Richardson Alan - The breath of a wok : unlocking the spirit of Chinese wok cooking through recipes and lore

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Wok calligraphy by Zhao Yong, Yuan dynasty.

Wok, n. a boiler or cauldron; an iron pan.

Hay, n. breath, energy, spirit.

In memory of my uncle Thomas Jew. His love of family, friends, and the pleasure of cooking lives on. And for Michael.

GY

In memory of my mother, who gave me a taste for good cooking; and my father, who told me to find myself a good cook. And to Larry, who makes a great gravy

AR

This book would not have been possible without the encouragement and love of my husband, Michael Wiertz, who understood the need for all my wok journeys and good-naturedly accepted that every adventure brought home at least one new wok for my collection. In the midst of all the upheaval that results from creating a book, he was a paragon of calm. For this and much more, I am grateful.

I would like to express my appreciation to my parents, Helen and Delwyn Young, for instilling in me their love and passion for Cantonese cuisine and the unsurpassed brilliance of a stir-fry with wok hay. Many thanks to them for their faith in me.

Special thanks to Rosanna and C.Y. Shum; my visit with them in Hong Kong in 2000 indulged me in the fascinating world of Hong Kongstyle cooking and in many ways inspired the writing of this book.

From the beginning, Martha Kaplan, my agent and friend, has championed this project and offered wise counselusually over a Chinese meal. As the book began to take shape, my dear friend Laura Cerwinske generously did the preliminary editing of my rough drafts, helping me to set the foundation of my story. It was my good fortune to have my uncle Sun Yui Fung give the Chinese titles for each essay and section of the book. He has been a constant advisor from the beginning, patiently researching and consulting on any type of Chinese cultural question that confused me.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Evie Righter, who came to my rescue on numerous occasions, providing invaluable editorial guidance on the recipes and essays. Her critiques always illuminated the material, offering insights and clarity that eluded me.

In writing this book, Alan and I have had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting many great teachers who generously shared their expertise and friendship. Our profound thanks to the home cooks and chefs who graciously welcomed us into their kitchens.

In the United States: Chef Susanna Foo, Winnie Hon, Chef Henry Hugh, Susan Lin, Julie Tay, Ken Lo, Dr. and Mrs. Kam Toa Miu, Margaret Loo, Bernadette Chan, Chef Ming Tsai, Helen Chen, Chef Danny Chan, Peipei Chang, Jean Yueh, Millie Chan, Florence Lin, Chef Martin Yan, Chef Siu Chah Lung, Ray Lee, Cecilia Chiang, Che Chung Ng, Dickson Hee, Amy Tan, Lou DeMattei, Jin Do Eng, Lijun Wan, Yuhang Wang, Hong Chang Guo, and Yan Zheng Yan.

Heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the cooks in my family, with special thanks to my auntie and uncle Betty and Roy Yim for hosting our family wok-a-thon partywithout their gracious hospitality the event would never have happened. And to all the participants: Bertha Jew; Lillian and William Jew; Frances and Sherman Young; Katherine Jew Lim; Doreen and Mel Song; Sylvia, Fred, and Thomas Chow; Cindy and Zane Matsuzaki; Judy, David, and Timothy Jew.

In Hong Kong and China: Virginia Yee, Tina Yao Lu, Mary Chau, Nevin Lim, Chef Kevin Chuk, Walter Kei, Chef Ip Chi Cheung, Chef Lee Wan Ching, Chef Yip Wing Wah, Chef Poon Chi Cheung, Mr. and Mrs. Yang Lang Ping (Uncle Lang and Auntie Yi), and Liang Nian Xiu.

There are several individuals mentioned in the long list of cooks we interviewed whose contributions extended far beyond our cooking sessions. We are profoundly grateful to Florence Lin, who consulted on numerous culinary questions with exceptional grace and generosity.

Without Millie Chan we would have never had the opportunity to meet Florence Lin. Millie was one of the first cooks we interviewed and from the start of the project she and her husband, Lo-Yi, have been great supporters.

I will always treasure the time spent with my Uncle Lang and Auntie Yi in Foshan, China. When I last saw them over twenty years ago, our relationship was much more formal. I was very touched to be welcomed into their home to spend an afternoon cooking and sharing a meal. I thank them for embracing our project and tirelessly accompanying us to the local markets, dai pai dong , and even organizing cooking sessions with their friends. Thanks also to my cousin and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Yang Zhi Xiang.

Liang Nian Xius hospitality gave us an extraordinary experience during our time in Yangshuo. Beyond our fascinating cooking session with Liang, she also understood our mission and took us on an unforgettable tour of the region that revealed much of the wok culture we sought.

Special thanks to Ken Hom, who found time between his commitments in Europe and Asia for an extensive interview.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, Walter Chu was instrumental in getting us started with a memorable day-long walk through Kowloon and providing important local information. My interviews with Vivien Cheung, Teddy Leung, Chef Paray Li, Chef Ip Chi Kwong, Chef Ronald Shao, and Chef Cheung Chin Choi also contributed greatly to our understanding of the subtleties of wok cooking. We are also grateful to Nevin Limhis knowledge of Hong Kong history and Cantonese cuisine was indispensable.

Many individuals helped in our quest to find the talented home cooks and chefs we interviewed. We would like to thank: Ivy Fung, Margaret Sheridan, R. T. Yao, Linda Yao, Tony Yao, Theresa Wang Yao, Mary Yao, Lucy Fong, Susan Yoshimura, Howard Goodman, Teresa Delaney, Nick Malgieri, Marie Lam, Grace Choi, Tammy Shueh, Mimi Chan, Michael Chang and Diana Budiman of the Hong Kong Tourist Association, Sian Griffiths of the Peninsula hotel in Hong Kong, Christina Choy of the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute in Hong Kong, and Gary Goldberg of the New School Culinary Arts program in New York City. From the Shangri-La hotel thanks to Judy Reeves in New York City, Patsy Chan in Kowloon, and Cindi Li in Shanghai.

Special thanks to my cousin Fred Chow, who orchestrated several cooking sessions. Fred put us in touch with Yee Ming Ting in Shanghai, who arranged for Joyce Yangs much needed services as a translator for our interviews in Shanghainese. He is also responsible for the idea of the wok-a-thon.

I am grateful to the following individuals and institutions for their help in researching the history of the wok in America: Professor Priscilla Wegars, Professor Jeffrey Barlow, Maxine Chan, Emma Louie, Lisa See, Roberta Greenwood, David Kerkkonen, Bill G. Quackenbush, Jeannie Woo, Judy Lu, Ralph Eubanks, Joe Evans, Carolyn Micnhimer, David Kessler, California Historical Society, Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum, Chinese Historical Society of San Francisco, and the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley.