Wok Wednesdays

I love all foods. Asian food is one of them. Chinese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese. Especially when it's AUTHENTIC.  While I've never been to any of these countries, I have had some of the best, authentic dishes in large, cosmopolitan cities like  Manhattan, Seattle, and San Francisco. Chinese food is one of those dishes that have been westernized so badly, especially in the South that it doesn't look or taste  like it's even foreign. Consider that I have to drive almost an hour away to shop at an Asian grocery store.

This brings me to the food adventures of Wok Wednesday, an online group that cooks a recipe every Wednesday from Grace Young's cookbook, Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, a James Beard award winning book!  I'm really excited about this new adventure to becoming a bona fide wokker.  I have dabbled cooking Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian food a couple of dishes from each ethnicity, but for the most part, when we eat out, it's hitting an ethnic restaurant because it's easier to order out than cooking it at home. Having a small kitchen and pantry space, I can't image finding room for more ingredients that I would use 1-3 times a month.   Eating Chinese out is easier, but not necessarily better.  So I am ready to expand my repertoire of cooking more vegetables.  Exposing the kids to more flavors. Combining meat with vegetables in one cooking vessel. Using more of my favorite aromatic: ginger. And making room for more kitchen toys and ingredients.

So I'm embracing this challenge of cooking authentic Chinese with the guidance of Matt Lardie of Green Eats Blog, and Grace Young, the author of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge. Seeing what the other wokkers have created so far is very encouraging.  And inspiring.

Book in hand. Wok is on its way.  I will soon be a proud owner of a Shun santoku knife, an early birthday gift from my husband. Yes, it was time to replace my 25 year old Wusthof chef knife. And, so looking forward to a trip to the Asian grocery store!  I desperately need to update the pantry  and toss out the old, dusty bottles of soy sauce and rancid sesame oil.

So here's the deal. We cook twice a month, and blog about our cooking experience to share with others.  We won't be posting the actual recipe, so I highly recommend you buy this book, Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, especially if you have an interest in authentic Chinese cooking and improving the quality of your life! Join us!!