to reference techniques you may not be familiar with. I cannot wait to cook through this book with my family!"--Alex Snodgrass, New York Times bestselling author of The Defined Dish and The Comfortable Kitchen

"This book allows everyone to get in the kitchen and effortlessly start cooking well-researched and delicious recipes while enjoying the personalities and tastes of Judy, Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin. The Woks of Life cookbook is a must for any food lover."--Andrew Zimmern

"The Woks of Life is one of the first places I go when I need a recipe that I know will be as knowledgeable as it is usable. Having a whole book of recipes to cook through at last is such a gift--I cannot find a single recipe that doesn't entice me to cancel all of my plans and spend my evening cooking instead."--Deb Perelman, author of Smitten Kitchen Keepers

"The Leung family have been my go-to source when I want to make everything from fried rice and scallion pancakes to spicy chili wontons and sesame-slicked Shanghai noodles. I'm thrilled to have all their best recipes in one beautiful book!"--David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen & Drinking French

"The Woks of Life became a staple resource for our family when we moved away from home and embarked on re-creating the flavorful memories of our childhood."--Lina and Mei Lum, Wing on Wo & Co

"I've been following The Woks of Life on Instagram for years, and I'm so excited for their first cookbook! Every recipe feels like an invitation to the table."--Emma Christensen, Simply Recipes

"The Leung family shares their favorite restaurant-worthy, family-friendly, and forward-thinking Chinese recipes, plus tips on how to approach essential cooking tools and pantry items with confidence."--Epicurious

"For years, home cooks have turned to food blog The Woks of Life as a trusted source of Chinese and Chinese-American recipes and cooking tips....here, just as they do online, the Leungs dive thoroughly into all the essential techniques, must-have tools and pantry staples that you'll need."--Vetted by Forbes

About the Author

Founded in 2013, The Woks of Life began as a quest to document one family's history through food and has become the most popular online resource for Chinese cooking in English, recording generations of recipes for millions of home cooks. Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung have been featured on PBS and Magnolia Network, and online by the Food Network and Good Morning America. The family lives in New Jersey, where they cook, write, and photograph recipes together--and continue their eternal debate over what's for dinner.