Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is easily one of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year, and its James Beard award winning author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is arguably one of the most influential food writers currently in the game. In this book Kenji is exuberant about both the wok and about what he knows and he does a good job of imparting that joy and knowledge to the reader, even if at times he oversells both. I think the real magic of this book is that Kenji has so much personal experience with a wide variety of foods and cooking techniques and he can distill that down to help the less experienced cook get a feeling for what it is they are about to cook, whats delightful about the food, what pitfalls to avoid, and the tips and tricks they need to know to get an amazing result, and also what tools and methods make it better or easier. So even if you are not a food geek and you aren’t interested in the lengthy scientific discussions that may appear you can love this book. It is really beautiful that you get so much useable information in an easy to read book. You have the recipes but you are provided with a wealth of insight to both make the recipe work, and to give you the skill to improvise and create on your own when you are ready. The book begins by telling you the virtues of a wok with a dash of the hyperbole you find on most food blogs, and then Kenji guides you through his opinion of what wok is the “best” for you to get, how to season, clean and maintain it. This is followed by a discussion of the tools which are useful for wok cooking, the pantry items you will want to have and the knife skills you need for cooking stir fries and other delicious wok cooked dishes. What I really appreciate is the way he distills things down and simply gives you his experienced perspective of what is good and what is not so good. This is especially valuable to less experienced cooks like me. Along the way there a sidebars discussing the science behind the cooking, and there are a metric ton of recipes for you to try everything from stir fries, rice bowl dishes, noodles, fried foods, and braised or simmered dishes (there’s a chapter for each). There is even a section on sides you don’t need to cook that can be served along your newly learned culinary creations. This book really shines because the author is meticulous and driven to thoroughly test recipes. He has a reputation for doing insane amounts of work to justify his opinions through experimentation with lots of different iterations and “double-blind taste tests” with groups of people to pick the winner. I don’t know how much of that was done for this book, but by reputation its a good bet that you can trust these recipes. I’ve tried the beef and broccoli, crab fried rice, and hot and sour soup, and also played with velveting for my own stir fry creation (all pictured). All were great. Also pictured is this book next to the food lab, his award winning first cook book, to show this one is just slightly thinner than the previous effort. What else is to like? * All recipes include one or more picture * Recipes include estimates of both active and total time for the making the dish * Notes are provided for storage and future use where relevant * Both metric and imperial units are given for measures of weight and volume and descriptors are provided for produce such as “12 medium shiitake mushrooms” * You will get more explanations of “why” than almost any other cookbook * It’s Kenji…if you are a fan like I am What’s not to like? * There are some typos or possible errata I’ve noticed (listed at the bottom of this review) * To me it seems like this book was written with a dash too much ego…like the section of the history of woks is one paragraph about the history and 4-5 paragraphs about Kenji. To be fair he said that’s not what this book is about, but its kind of lazy to have a magnum opus about woks and not give it more than than. Another illustration where I would point to this being written with too much ego is that there are no references cited for the facts and figures so it comes across as this is the decree of a ‘food god’ but even things like the densities or specific heats of metals just aren’t referenced. That’s poor form for a book that postures as a ‘food science’ heavy cookbook. There is a list books and websites and video channels, but these are not cited at all as the source of any of the information, facts or figures in this book…at least I didn’t see it if they were. * The index in the kindle version does not provide clickable links to jump to the recipe * the photos and the layout of the book aren’t