You found us! Tantalizing, mouthwatering dishes are just a few clicks and ingredients away (not to pat ourselves too much on the back or anything. We like to maintain a healthy sense of humility).
We are a family of four (Bill & Judy, and daughters Sarah & Kaitlin), and The Woks of Life is our way of sharing our recipes & travels with each other and the world. This blog is for anyone looking to try their hand at Chinese cooking as well as other great recipes, Asian or otherwise.
Whether you’re a food lover interested in going beyond Cream Cheese Wontons and Sesame Chicken, a college student with a drawer full of wrinkled take-out menus and only rudimentary knowledge of how to boil an egg, or just someone looking to make weeknight dinners a little more interesting, you’ve come to the right place.
Allow us to quickly introduce ourselves:
- Bill (the family patriarch) grew up working and cooking in restaurants, including years of experience at his own parents’ Chinese takeout joint, which is why you can be sure our American Chinese takeout recipes are legit!
- Judy (the matriarch) was also known to help out at the restaurant, regularly scours Chinese cookbooks for new ideas, and wants to keep traditional recipes alive for new generations of home cooks.
- Sarah and Kaitlin are twenty-somethings living in New York, who grew up cooking from a young age, learning from grandparents, their very cool parents, and of course, food TV.
The fact that we all cook can admittedly lead to the odd kitchen squabble (*scroll down for embarrassing illustration of said phenomenon), but we make it through okay. We bond over and overanalyze our food, think about what to make for dinner before lunch is over, and remain relentless about perfecting our favorite dishes.
The Woks of Life was born in 2013, when half of our group––the parental half––relocated to Beijing. Kaitlin was in college stateside, and Sarah began moving between both China and the U.S. whilst figuring out the meaning of post-college life. Between all the plane rides and intermittent Skype conversations, it became difficult to stay up-to-date on all of our day-to-day comings and goings, let alone what we were each preparing for dinner.
We also realized that the kid-parent separation led to said kids eating a lot less of the Chinese food normally served up by said parents. Because let’s face it…though the two daughters of this family could make restaurant-quality thin crust pizza like nobody’s business, they hadn’t exactly been studying up on dishes usually left to the older generation.
Our solution? This website and blog, where we could share recipes, kitchen exploits, and travels. We’ve kept it going ever since––even now that we’re all back in the Northeastern U.S. Our recipes represent our own culinary genealogy, from the simple to complex, the traditional to the reinvented.
So take a look around. Pour a beverage and find tonight’s meal. Pick up some travel tips, wok shopping advice, or an explanation of what the heck Chinese black vinegar is.
(It’s the nectar of the gods, is what it is.)
Happy Wokking!
Want to know more? Check out our bios here:
Bill: Dad/Husband
Grew up in upstate New York delivering newspapers, shooting marbles, and accidentally crashing questionably maintained snowmobiles into neighboring garages (okay, just the once). Had a few stints in the restaurant world, rising from modest beginnings as a Burger King sandwich assembler to Holiday Inn busboy and line cook, to cooking at his family’s Chinese restaurant, while also learning the finer points of Cantonese cooking from immigrant parents.
Judy: Mom/Wife
Born in Shanghai, and arrived in the U.S. at age 16. Pretty much a boss when it comes to languages, being fluent in both English and three separate Chinese dialects. And boy, can she fold a spring roll (the rest of ours tend to just fall apart. It’s sad). Plus, she’s the only one in the family who’s actually good at reading Chinese, so she’s our professional menu-translator when we’re eating our way through China.
Sarah: Daughter/Older Sister
Born and raised in the Garden State, growing up on episodes of Ready Set Cook and Iron Chef. Writer, photographer, marketing professional, and daydreamer, with a penchant for Quick and Easy recipes that take less than 20 minutes to make. Like the rest of the family, she loves the outdoors and writing delightfully detailed posts about the Art of Cooking Outside.
Kaitlin: Daughter/Younger Sister
Notoriously unable to follow a recipe (usually preferring to freestyle it), Kaitlin’s the family artist, chunky-sweater-obsessed knitter, and keeper of an unreasonably detailed knowledge bank of Korean pop music. The master of all things sauces and condiments on the blog (her chili oil is legendary) and steward of our drool-worthy Instagram account.
*An example, just for illustrative purposes. We’re not like this all the time. We swear.
B: “They’re burning!! The heat is WAY too high.”
K: “They’re not burning.”
B: “Who taught you how to a flip a pancake anyway?”
K: “You did.”
B: “Not like that, I didn’t.”
K: “These will be the fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever had in your life. Now go set the table and get some slippers, ‘cause yo socks are about to be knocked OFF.”
J: *wildly gesticulating toward pan* “Hey! Shouldn’t you really be flipping that one now?”
S: “Did you remember to add the lemon zest? The lemon zest is key!”
Yeah, not a dramatization.
