The Wok: Recipes and Techniques

Written by J. Kenji López-Alt

Narrated by Eric Jason Martin

The obsessive mastermind behind one of the decade's bestselling cookbooks returns with the definitive English-language guide to the science and technique of cooking in a wok.



J. Kenji López-Alt's debut cookbook, The Food Lab, revolutionized home cooking, selling more than half a million copies with its science-based approach to everyday foods. And for fast, fresh cooking for his family, there's one pan López-Alt reaches for more than any other: the wok.



Whether stir-frying, deep frying, steaming, simmering, or braising, the wok is the most versatile pan in the kitchen. Once you master the basics—the mechanics of a stir-fry, and how to get smoky wok hei at home—you're ready to cook home-style and restaurant-style dishes from across Asia and the United States, including Kung Pao Chicken, Pad Thai, and San Francisco-Style Garlic Noodles. López-Alt also breaks down the science behind beloved Beef Chow Fun, fried rice, dumplings, tempura vegetables or seafood, and dashi-simmered dishes.



Featuring more than 200 recipes—including simple no-cook sides—explanations of knife skills, and how to stock a pantry, The Wok provides endless ideas for brightening up dinner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781666190649

Reviews for The Wok

[tatoosh-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The sub-title of this book should be reversed to read “Techniques and Recipes.” Lopez-Alt states clearly (p. 3) his intent to explain the science and techniques behind cooking with a wok and the recipes he presents. Although this was not the approach I anticipated, I found the technical details somewhat interesting if overly long. Readers can skim or skip these details, reading only the topics that catch their eye. I made no effort to read all the information, but I found numerous subjects interesting.

The recipes in this book are designed for master chefs and most require advanced preparation and the creation of multiple ingredients before preparing the particular dish. Lopez-Alt categorizes spices and sauces as used repeatedly, often, and only in a special item. None of the items he recommended were practical for me unless I decided to confine my cooking to Chinese recipes using a wok.

Despite these limitations, I’m giving the book a positive rating. Lopez-Alt states the approach used in the book at the outset, and readers who are not interested in that approach are wise to look elsewhere. But even readers like myself who are not the target will find interesting information here.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Wok: Recipes and Techniques by J. Kenji López-Alt is a 2022 W.W. Norton Company publication.

Absolutely THE best cookbook I’ve picked up in a long time! Kenji is a popular chef and food writer and has a YouTube channel with an astronomical following. This new cookbook, obviously, is centered around recipes and food preparation using the versatile Wok.

This book is packed with mouth-watering recipes- naturally- but the book could also serve as cooking class, it is so chock full of information and lessons on how to use your Wok- such as:

The science behind the way the Wok works, the type of Wok you should buy, how to season your wok, must have knives, spices to keep on hand, how to slice, and seed, vegetables, and in-depth information about ingredients- like MSG and Glutamic acid, the best way to freeze food, and the right oils to use for the best results.

All this fabulous information is packed in between pages and pages of in-depth recipes, which also includes color photographs.

This cookbook is awesome and is one my husband and I will use frequently and refer to often.

The author is so knowledgeable and explains things in such an easy-to-understand manner, it makes this book both fun and informative.

After learning how to use the Wok properly, and following Kenji’s advice, your recipes will be professional quality too!

Overall, this cookbook has a wonderful presentation and layout. I learned so much reading it, and can’t wait to try out these tantalizing recipes!