Ken Hom's Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East

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	Ken Hom's Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East
	by Ken Hom Sales Rank: 170,678	~~List Price: $22.99~~ $15.63 At Amazon on 3-16-2005.

*Features* Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Headline February 1, 2003 ISBN: 0747276005 Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds. From Publishers Weekly For times when speed is a key concern, Hom's latest cookbook offers recipes that are easy to prepare and boast an Asian flair appealing to the American palate. An authority on Chinese cooking, Hom opens his cookbook with a section on ingredients and techniques designed to instruct even the most amateur cook. Though the recipes for poultry and meat are uniquely flavorful finds, the fish and shellfish chapter offers the book's most unusual concoctions. Standouts among the tantalizing dishes in this section include Mussels with Ginger and Spring Onions, and Stir-Fried Coriander and Orange Prawns. While Hom focuses mostly on the meat-lover's end of the spectrum, there are a number of vegetarian dishes, such as Savoury Stuffed Bean Curd and Stir-Fried Vegetables in Lettuce Cups. The author also provides sensible tips on entertaining: never attempt new dishes for guests, don't skimp and "Never have a party where all the guests are from the same profession; nothing is worse than talking shop all evening." He counsels readers who have made mistakes in the kitchen to "just patch it up as best as you can, smile, have another glass of champagne and enjoy." Color photographs throughout. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description: Eighty fast, sure–fire recipes from one of the world’s leading Chinese cooks.--This text refers to the *Reader Reviews* I give Ken Hom's Quick Wok only four stars because it is a good book, but one should think twice before buying it. A major warning sign is that it is a thin, oversize format book with lots of pictures and half the content for two thirds of the price of a `full size' cookbook. This consideration can be nullified by the fact that the book's contents are much better than the run of the mill oversize picture book if that were the whole story. A second consideration is that Ken Hom has a similar oversized many pictured book published at roughly the same time by Dorling Kindersley (DK) entitled `Foolproof Chinese Cooking'. This book is superior to the `Quick Wok' in many ways. First, the `Foolproof' book gives much more detailed recipe instructions and the many pictures are specifically dedicated to assisting in the communication of the recipe steps. Second, much of the introductory material in `Quick Wok' is duplicated in `Foolproof'. Thus, if one were interested simply in a good introductory book on Chinese cooking, the `Foolproof' book would be the one to choose. There are some reasons to own both books. The `Quick Wok' book focuses not only on recipes done in a wok, but also recipes which are fast even by the standards of wok cooking, which are normally as fast or faster than a saut� in French style cooking. Another reason to consider this book is that wok cooking is not all about stir-frying. It includes deep-frying and steaming and the book even includes some dessert recipes done by steaming. The major chapters on recipes in this book are: Starters and appetizers Soups Fish and shellfish Poultry Meat Vegetables Noodles and rice Desserts Unlike the `Foolproof' book, the table of contents does not list the names of all dishes. Another strike against it. There are two other observations, which may weigh on whether this is the book for you. First, since the theme of the book is fast cooking, there are a large number of prawn recipes, since these cook extremely fast. If you are not fond of shrimp, you may want to consider this. Second, while the pitch of the book is speed, I question some of the prep timings. I'm sure a professional chef can prep seven vegetables in 20 minutes, but I can't. I also discount the claim of fast cooking when the recipe involves a long marinade. That immediately discounts the recipe as suitable for a quick after work preparation. There are tips in the back of the book on entertaining and menus, which have the feed of something being copied from some other work. They all appear to be common sense. I would go to Martha Stewart for more detailed recommendations. The photography and food styling are competent, but not up to the quality one would expect in an oversize format with lots of pictures. The author has a great reputation in his field, but this is by no means his best effort. I recommend the contents of this book, but give some alternatives some thought as well. Back To Top
Ken Hom's Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East Available from Amazon Price: $15.63 Updated on 3-16-2005.

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