This quick and easy carrot daikon stir-fry is one of my go-to side dishes. It’s healthy, tasty, and goes with any Chinese meal! What Is Daikon Radish? Daikon radish, (萝卜 – luóbo in Mandarin or lo bak in Cantonese) is a large, white root vegetable with green leaves. Eaten across Asia, daikon radishes can be […]
How to Fold Wontons
Wontons will always have a very special place in my heart. Like dumplings, we grew up with a bag of frozen wontons always in the freezer, ready to become wonton soup (breakfast, lunch or dinner), spicy wontons (a tasty snack or appetizer), or even fried wontons (a crowd-pleasing party favorite). We’ve posted several wonton recipes […]
10-Minute Vegan Pad Krapow (Thai Basil Stir-fry)
Cooking vegan can be time-consuming if you really want something flavorful and satisfying. From soaking and grinding cashews to slicing vegetables in weird ways and sourcing hard-to-find ingredients from health food stores…things can get complicated fast! If you’re looking for a simple, satisfying vegan meal that can be made in 10 minutes, this Vegan Pad […]
30-Minute Multigrain Congee
According to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), winter is the season for “storing and stashing,” for your body to preserve its strength. What could be better than this multigrain congee? It warms, hydrates, and replenishes the nutrients your body needs. A Healthier, More Flavorful Congee Recipe With the December holidays and Chinese New Year celebrations in […]
Chicken Noodle Wonton Soup
During these cold months, you might need a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup to warm you up. We love a classic pot of chicken stock, but when you’re looking for something a little different, this Chicken Noodle Wonton Soup has all the flavor of the original cold remedy with a twist. A Different Chicken […]
How to Cook Dumplings 3 Ways
Growing up, dumplings (jiǎozi, 餃子) were practically their own food group in our family. A bag of dumplings was always in the freezer, ready to become an after school snack, quick breakfast, party appetizer, or lazy weeknight dinner. In this post, we’ll talk about how to cook dumplings properly, with three methods: steaming, pan-frying, and […]
How to Make Five Spice Powder
Five Spice Powder is probably one of the most well-known Chinese seasoning blends, and a popular shortcut for getting that signature flavor. What is five spice powder made of? We did an informal audit of five spice powders, and it’s usually a combination of: Chinese cinnamon, fennel seed, star anise, and cloves. When it comes […]
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken is made by batter-frying chicken and then tossing it in a quick and easy sweet and sour sauce. If you love Chinese food but don’t live in China, chances are you’ve tried this dish before. Meaning, it’s actually more Western than Chinese! But really, who doesn’t love crispy fried chicken with […]
Super Bowl Menu: 30 Recipes!
It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday, and we’ve got 30 potential recipes to add to your Super Bowl Menu. These snacks and noms are the perfect accompaniments to veg out on the couch with come game time! Our Super Bowl Party Is All About the Food If you’re like me, this Super Bowl Sunday—and really every […]
Chinese Fried Ribs with Fermented Red Bean Curd
Chinese fried ribs marinated in red bean curd are a favorite in our family and a proven crowd pleaser at any party. The combination of fermented red bean curd and five spice powder makes for some of the all-time tastiest ribs in our repertoire. We serve these Chinese fried spareribs as an appetizer, finger food, […]
23 Chinese New Year Greetings (Mandarin & Cantonese)
Happy Chinese New Year everyone! This weekend you may have a line-up of Chinese New Year get-togethers with elders, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and everyone in between. Of course, it’s fun to see family and friends, and maybe score a hong bao red envelope or two (or three or ten), but Chinese New Year courtesies can […]
Chinese Braised Ti Pang (Pork Shank – 红烧蹄膀)
In some parts of China, Braised Ti Pang is a must-have dish for Chinese New Year feasts. It’s said that it brings luck and stability! Just look at the dish’s presentation––it’s a masterpiece and a heavy hitter (硬菜, yìngcài). Even if it doesn’t bring you luck, it will surely bring you admiration from friends and […]
Steak Stir Fry (Chow Steak Kow)
Steak Stir Fry, or Chow Steak Kow, as we used to call it at my parents’ restaurant, is not your standard beef stir-fry. Tender, rich ribeye or sirloin steak bites are cooked in a soy garlic sauce—with some American touches!—and served over a bed of crisp bok choy. What is Chow Steak Kow? For our […]
Stuffed Chinese Fried Gluten Balls
Today, we have a particularly special recipe: Stuffed Fried Gluten Balls. Ok, so it may not be the best sounding recipe in English, but rest-assured, this one is absolutely delicious. The whole family thought so! The balls’ round shape also represents family unity and completeness, which makes this a great new dish for your Chinese […]
Snow Fungus Soup with Pears
Snow Fungus Soup with Pears (bīngtáng yín’ěr dùn xuělí, 冰糖银耳炖雪梨) is a Chinese dessert soup usually served on special occasions like Chinese New Year. Snow fungus is more expensive than the more common black wood ear fungus, making it a prized treat! When you hear the word “soup,” your mind might first jump to something […]
