Sorry I missed you last week. After traveling with my family to Hawaii for the kids’ Spring Break, I headed directly to New York City for the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference. Needless to say, gathering 1000 “food people” together in the greatest dining city in the country makes for a good time. I think I need a cleanse.

Over the course of my four days in NY, I attended many really cool seminars on topics ranging from food styling to conducting a successful cooking demo. My most anticipated session, though, was cookbook author Grace Young’s “Modern Cooking with the Ancient Wok”. Grace has written three fantastic books on Chinese cooking, The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, The Breath of a Wok, and Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge, and I was thrilled by the thought of watching her in action.

I loved Grace immediately, as she opened her talk with a plea to never EVER use a nonstick wok. She’s so against nonstick woks, in fact, that she’d like to start a “wok revolution”, completely banning their use. (I couldn’t agree more, by the way. The surface of a nonstick wok can’t withstand the high heat of wok cooking, nor does it give food the proper surface on which to sear. Liquid starts to bead up on the pan, resulting in food that’s steamed and watery, not stir-fried.) Grace discussed the history of woks, how to season a wok for the first time, and lots of practical tips on wok cookery. Here are some of her tips:

• For American stoves, choose a 14-inch flat-bottom carbon steel wok. A flat-bottom wok will retain heat better on a home cook’s 10,000 BTU (vs. a restaurant’s 80-200,000 BTU) stove.
• You can find a carbon steel wok for $14.99-16.99 in Chinatown or $20-$30 elsewhere and it will last a lifetime. You can’t kill a wok.
• It’s fine to use metal utensils; try a fish spatula for the best flexibility.
• Woks aren’t just for stir-frying. You can also pan fry, deep fry, boil, braise, poach, smoke, and steam in a wok. (Though you may want to keep a second wok for boiling and steaming as it will ruin the patina.)
• Fill the wok with water right after cooking. After dinner, clean it with a sponge and hot water. Dry it over low heat for 1-2 minutes, until the water disappears.
• Don’t oil the wok after drying it. Dust sticks to oil. Plus oils go rancid.
• If you don’t use your wok frequently, store it in a paper grocery bag to prevent rust and dust.
• Woks are the original nonstick cookware. The more you use it, the more nonstick it becomes.
• Hot wok/cold oil: Heat the wok until a drop of water evaporates on it in 1-2 seconds. (Smoking = too hot) Then add an oil with a high smoke point (peanut, grape seed, vegetable) down the sides of the wok.
• You should hear a sizzle while you’re cooking. The wok should talk to you. If it doesn’t, there’s not enough heat or the wok is too full.
• Don’t overload the wok. Use no more than one pound of shrimp, scallops, pork, chicken, lamb, or tofu or 12 ounces of beef.
• Concentrate! No emailing, texting, or walking away while you cook. Wok cookery is quick and efficient.

As I’ve been out promoting The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen, I’ve met a lot of people who tell me they’re intimidated by the idea of cooking in a wok. Personally I think it’s great fun! If you’re interested in learning more, Grace’s books are treasure troves of information on stir-frying and Chinese cookery in general. They’re not gluten free, but I suspect if you’re into technique then you’ll be as interested as I am. Cheers, ~LbR