Comments on: About The Woks of Life https://thewoksoflife.com/about/ a culinary genealogy Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:27:16 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 By: William https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-537122 Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:27:16 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-537122 In reply to Sarah.

Thanks! Actually I read this recipe in a novel series by Peter May. The characters were a top Chinese policeman and a female American pathologist who came to lecture in a university. He seems to know so much about China that I think he must have lived there, and I thought perhaps the recipe may be authentic.
I have experienced many wonderful foods on four continents, but in other counties they are never the same. Recipes on the internet are often a foreign adaptation to local taste and ingredient availability.
I was in a Chinese restaurant in Germany, with Chinese friends, and when I told the waiter what I wanted, they began talking in Chinese. The discussion went like this:
• Does he know what it is?
• Yes he knows what it is.
• Perhaps he will not eat it.
• Yes he will eat it.
• Etc, etc
Finally I got what I wanted and it was the real thing. I think they adjust the recipes to what they think the local people will know and eat. Many people will not eat what they do not know.
By the way, I just ordered your book from Amazon, but it is not here yet. I am looking forward to using it.
Thanks for your help and best regards,
William

]]> By: Sarah https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-537065 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:58:25 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-537065 In reply to William.

Hi William, yes that sounds familiar. There are a couple ways we’ve seen it done. Three out of four of us lived in Beijing (and my mom is from China) if that helps you have more confidence in our information. One is with a batter, like you describe, and the other is with a very wet dough that gets pushed across the hot griddle, which then creates a very thin pancake. The batter is wheat flour based, which might be your issue!

]]> By: William https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-536937 Mon, 09 Jun 2025 13:46:35 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-536937 I was in East Asia for three years beginning in 1954, and again, before I retired in 1999. I am very fond of the food in many Asiatic countries, and make it myself from recipes I learned there, because common recipes thought here to be Asiatic, are not the same as I knew.
A book I read described in detail how a street vendor made Jian Bing, for people on their way to work. It was totally different from the ones you described. China is a huge country, with many regional cultures, and I wonder if this is authentic for a particular region, or if the writer was misinformed about Chinese food. The book setting was Beijing, where many Chinese cultures meet, as they do in Hong Kong, so it could be from almost anywhere.
This is what was described:
The pancake sounded to me like it was a thick batter, rather than dough. It was poured on the grill and spread out in a circle. When one side was done it was turned over, and an egg was spread on top. It was turned over for the egg to cook. What sounded like a type of bean sauce was spread on top, and then chopped green onions and a few other things. Then it was folded, with the egg outside, in half and eaten.
Does this sound familiar?
I tried it a few times without success, mainly because the rice flour and water batter I made did not hold together when I tried to turn it over.
What is your comment?
Regards,
William

]]> By: Judy https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-536569 Thu, 29 May 2025 21:04:22 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-536569 In reply to Jim.

Hi Jim, you can start with these very easy recipes:

– egg dish and serve it with white rice
– Simple and quick noodle soup.
– Ban-Fan

]]> By: Sarah https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-536265 Fri, 23 May 2025 00:28:04 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-536265 In reply to Jim.

Hi Jim, we’re glad you’re here! The best place to start would be in our quick and easy section: https://thewoksoflife.com/category/recipes/quick-and-easy/. You don’t necessarily need a wok to start, but it would certainly make things easier: https://thewoksoflife.com/best-wok-to-buy/. And here is our guide on 10 essential Chinese pantry ingredients: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-pantry-essential-ingredients

]]> By: Jim https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-536217 Thu, 22 May 2025 01:43:00 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-536217 Just saw you on Lucky Chow. Truth be told, I’m a picky eater, but I will try anything and as a designer, your styling of your food in photos drew me in. Beautiful. I want to try it all.

Given all of this TMI, what is the best simple recipes to dip my toe into in the school of Asian cooking—and what special equipment/ingredients should be in that starter kit? (I’ve dabbled but never taken the full plunge)

]]> By: Sarah https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-533780 Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:38:03 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-533780 In reply to Red.

You’re very welcome!

]]> By: Sarah https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-533777 Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:28:25 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-533777 In reply to Josh.

Hahaha I wonder what Uncle Roger would have to say!

]]> By: Josh https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-533648 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 23:03:07 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-533648 In reply to Josh.

Fat fingers
:\

]]> By: Josh https://thewoksoflife.com/about/#comment-533647 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 23:01:59 +0000 http://thewoksoflife.com/?page_id=5#comment-533647 Woks of Life community, hit up Uncle Roger on YouTube and instagram to review the Woks of Lige fried rice video. They deserve it!

https://youtu.be/vTDX3tqgiaU

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