Interview with Grace Young

Posted on 20. Jan, 2010 by grace in Interviews/Stories

Woking Around with Grace Young

By Grace Niwa

Grace Young is the award-winning author of The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen and The Breath of a Wok. A true expert in Chinese cooking, her new cookbook, Stir-Frying To The Sky’s Edge, The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories is a must-have cookbook for those that want to learn the magical story of stir-frying and its techniques.  Treking her well seasoned wok all over the world, Grace provides a global perspective with stories and recipes from as far as India, Trinidad, Cuba, Peru, France and here in America.

NAC:  How did you become such an expert in the wok?

Grace: I came to the realization that most Chinese Americans know little about their own culinary traditions. They don’t know how to use a wok. When I was in Seattle on a book tour, I found out the older Chinese generation in Taiwan didn’t know how to use a wok. I thought, “Isn’t it weird to be Chinese and not be able to use a wok? This pan has been around for 2000 years and yet there are two generations that don’t know how to use it.”  And if you’re going to buy a wok, not all are well suited to stir-frying. Non-stick woks don’t cut it. Non-stick cookware has seduced people in thinking they are using less fat. The Chinese made cast iron wok is considered the best wok for producing stir-fries. The flavor is totally different with the taste of wok hay which I call “the breath of the wok” to describe this stir-frying technique. Most Chinese restaurants are using inferior oil and they are reusing the oil.  And even though American stoves don’t have the same heat, stir-frying at home is wonderful and is controlled by you and the amount of ingredients and oil you use.

NAC: I was surprised how in-depth you go in letting readers know the history behind the wok. It is a beautiful and comprehensive book. You really are a master of the wok! How long did it take you to produce this cookbook? What is the process?

Grace: This cookbook took me 3 ½ years. I was in the test kitchen testing recipes over and over again until they are solid. I test the recipes myself holding testing sheets and writing down notes. My husband eats all the food. I test at dinner time so that the food doesn’t go to waste. If the recipe doesn’t work, you’ve lost credibility with your readers.

NAC: Many of our subscribers are home cooks who love to cook Asian food and may not have a wok, what kind of wok would you recommend they purchase? What is the average cost?

Grace: I deliberately recommended a flat bottom carbon-steel 14 inch wok for an American kitchen. If you don’t feel comfortable, a heavy duty stainless steel 12 inch skillet will do but never non-stick. You can purchase one at The Wok Shop in San Francisco. The owner, Tane Ong Chan is amazing. She can walk you through it.  So many people have a semi professional range stove now and you could use round bottom wok. The biggest mistakes in stir-frying is using too much food, wet vegetables, and too much meat. With chicken, pork and shrimp, you can put in 1 lb.  With beef, just 12 oz only.  If you put in too much, the beef will bubble and gray. Too much food cools down the pan and doesn’t sear properly.

NAC: I love that you carry your carbon steel wok everywhere. I especially enjoyed reading about your adventures going through security at the airport! How many woks do you have? How long does a wok last?

Grace: I have never counted. I have a few in my oven, one on my stove, one under my desk and under my bed. Next time I will collect chopsticks! I have these incredible hand pounded woks from Shanghai. I went to a wok factory and the owner offered me a wok. They last a lifetime for the home cook, easily 30-40 years as the heat is not as intense. Even if the wok gets rusty, you can always bring it back by giving it a wok facial.

NAC: The information on seasoning a wok in your book is so interesting and informative.  It is very similar to seasoning a cast iron pot. You state there are many ways to season a wok.   I was wondering why you chose to use scallions and ginger in peanut oil to season a wok as your preference in seasoning a wok?

Grace: Well, the traditional recipe is with Chinese chives. There are 20-30 different ways to season woks. Scallions and ginger are acting like Chinese chives which are not as accessible. The chives have sulfur in them and sulfur cleans the wok. Chinese chives also darken the wok faster.

NAC: Can you provide us with some tips for proper technique when using vegetables and meat?

Grace: Most Americans don’t know that beef, pork and chicken need to be marinated. It’s very simple. You mix cornstarch, soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry and sugar, salt, oil are optional. You don’t have to wait 5 minutes and it’s marinated. The wok has to be heated first and you have to use the right oil. Olive and sesame oil don’t work. Peanut, canola, grape seed oil is best. I spread out the slices of beef so that every surface is touching the wok. Wait until it sears and caramelizes. Limit ingredients. Make sure there are no more than 4 cups of vegetables (except leafy vegetables of which you can add more) and 1 lb of everything else except beef. Always dry veggies in a towel or spinner.

NAC: The recipes look incredible and so do the photos. What are your personal favorites? Could you recommend some recipes for someone that is just starting out?

Grace: I love the Chinese Jamaican Jerk Chicken Fried Rice recipe because it’s so unexpected and the combination is so interesting. It is very hearty and speaks about the fact that stir frying is a chameleon. I love the Chinese Trinidadian Stir-Fried Shrimp with Rum. That is one of the most delicious recipes. They took the Trinidadian tradition of washing shrimp in lime juice. Kung Pao Chicken is a classic and satisfying. The Velvet Chicken with Asparagus is also wonderful. You blanch chicken slices in hot water and strain it in a colander. The chicken becomes so succulent.

NAC: One of my favorite neighborhood restaurants when I was living in NYC was a Chinese Cuban restaurant on the Upper West Side called La Caridad. Of the crossover cuisines such as Chinese Jamaican or Chinese Indian, which has been the most successful in terms of merging both cuisines?

Grace: They are all very interesting. Chinese Peruvian is very interesting. They have really outstanding dishes. Each cuisine has 1 or 2 recipes that are successful but there are not a lot of recipes.

NAC: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today. I look forward to trying out your recipes in my new wok.  What’s next for you?

Grace: Right now I’m too busy with book tour stuff to think about what’s next!

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