Photo credit: Sarah Yeoman
Beth Prince-Bradbury says
I am proud to say that your genealogy has been the sole tutorial for my Asian-inspired culinary adventures for years; probably since you began. Time and again my worldwide web pursuits for solid recipes that I know my family will eat has landed me back here. Having lived in NYC, but currently and natively a Rochesterian, I am curious to know where Bill worked. He refers to the Cantonese chefs who made ‘old ginger chicken’ in the Rochester restaurant during his employ. I was happy to show the reference to my children who are 13 and 9. For them, Sarah’s 20 minute chicken with green beans is a weekly staple because they can make it and all I have to do is watch! Keep up the fantastic work! BTW – your ingredients glossary is amazing. I use it to communicate with the grocers at the Asian grocery in town.
Sarah says
Thank you so much for the incredibly kind comment, Beth! We’re so glad you’re enjoying the recipes, and so excited that you’ve been a reader since the beginning!
Trina Hershberger says
Me and my husband just whipped up one of your takeout recipes…I’m telling you!!!
IT WAS AMAZING!
Sarah says
Woo, awesome Trina!
Julia says
I came across your blog on the search for Vietnamese coffee recipes. I first tried this type of coffee in Rathmines in Dublin and have dreamt of its creaminess ever since. Can’t wait to give it a go and more importantly all of these incredible sounding recipes! Thanks for creating this! Now to get back to studying and stop the procrastination!
Sarah says
Hahah, you’re welcome, Julia! I know that school procrastination pattern all too well also. At least thinking about making recipes is productive procrastination. :)
Mary says
💃🕺💃💃 ←The four of you dancing in the kitchen, making your recipes. Thank you for sharing your great recipes.
Sarah says
Aww you’re welcome, Mary!
pat says
Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to this blog. This is by far one of the best, if not the best post I’ve ever come across (and I’m 63). This now is my go-to spot for tips and recipies, and I’m more than happy to click on the links to support you folks.
My wife and I visited an international market this morning (unfortunately before I found you) that host’s authentic ethnic grocery with fresh produce, meat, seafood & foods imported from 30+ countries. (Ooops The 30 countries was my bad) What a culture shock! It was 38 minutes, literally, before we put anthing in the cart . And that was only because I could read Soy-Sauce. Browsing thru your site we now can understand all the amazing things we seen this morning.
Keep up the good work.
Pat
Sarah says
Hi Pat, thank you so much for the kind comment! That’s so awesome that you have such an incredible international market close to you. Happy cooking and learning! :)
Jessica says
Just wanted to say hi and that I am sooooo thankful for your blog! Growing up, my parents made me all the delicious Cantonese and Chinese things that I crave so badly now that my mother is no longer with us. Your glossaries are amazing and I have enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried! Thank you for carrying on the traditions of our heritage and for giving me back a piece of my childhood and home! 💕
Sarah says
You’re so welcome, Jessica. Thanks for leaving us such a heartfelt and kind comment!
Joseph Tudda says
Hi Sarah,
Love your site! One of my favorite take out dishes, when I can find it, is Pan Fried Wontons in Garlic Sauce. The version I most love is where the sauce is dark and thick, and just spicy enough to let your mouth feel the tingle. Do you have such a recipe?? I am dying to make it myself.
Thank you in advance for any help you could give, and keep doing what you do!
Sarah says
Hi Joseph, sounds like a dish that perhaps a local restaurant makes? But just from the description, I think we could put something together. I’ll add it to our to-cook list!
Jen says
Thank you so much for this. As a person without parents to teach foods from my childhood, this site has really made me feel closer to my heritage. Thanks for literally teaching everything from clean broth to five spice etc.
Sarah says
You’re so welcome, Jen!!
Cecile says
Hi
In the picture above of your dad, he is cooking in a black colored wok. Is that a pre-seasoned wok. I did not see the pros and cons of that in your article.I don’t really want to go through the pain of seasoning a wok.
If you be kind enough, can you just please share the brand and the size of what he’s using. I have not seen that shopping at Amazon.
Thank you,
Sarah says
Hi Cecile, it’s not a preseasoned wok––the wok in those pictures is actually the one that we seasoned for our “How to Season a Wok” post here: https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-season-a-wok/. It’s a 14-inch diameter wok, though I can’t share a brand, because we purchased it at a restaurant supply store, and it’s generic. But I would say buy a carbon steel wok (flat bottomed or round bottomed depending on whether or not you want/can use a wok ring), and season it at home! Lots of options here: https://amzn.to/31wgghr
moshe cahill says
Your recipes are very easy to read; the pictures and commentary make the detailed recipe “more alive”. I especially appreciate the pictures of the food products. I take the pictures to the grocery and they are very helpful in finding the correct product.
Yesterday I went shopping and asked an employee at the grocery where I could find a product. She did not speak English and I speak no Chinese. But, I showed her the name of the product in Mandarin, which you include in the recipe, and she took me to the item immediately.
Thanks
Sarah says
That’s awesome, Moshe! That’s what we’re here for!