More favourite cookbooks...

Since we are on the topic, I thought I'd mention what is probably my favourite Chinese cookbook. I say probably as these things can be a bit fluid - I've got more than a few cookbooks lying around and so tend to shift loyalties a bit as cookbooks move into and out of favour. A sign that it's a real gem though is that I always come back to it.

That's what happened this weekend when faced with a pork loin that I had defrosted but had no solid plans for. I re-discovered 'The Breath of a Wok', a book I have turned to time and again for simple but interesting Chinese dishes. The book focuses on 'wok hay', which is a cantonese expression and, if I understand it correctly, is the secret something that a well-seasoned, well-used and well-loved wok can impart to a dish. There are lots of instructions and anecdotes along the way - indeed the first 50-odd pages of the book detail the selection, seasoning and care of a 'proper' wok in great detail before turning to a large section on stir-frying and a section on other cooking techniques at which a wok can excel such as steaming, smoking, braising, etc.

Each chapter starts with an introduction of several pages and each recipe has an introductory paragraph. These are always my favourite cookbooks as I love these stories about food and family - especially when they come from a culture that is not my own. I love the photos as well - they reflect cooking techniques, completed dishes, family members and famous guests such as author Amy Tan.

So what did I make on Sunday? Stir fried pork with scallions (green onions on this side of the Atlantic) - super simple, no unusual ingredients (assuming you have the basics of Chinese cooking in your pantry such as soy sauce, sesame oil and either rice wine or an adequate substitute - I use dry fino sherry) and perfect. The only change I made is to toss in a bit of extra chicken stock and corn flour to increase the amount of sauce - but, as I've been told by my other half, Sunday is a day for gravy!

P.S. I've gone the 'proper' wok route before and there are many rewards to be had for the love and care invested in a good wok - however, I tend to use either a Le Cresuet cast iron wok or a non-stick'wok-style' pan and am perfectly happy with the results - at least until I can replace the ceramic hob in the kitchen we inherited in a our current flat!