particularly aesthetically pleasing. It’s utilitarian. It would have been greatly improved by a professional food stylist, photographer and graphic artist. In the price range this book sells for you generally see very polished and pretty layouts. This ine comes across more like a diy user manual. RECIPES I. STIR FRIES Basic Stir-Fry Marinade for any meat Chinese American Kung Pao Chicken Gong Bao Ji Ding (Sichuan chicken with peanuts) Chicken with Basil Chilies and fish sauce Sweet and sour chicken or pork Velvet Chicken with snap peas and lemon-ginger sauce Pico’s not so bland chicken Shredded chicken with pickled chiles and carrots Sliced pork with chives Stir-fried kimchi pork Better-than-hemy-moms Chungking pork Sichuan double-cooked pork belly Sliced pork and cucumber Moo shu (moo shi) mushrooms or moo shu pork Mandarin pancakes Thai-style stir-fried ground pork with basil (pad bai horapa or pad ka-prao) Beef with broccoli Ginger beef (with or without snow peas) Shredded beef with hot peppers and chiles Thai-style Beef with basil and Fish sauce Pepper steak Cumin Lamb Stir-fried Fish with wood ear, celery, and oyster sauce Stir-fried fish with ginger and scallions Brined shrimp for stir fries Peel-and-eat shrimp with garlic, scallions and chiles Kung pao shrimp Shrimp or fish stuffed chiles in black bean sauce Cantonese style calms in black bean sauce Clams with garlic, sake, and butter Slippery egg with beef Slippery egg with mushrooms Shrimp or tofu with lobster sauce Creamy layered scrambled eggs (Whampoa eggs) Home-style tomato and scrambled eggs Khai Jiao (Thai style omelet) Spring Vegetables with Olives and Sichuan Peppercorns Stir-Fried Corn and Mushrooms with Hot Peppers and Soy Butter Tiger-Skin Peppers Sichuan-Style Blistered Green Beans Soy-Glazed Mushrooms Stir-Fried New Potatoes with Hot and Numbing Spices Korean Stir-Fried Shredded Potatoes (Gamjachae Bokkeum) Sichuan-Style Hot and Sour Stir-Fried Shredded Potatoes Sichuan-Style Fish-Fragrant Eggplant Stir-Fried Eggplant with Sake and Miso Stir-Fried Kabocha Squash with Sake and Miso Smoky Bok Choy with Garlic Sauce Stir-Fried Napa Cabbage with Vinegar and Chiles Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce Pad Khana Bacon Krop (Thai-Style Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce and Bacon) Snow Pea Shoots with Lobster Sauce (with or without Crabmeat) San Choi Bao Gireum Tteokbokki (Stir-Fried Korean Rice Cakes and Korean Chile Paste) Rice Cakes with Pork, Shrimp, Pine Nuts, and Vegetables II. RICE Tamago-Kake Gohan Homemade Concentrated Mentsuyu (Soy-Dashi-Mirin Mix) Oyakodon Gyudon Katsudon Sanshoku Don (Three-Color Rice Bowls) Miso-Glazed Broiled Black Cod or Salmon Nasu Dengaku (Broiled Miso Eggplant) Bibimbap Basic Congee Thai-Style Jok with Pork Meatballs Cheesy Congee with Bacon, Charred Corn, Scallions, and Cilantro Congee with Wilted Lettuce and Mushrooms Dakjuk (Korean-Style Congee with Chicken and Vegetables) Congee with Pumpkin and Pine Nuts Mushroom and Spring Vegetable Congee Congee with Shrimp, Saffron, and Spanish Chorizo Basic Vegetable and Egg Fried Rice Bacon and Egg Fried Rice Egg Fried Rice with “The Mix” Blistered Green Bean Fried Rice Easy Pork Fried Rice with Corn and Shishito Peppers Crab Fried Rice Kimchi and Spam Fried Rice Nasi Goreng: The Funkiest of Fried Rices III. NOODLES Umami Oil (“XO Pepperoni Sauce”) Burnt Garlic Sesame and Chile Oil Shanghai-Style Scallion Oil Sichuan Málà (Hot and Numbing) Chile Oil Dan Dan Noodles Shanghai-Style Sesame Noodles (Ma Jiang Miàn) Noodles with Thai Basil and Peanut Pesto Zhajiang Miàn (Beijing “Fried Sauce” Noodles) San Francisco–Style Vietnamese American Garlic Noodles Sichuan-Style Cold Noodles Spicy Shirataki and Cucumber Salad Sesame Chicken Noodles My Way (or Your Way) Bún Trn Tôm (Vietnamese Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad) with Citrus and Herbs Hiyashi Chūka Chinese American Stir-Fried Lo Mein with Shiitake, Chives, and Charred Cabbage Chinese-Style Lo Mein with Oyster Sauce, Lettuce, and Butter Easy Stir-Fried Noodles with Mushrooms, Carrots, Basil, and Sweet Soy Sauce Yakisoba (Japanese Fried Noodles) Crispy Chow Mein Noodle Cake with Toppings (Liang Miàn Huang) Cantonese Superior Soy Sauce Noodles (with Bean Sprouts and Scallions) Chow Mein with Beef and Peppers Beef Chow Fun on a Home Burner (the Torch Method) Beef Chow Fun on an Outdoor Wok Burner Pad See Ew with Chicken Pad Thai Ants Climbing Trees (Sichuan Cellophane Noodles with Pork and Chiles) IV. Frying Kimchi or Sauerkraut Buchimgae (Korean-Style Pancakes) Haemul Pajeon (Korean-Style Seafood and Scallion Pancakes) Chinese-Style Scallion Pancakes Cheesy Scallion Pancakes