Below, you’ll find a list of select The Woks of Life press mentions, features, and awards across television, print, and digital media.
Television and video:
- Lucky Chow (Season 4, Episode 6), PBS (2020): Link to watch
- Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern (Season 1, Episode 5), Magnolia Network (2021): Link to watch
- Family Meal: The Woks of Life, Food Network Digital (2021)
- Good Morning America, ABC (November 5, 2022): Link to Watch
Print, PODCASTS & RADIO:
- Outside Magazine – July/August 2022 issue (cover story)
- Woman’s Day – January/February 2022 issue
- Eating Well – November 2021 issue
- Beyond the Plate: Top Food Blogs from Around the World (Daniela Galarza, Prestel, 2017)
- Milk Street Magazine – “Peking-style Shredded Pork Stir-fry”
- Relish Magazine – “Winter Pasta Feature”
- Sing Tao Daily – Link
- The Dinner Special Podcast | 12/30/15 – Link
- Get Together Podcast | 1/25/21 – Link
- WGN Radio, John William Show | 9/2/21
- Kohlrabi Podcast | 12/23/21 – Link
- NPR’s It’s Been a Minute | 9/16/22 – Link
- The TASTE Podcast | 10/28/22 – Link
- The One Recipe | 11/29/22 – Link
- Culinary Historians of Chicago | 12/8/22 – Link
- NPR All Things Considered | 12/24/22 – Link
- NPR Books We Love | 12/24/22 – Link
- KCRW | 1/13/23 – Link
- The Splendid Table | 1/20/23 – Link
- The InfatuAsian Podcast | 4/11/23 – Link
- Cooking Issues | 4/17/23 – Link
- The Future of Food is You – Radio Cherry Bombe | 6/22/23 – Link
Select Online Features:
The New York Times – “The Family That Cooks Together Publishes a Best-Seller”
The New York Times – “The Best Cookbooks of 2022”
San Francisco Chronicle – “How a Family-Run Food Blog Became a Home for Chinese America”
Bon Appetit – “The Woks of Life is Shaping Chinese Home Cooking in America. And It’s Only Getting Started”
Nigella Lawson’s Cookbook Corner – “The Woks of Life by Bill, Judy, Sarah & Kaitlin Leung”
The Cut – “Working with Family Is Actually Possible”
Food & Wine – “The 20 Best Cookbooks of 2022, According to F&W Editors”
Dwell – “They Built ‘The Woks of Life’ from Home. Now They’re Cooking Things Up from a New One”
Modern Farmer – “The Story of a Family in 100 Recipes”
The New York Times – “A Stir-fry to Convert Green Bell Pepper Skeptics”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – “Cookbook Review: A ‘Culinary Genealogy’ Told Through Food”
The National Post – “The Woks of Life: How a Family’s Culinary Genealogy Became a Cooking Resource for Millions”
Library Journal – “The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family”
CNN – “How Asian Americans are Keeping Lunar New Year Traditions Alive”
Thrillist – “Gather Friends and Family to Make These Chili Oil Wontons”
KQED – “How The Woks of Life Helped a New Generation of Chinese Americans Learn to Cook”
South China Morning Post – “The Woks of Life: The Family Connecting Chinese-Americans Through Recipes”
Simply Recipes – “The 10 Best Cookbooks of 2022”
Epicurious – “How to Make the Crispiest Clay Pot Rice In a Cast Iron Skillet”
Outside Online – “These Outside Cover Stars Wrote a Cookbook. We’re Big Fans.”
CNN – “What It Says About Us When We Want a Cook’s Recipe But Not Their Humanity”
The Washington Post – “A Traditional Kung Pao Chicken Traces a Family’s Cooking and History”
PureWow – “What Is Hot Pot? We Tapped a Chinese Food Blogger For Tips on Making it At Home”
Eater – “If You Literally Never Cook, Start Here”
Toast – “The Best 50 Food Blogs in the US in 2024”
TIME – “From Ramen to Pancakes, Here Are 12 Meals Bringing Comfort to TIME 100 Leaders Right Now”
The New York Times – “The Most Tender Short Ribs, The Most Satisfying Soup”
Travel + Leisure – “TV Chef Andrew Zimmern on Why He’s Crashing Family Dinners for His New Show”
NYT Wirecutter – “Everything You Need to Make Hot Pot at Home”
Cup of Jo – “The 10 Best Cookbooks of Fall 2022”
Taste – “A Softer Side of Celery”
Good Morning America – “Ring In Lunar New Year With These Money Bag Dumplings for Abundance and Good Fortune”
Good Housekeeping – “20 Best Chinese Chicken Recipes”
Tasting Table – “Why Hand Mincing Meat is Better Than Buying Ground Meat”
Mashed – “The Fermented Tofu Every Home Cook Needs in Their Kitchen”
Cooks without Borders – “Chinese American Culinary Culture Finds Delicious, Multigenerational Expression at The Woks of Life”
The Beijinger – “Wok On With These Legit Authentic English Language Chinese Recipe Sites”
The Cut – “The Comfort and Power of Asian Cooking in Quarantine”
Today.com – “Bacon & Egg Fried Rice”
NBC News – “Need Dinner Inspiration? Try These 4 Chinese Takeout Dishes You Can Make at Home”
Parade – “25 Authentic Recipes to Celebrate Chinese New Year”
Better Homes & Gardens – “Can You Eat Sweet Potato Leaves?”