Cantonese Poached Chicken (Bai Qie Ji)
Growing up, Cantonese Poached Chicken is one of those dishes that was always on the table at family dinners. It’s one of the best-loved chicken dishes in Chinese cuisine––Cantonese cuisine more specifically. NOTE: This recipe was originally published in 2014. We have since re-tested and updated it as of January 2020 with new photos, nutrition […]
Lion’s Head Meatballs
Chinese braised Lion’s Head Meatballs have long been a noticeable gap in our repertoire. But now that Chinese New Year is upon us again, and we’re heading into a new decade, we figured it was finally time to nail down and record this classic recipe! What Are Lion’s Head Meatballs? Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头 – […]
Chinese New Year Menus for All Skill Levels
It’s almost Chinese New Year! As the big day draws closer, it’s time to figure out what to plan for your Chinese New year menu and the big Chinese New Year’s dinner festivities. A big draw of Chinese New Year, aside from the delicious food, is of course, the dollar billz. Anyone married is traditionally […]
Ru Yi Cai (“As You Wish” Vegetables)
In anticipation of Chinese New Year / Lunar New Year on Jan 25th, we’re officially launching into our Chinese New Year recipes! Today, we’ll start with this leafy green dish, rú yì cài (如意菜), which loosely translates to “as you wish” vegetables. We have more very exciting “heavy-hitter (硬菜, yìng cài)” recipes planned for the […]
Vegan Mapo Tofu
Our Mapo Tofu recipe remains one of the most popular recipes we’ve posted on the blog to date. Indeed, mapo tofu is one of the most famous tofu recipes to have made it out of China. This spicy, delicious dish usually includes small amount of ground pork, but for this vegan version, we use chopped […]
Dairy-Free Cheesecake
Dairy-free cheesecake seems like an oxymoron, but we’ve figured out the formula! This version is a perfectly light, yet creamy cheesecake that serves as a great canvas for any fruit or chocolate toppings your heart desires. I have instructions in this recipe for how to top the cake with oranges and a delicious orange syrup, […]
Our Most Popular Recipes of 2019
It’s become a new tradition for us to look back on the year and take stock of our readers’ favorite recipes. As we say goodbye to the 2010s and close out decade that saw the founding of The Woks of Life (!!!), it feels particularly important to reflect on the food we ate, shared, and […]
Fantail Shrimp
Fantail shrimp is one of those retro dishes offered in every Chinese restaurant years ago. I even remember my father ordering fantail shrimp for us kids in the Cantonese restaurants we ate at in Chinatown. Like this timeless fantail shrimp recipe, the shrimp were large, and the batter was light! You may find, however, that […]
How to Make a Clear Broth
Just because a clear broth or stock looks almost as clear as water, trust me, it should be far from tasteless. We have already posted recipes for simple clear broths that can be used in recipes or consumed on their own, such as my chicken stock recipe, my pork & chicken stock, and Sarah’s Asian […]
Holiday Marshmallow Treats
We love marshmallow treats, and these holiday marshmallow treats have become our entry for this year’s local neighborhood cookie exchange! Our history with marshmallow treats goes way back. My mom made rice krispie treats all the time when I was a kid, and we made them for Sarah and Kaitlin when they were young. Kaitlin […]
Spicy Hunan Steamed Tofu & Mushrooms
Spicy Hunan Steamed Tofu and Mushrooms is made by caramelizing oyster mushrooms, scattering them on top of silky steamed tofu, and pouring over a sauce of pickled duo jiao chili peppers, ginger, scallions, and lots of white pepper. In short, it’s an incredibly flavorful, protein-filled, mushroom-meaty vegan dish that may just be better than its […]
Watercress Steamed Meatballs
Inspired by the Chinese meatballs you’ve seen at the Dim Sum restaurants in your local Chinatown, these watercress steamed meatballs incorporate super-healthy watercress and a classic Chinese meatball recipe. Make no mistake about it. As the name suggests, the star of these steamed meatballs is the watercress. Succulent beef with a light, bouncy texture combines with […]
30 Holiday Recipes
The holidays are fast approaching, and we’ve got 30 holiday recipes, new and old, savory and sweet. I think it was a rainy day over the summer when I first wondered what we should make this year for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But if you’re like most folks, you’re probably just getting ready to […]
Chinese Handmade Noodles
Nothing makes you feel quite so accomplished as slurping down a bowl of Chinese handmade noodles that you kneaded, rolled, and cut from scratch. These deliciously chewy, springy noodles can be served in soup or mixed with whatever tasty sauces and toppings you can dream up for a delicious meal. How to Make Chinese Noodles: […]
Cantonese Chicken Feet Soup
Cantonese Chicken Feet Soup is so classic, I feel like a fraud for not posting it sooner! Since it’s the season for soups, I hope you give this traditional recipe a try. It will warm you, and the collagen-rich broth is thought to improve the skin and slow aging! Yes, They Are Actual Chicken Feet […]
