The Woks of Life Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family: A Cookbook

The family behind the acclaimed blog The Woks of Life shares 100 of their favorite home-cooked and restaurant-style Chinese recipes.

While briefly living on different continents, Judy, Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin Leung created the beloved blog The Woks of Life to document their family’s history and traditions through food. Now, in their first cookbook, they present an in-depth and unique approach to the Chinese table with stories and recipes from each family member: heritage dishes from Judy, who was born and raised in Shanghai; restaurant-inspired dishes from Bill, who comes from a long line of chefs and cooked with his father in Chinese restaurants in upstate New York and New Jersey; and trend-driven, easy weeknight and vegetable-forward recipes from their millennial daughters, Kaitlin and Sarah.

With four multi-generational voices in one book, the Leungs share a wide range of dishes, from simple and approachable meals like Shortcut Dan Dan Noodles and Sesame Crusted Tofu to celebratory ones like Cantonese Roast Duck and a whole collection of dim sum favorites. Kicking off the book is a wonderfully comprehensive look at how to build your Chinese pantry and fridge, essential tools (including the all-important wok), and the low-down on game-changing Chinese cooking secrets like how to "velvet" meat to make it extra tender and juicy. Woven through these treasured techniques and recipes are never-before-seen family stories from China and their home in New Jersey.

Featuring gorgeous full-color photography alongside the recipes, The Woks of Life offers advice and traditions that will deepen your knowledge and empower your culinary growth—whether you're new to Chinese cooking or you already dabble in bean paste and chili oil.

The Woks of Life includes Judy Leung, designated translator and culinary researcher; Bill Leung, who specializes in all things Cantonese and American Chinese takeout; Kaitlin Leung, younger daughter and master of sauces and condiments; and Sarah Leung, older daughter and photographer with a penchant for quick and easy recipes. Since its founding in 2013, The Woks of Life has become the #1 online resource for Chinese cooking in English, documenting generations of recipes for millions of home cooks. The Leungs have been featured in various media, including Magnolia Network’s Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern, Lucky Chow on PBS, and Food Network digital series Family Meal, as well as Time, Good Morning America, Woman’s Day, Saveur, and The New York Times.