The day has at long last arrived! The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family is here, and it’s a New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, and James Beard & IACP Award nominee. It was also named on of the best cookbooks of the year by The New York Times, Food & Wine, NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Delish, Epicurious, San Francisco Chronicle, and Simply Recipes.
Our debut cookbook contains 100 recipes, including 20 family and fan favorites from the blog, and 80 BRAND NEW cookbook recipes!
Last week, we had a journalist over at the house for dinner. We made a big meal of recipes from the book—tomato egg stir fry, hand-torn cabbage, and homestyle tofu—plus a big comforting pot of pork bone and watercress soup from the blog.
As we all sat there chatting about Chinese food and cooking, bouncing ideas and jockeying to make our points across the dinner table like we always do, we couldn’t help but get distracted by how deeply comforting all of it was.
The food wasn’t fancy. It was just delicious, nourishing comfort. We had done what we set out to do—which was to capture the tastes of home in our book.
With The Woks of Life cookbook, we hope it feels a little bit like you’ve pulled up a chair at our table and are cooking with us standing nearby to help you get the recipe right every time!
The woks of life cookbook comments page!
You didn’t think that when we crossed over into print that we’d leave you hanging without a way to chat with us, did you?
Our new comments page is live right now!
*Find the QR Code on page 13 of the book, and point at it with your smartphone camera. a link will pop up that will take you to the comments page!
You can even choose which recipe you have a question about, and ask a specific question, or simply share your thoughts and reactions!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
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
Thank you
We can’t emphasize enough that this book only exists because of all of the readers and home cooks who use The Woks of Life every day!
You’ve made us better cooks and delighted us with the amount of care and effort you put into cooking our recipes. We hope you love the book.
Leave us a review on amazon or Barnes & Noble!
If you enjoy the book or have thoughts / reactions, please leave us a review on Amazon!
Just like leaving starred reviews on our recipes helps us out on the blog, the more positive reviews we have on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, the more people will be able to find our book!
Considering that it took a while for Amazon to realize that “The Woks of Life” wasn’t a typo of “work of life,” we’d love to show them what’s up!
songs to jam to as you cook!
Each of us put together our own cooking playlists to enjoy as you’re cracking open the book, reading, and perhaps even jumping into a recipe!
Each playlist speaks to each of our personalities, as well as the criss-crossing timelines, geographies, and life stages of our family.
Check them out on Spotify below! (You can see our Spotify profile here.)
Find The Woks of Life Cookbook Wherever Books Are Sold
How to ORDER (Including signed copies!):
If you’re in the U.S., get your copy from any of the retailers below, or your local bookstore!
Want a signed copy? The following independent bookstores have limited numbers. Check to see if they still have one in stock, and get it shipped to you:
If you live outside the U.S., check Amazon in your home country, or try the links below, where we’ve seen the book available internationally. It’s also available as an eBook!
SHARE YOUR COOKING ADVENTURES!
Cooking a recipe from the book? Follow and tag us on Instagram @thewoksoflife! We’ll share some of your photos to our stories, and we are just itching to see you all start enjoying recipes from our FIRST EVER COOKBOOK! (Surreal.)
Happy cooking everyone!