Scallion Pancake Breakfast Sandwiches Panfried “Garlic Knot” Pancakes Easy Tortilla “Jian Bing” Pork and Shrimp Dumplings Japanese-Style Pork and Cabbage Gyoza Filling for Dumplings My Mom’s Beef and Vegetable Filling for Dumplings Vegetarian Eggplant, Mushroom, and Carrot Filling for Dumplings Fried Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce, Shallots, and Chiles Fried Broccoli with Honey and Balsamic Vinegar Fried Shishito Peppers Crispy Fried Pork Belly Sichuan Dry-Fried Beef Nua Kem (Thai-StyleBeef Jerky) Chongqing-Style Dry-Fried Chicken Chicken Karaage (Japanese-Style Fried Chicken with Soy, Sake, and Ginger Marinade) Agedashi Tofu (Fried Tofu with Soy-Dashi) Cantonese Pepper and Salty Shrimp Málà Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings Cantonese Stir-Fried Lobster with Ginger and Scallions Extra-Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Japanese Katsu Korokke (Japanese Potato Croquettes) Tempura Vegetables or Seafood Tempura Sauerkraut and Onions General Tso’s Chicken California-Style Orange Chicken Sesame Chicken Springfield-Style Cashew Chicken Orange Peel Beef, by Way of Sichuan and Old New York Simple Panfried Tofu with Soy-Garlic Dipping Sauce Panfried Tofu with Garlic and Black Bean Sauce Korean-Style Spicy Braised Tofu (Dubu Jorim) Shrimp-Stuffed Fried Tofu Crispy Fried Tofu with Broccoli and Garlic Sauce V. BRAISE AND SIMMER Basic Dashi Tsukudani from Spent Kombu Homemade Furikake from Spent Katsuobushi Miso Soup Simmered Daikon Radish (Daikon no Nimono) Simmered Kabocha Squash (Kabocha no Nimono) Simmered Greens with Soy Dashi and Katsuobushi (Ohitashi) Japanese Beef and Potato Stew (Nikujaga) Ajitsuke Tamago Katsuobushi Deviled Eggs Korean Soft Tofu and Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae) Spicy Korean Rice Cake Stew (Gungmul Tteokbokki) with Kimchi Korean Rice Cake Curry Stew Everyday Chicken and Ginger Stock Chicken and Ginger Soup with Rice Cakes Egg Drop Soup Hot and Sour Soup Superior Stock Zha Cai Rousi Miàn (Sichuan Pork and Pickle Soup) The Best Wonton Soup Sichuan-Style Hot and Sour Wontons (Suanla Chaoshou) Asparagus and Tofu Salad with Málà Chile Oil Vinaigrette Perfectly Poached Chicken Breasts Fragrant Scallion-Ginger Oil Poached Chicken and Cabbage Salad with Cashews and Miso Dressing Bang Bang Chicken Spicy Chicken and Banana Blossom (or Cabbage) Salad with Fried Shallots, Garlic, and Lemongrass Red Curry with Mushrooms, Pumpkin, and Tofu Thai-Style Tofu with Green Beans and Red Curry Paste (Pad Prik King) Mussels and Rice Noodles in Green Curry Broth Green Curry Sausage Meatballs Northern Thai–Style Khao Soi (Curry Chicken and Noodle Soup) 20-Minute Chicken Red Curry Noodle Soup Simple Thai Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp (Tom Yam Kung) Mapo Tofu My Mom’s Japanese-Style Mapo Tofu Water-Boiled Beef Sichuan-Style Fish Poached in Chile Broth (Shui Zhu Yu) Vietnamese Fish Braised in Fish Sauce Caramel Red Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou) Taiwanese Braised Short Rib Noodle Soup (Hong Shao Niu Rou Miàn) VI. SIMPLE NO COOK SIDES Leftover Vegetable Salad with Soy-Dashi Dressing Sichuan Smashed Cucumber Salad Cucumber and Dill Salad with Yogurt and Chile Oil Sweet and Spicy Miso Dip for Vegetables Honey Mustard–Miso Dip for Vegetables Miso-Yogurt Ranch Dip for Vegetables Som Tam Mixed Greens with Savory Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette Hiyayakko (Japanese Cold Dressed Tofu with Soy Sauce and Ginger) Japanese Side Salad with Carrot and Ginger Dressing Possible errors noted (I will update and will add page numbers soon): * “The first three (specific heat capacity, density, and conductivity) are physical properties of the material itself, while the third (reactivity) is a function of a wok’s material, thickness, and geometry.” should read “the fourth” when the discussion moves to reactivity. * In the chart listing the physical properties of metals the conductivity of stainless steel is listed as 45 W/m.K at room temp. This is about double the value in the charts I googled on the internet (430 grade stainless steel). Similarly the grey cast iron is about 50% higher in Kenji’s chart than values I see when googling. Kenji does not provide references so it makes it difficult to understand the discrepancies. * Unless you have a custom wok insert in your range, you want to avoid round-bottom or induction woks. The word induction probably belongs in the next sentence… avoid round bottom woks. They won’t work, period, on an electric OR INDUCTION This review will be updated as I read it more and try more recipes. If this review was of value to you please vote it helpful below. Thanks!