A new wok

 The Wok Shop

My latest culinary journey is Chinese cooking.  

Chinese cuisine has been a favorite of mine my entire life.  The night before I was born, my parents went out for Chinese food.  Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I always picked The House of Lee in Oakland, California for my birthday dinner.  And, one of the very first cookbooks I ever bought was Chopsticks, Cleaver and Wok by Jennie Low about home-style Chinese cooking.  

 Grace Young Cookbooks

My current Chinese cooking journey has been fueled by cookbook author, Grace Young.  I recently discovered her wonderful cookbooks and Craftsy class The Art of Stir Frying.  Grace is known as The Wok Queen and definitely knows a thing or two about woks.  She generously shares her expertise on the best type of woks to buy along with how to season and care for them.

A wok is essential for authentic Chinese stir-fry cooking.  And, since I believe in having the right kitchen tools for cooking, I decided to replace my older Magnalite aluminum wok with a a real Chinese wok.  And, according to Grace, the best place to buy a wok is San Francisco's The Wok Shop.  So during Chinese New Year, my husband and I made a trip to The Wok Shop.  

 The Wok

For those of us who cook on residential ranges, Grace recommends the wok above which is a 14" carbon steel, flat bottom wok.  Its small flat bottom gets it closer to the flame for high heat stir-frying.  And a nice feature are its wood handles so you don't have to run after pot holders while stir-frying. 

Wok Ambassador, Tane Chan

When you go to The Wok Shop, all you have to do is tell them that Grace Young sent you.  I lucked out on my visit and the charming owner, Tane Chan helped me.  I didn't have to tell Tane a thing, she knew just the wok I was supposed to have.

If you need a wok,
The Wok Shop is the place to go.
(And, they sell online)

The Wok Shop
718 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 989-3797

Trying new things

 Chinese Long Beans

One of the best parts about getting a weekly CSA Produce Box is that

 it's a surprise every week with what produce will be inside the box.

Let's Stir Fry

Recently our weekly box had beans in it that I had never seen before.  I found out they are called Chinese long beans or snake beans.  So I did a little research, got out my wok and did a Chinese stir fry with them. 

Dow Gok Chow Ha Kau

I found a recipe for Prawns with Chinese Long Beans (Dow Gok Chow Ha Kau)  in one of my older cookbooks,  Chopsticks, Cleaver and Wok by Jennie Low.  The recipe called for hot bean sauce and I substituted black bean garlic sauce and it was delicious.  

I discovered that Chinese long beans when stir fried stay crispier than other beans.  I'm a fan now and can't wait to try more recipes with them and my wok.


(Farm photo taken at the Robertson Family Farm in YubaCounty, California.)