The Woks of Life

This is my perfect Cucumber Tomato Salad, with just enough mint to bring out the essence of the cucumbers and grape tomatoes. It’s refreshing and pairs beautifully with all kinds of summer favorites, from grilled meat to seafood!  A Simple Salad to Repeat All Summer Long  When summer comes, I’m always ready to embrace all […]

This tofu bánh mì is a vegetarian version of the delicious Vietnamese sandwich, with so much flavor you won’t miss the meat!  Whether you’re vegetarian or just looking for a reason to eat more bánh mì, this tofu version is the one. We pan-fry the tofu until golden and toss it in a garlicky glaze. […]

This Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce ended my search for the perfect honey mustard, and it may just do the same for you! It’s got the perfect look and viscosity, a strong mustardy flavor, creaminess, and just the right amount of sweetness! It also takes 2 minutes to whip up!  Serve it with your favorite dippables: […]

This Guacamole recipe is balanced and refreshingly simple, and it always gets compliments from whomever tries it! Ripe avocados, onions, cilantro, lime, salt, and jalapeño are all you need. Our Go-To Guacamole Recipe  Guacamole is one of those recipes that confused me for years. I was young and naive, and for some reason, I was […]

Red Bean Popsicles are an all-time favorite Asian dessert during the summertime. This version is super creamy and sweet, and even better than the ones you remember from childhood. It almost tastes like a red bean ice cream! My grandson Ethan absolutely loved them, and has started asking for them after dinner!  The Perfect Red […]

This is my go to side salad that I make often, whether it’s for two people, four, six, or ten. A good side salad strikes a balance of ease and satisfaction, and this has become my old reliable for simple dinners at home and entertaining.  The Key Ingredient Is Kind of a Big Dill The […]

Today we have a recipe for a delicious shiso drink—a uniquely Asian pink lemonade to quench your thirst all summer long. It’s made with purple shiso (also known as perilla), an Asian herb that when combined with acidic lemon juice makes an all natural, herbal pink lemonade.  Shiso Pink Lemonade, with Antioxidants!  This shiso drink […]

This Eggplant Stir-fry with Chicken is in the Cantonese style—the flavor of the eggplant shines through with aromatic garlic, scallions, ginger, and juicy chicken. It’s a delicious one-pan meal and my new favorite way to enjoy Chinese eggplant.  Do I Need to Use Chinese Eggplant?  Chinese eggplants have fewer seeds than the average globe variety […]

Today, I’m sharing how we wash our vegetables. Getting the most out of produce and making sure they’re as clean as possible is very important to me, as I’m sure it is for many of you! We break down how to wash everything from leafy greens to herbs, peppers, and more.  If you’d rather watch […]

If you’ve spent any time cooking from this blog, you’ve probably noticed that in some of our recipes, we call for a couple different types of soy sauce. Most often, it’s light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. But if you’re standing in the Asian grocery store aisle, staring at a wall of bottles, you’ll […]

Close your eyes, take a bite of this tropical granola, and it’s like you’re halfway to a beach somewhere. Made with toasted oats, golden cashews and/or macadamia nuts, coconut flakes, and sweet chunks of dried papaya and pineapple, this tropical granola recipe makes sunshine in a jar.  Sprinkle it over some plain yogurt with honey, […]

This Shallot Vinaigrette makes even the most basic pile of mixed greens out of the box taste wonderful. A liberal drizzle of this salad dressing feels like you’re sitting down at a nice restaurant, and it couldn’t be simpler to make!  Our New Go-To Salad Dressing I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m […]

This Sesame Tofu is deliciously savory and has all the trappings of another takeout favorite,  Sesame Chicken! The tofu is crusted in sesame seeds and pan-fried until crispy and golden, then tossed in a classic sweet sesame sauce!  Our Perfected Sauce The key to a great sesame sauce, whether for sesame tofu or sesame chicken, […]

There’s something special about Pork Belly Char Siu that goes above and beyond a traditional roast pork char siu.  Super-tender and decadent, pork belly roasts up beautifully and just melts in your mouth! Serve it over a plate of steamed rice with a simple side of blanched greens, and you have a simple but outrageously delicious meal. It […]

These red bean zongzi are sticky rice dumplings full of molten glutinous rice dotted with tender red (adzuki) beans! Serve with a little maple syrup or honey for a truly special dessert or snack, especially around the Dragon Boat Festival!  Using Whole Red Beans for a Different Texture  With the Dragon Boat Festival coming up, […]

Stir-fried Spinach is a popular choice of leafy green side when it comes to Chinese home cooking. It’s nutrient-dense and cooks quickly. Here’s how we do it!  The Benefits of Cooked Spinach  So much of spinach these days is consumed raw in salads, but when you stir-fry it, it’s much easier for your body to […]

These Gluten Free Scallion Pancakes are a marvel: chewy, crispy, scallion-packed and absurdly fast to whip up. Instead of using gluten-free flour, which produces a dense, dry pancake, we make them with layers of Vietnamese rice paper—to gloriously chewy and crispy effect!  The Best solution for a chewy, flaky, gluten-free scallion pancake Making Chinese food […]

The St. Paul Sandwich is a uniquely American creation, ironically originating in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s an Egg Foo Young patty sandwiched between white bread, with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and it is glorious!  We recently decided to put The Woks of Life spin on it, with a step-by-step recipe and a new YouTube […]

These Chive Egg Pockets are everything a breakfast should be: crispy, golden, and impossibly satisfying. They’re the kind of comforting handheld meal you’d find sizzling on a griddle at a bustling Chinese street market—sweet, garlicky chives and rich egg tucked inside crispy, chewy dough. One bite and you’re somewhere else entirely. The Breakfast That Lives […]

We’ve been making this Hot Dog Potato Salad for years. It’s perfect for summer gatherings with family and friends when you need a satisfying and tasty side dish!  This recipe is a great new way to savor hot dogs, particularly when maybe you don’t have quite enough for each person at the table to have […]