Chowhound – “What Is Vermicelli?”
Refinery29 – “19 Chinese Food Recipes That Are BETTER Than Takeout”
Character Media – “Feeling Hungry? Follow These 5 Asian Foodies and Get Cooking”
PBS Parents – “15 Favorite Chinese Takeout Recipes to Make at Home”
Chowhound – “Cook Breakfast For Dinner with These Savory Asian Pancake Recipes”
Kitchn – “The Woks of Life” Authors’/Contributors’ Page
Essence – “4 Flavorful Global Recipes to Try This Weekend”
Huffington Post – “The Only Seafood Recipes You’ll Ever Need”
BuzzFeed – “28 Things You Should Learn to Make if You Love Chinese Food”
Awards:
- 2023 IACP Cookbook Awards, Nominated – American category
- 2023 James Beard Foundation Book Awards, Nominated – U.S. Foodways
- Saveur Blog Awards, Winner – Best Special Interest Blog (Editor’s Choice & Reader’s Choice awards)
- Golden Chopsticks Awards, Nominated – Food Influencer Award, sponsored by Lee Kum Kee
PRAISE FOR OUR COOKBOOK:
The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know & Love from a Chinese American Family
NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER | PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW | JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINATED | IACP AWARD FINALIST
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: The New York Times, Food & Wine, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Delish, Epicurious, San Francisco Chronicle, Simply Recipes
“For years, Bill, Judy, Sarah, and Kaitlin have been my go-to source for recipes and techniques that have roots firmly planted in Chinese tradition, but with a uniquely American experience and voice. Their intergenerational approach makes The Woks of Life unique in its ability to inspire and educate, with an eye towards practicality and usefulness. This is a very special book.”––J. Kenji López-Alt, author of The Food Lab and The Wok
“The Woks of Life did something miraculous; it reconnected me to my love of Chinese food and showed me how simple it is to make my favorite dishes myself, something I never thought I’d be able to do. Beautifully and lovingly created by the Leung family, this fantastic cookbook should be in every home!”––Kevin Kwan, New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians
“For years I was a fan, cooking many of the Leung family favorites for my loved ones. Then I became a friend when the whole gang generously agreed to come on one of my shows. We cooked all day and shared a meal I will never forget. This book allows everyone to get in the kitchen and effortlessly start cooking well researched and delicious recipes while enjoying the personalities and tastes of Judy, Bill, Sarah, and Kaitlin. The Woks of Life cookbook is a must for any food lover.”––Andrew Zimmern
“Like so many of my friends that cook, The Woks of Life is one of the first places I go when I need a recipe that I know will be as knowledgeable as it is usable. Having a whole printed book of recipes to cook through at last is such a gift — I cannot find a single recipe in this book that doesn’t entice me to cancel all of my plans and spend my evening cooking instead.”––Deb Perelman, author of Smitten Kitchen Keepers
“The Woks of Life became a staple resource for our family when we moved away from home and embarked on recreating the flavorful memories of our childhood. Complete with takeout favorites, quick weeknight dinners, approachable recipes for dim sum specialties, and sweet treats, in their cookbook the Leungs share their expertise at weaving tradition with modern techniques that speak to the Chinese American experience. Even more, they equip you with all you need to outfit your pantry with every sauce, spice, and kitchen tool to create authentic flavors (and wok hei!) that are sure to impress.”––Lina and Mei Lum of Wing on Wo & Co
“The Woks of Life blog has been one of my absolute favorites for years — I am so excited to have their book in my kitchen! These recipes are not only delicious, but they make me excited to try new dishes and bring my family together to experience new flavors. The Leung family goes above and beyond in this book to help home cooks by explaining everything from cooking tools to pantry staples, and even providing QR codes to reference certain techniques you may not be familiar with. I cannot wait to cook through this book with my family!”––Alex Snodgrass, NYT Bestselling Author of The Defined Dish and The Comfortable Kitchen
“The Leung family, creators of The Woks of Life blog, have been my go-to source when I want to make everything from fried rice and scallion pancakes, to spicy chili wontons and sesame-slicked Shanghai Noodles. With clear instructions and step-by-step photos, anyone, anywhere can make authentic and delicious Chinese food at home. I’m thrilled to have all their best recipes in one beautiful book!”––David Lebovitz, Author, My Paris Kitchen & Drinking French