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

by Ken Hom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

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.

From Library Journal
The latest book from well-known cookbook author and teacher Hom includes recipes inspired by India, Thailand, and China. In addition to Hom's versions of perennial favorites such as Salt and Pepper Prawns (shrimp, that is the book was first published in England), there are such delectable choices as Chicken with Onion and Ginger Sauce and Baby Corn with Black Beans and Chili. All are quick and easy, and all are illustrated with photographs, many of them full page. Not to be confused with Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison's recent Wok Fast, with its generally "fusion-style" recipes, Hom's more substantial title is recommended for most collections.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747276005
• ISBN-13: 978-0747276005
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #827,632 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book on wok cookery, but not the best, February 4, 2004

By	B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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 sauté 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.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy, easy, easy and FAST., January 25, 2004

By	Timothy Read (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Ken Hom's Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East (Hardcover)

I bought this book looking to start trying some new Asian recipes. I had looked at a number of other books, but this was appealing for two major reasons:
1) Nothing required absurd amounts of prep time;
2) It has a variety of different recipes -- it's not just Chinese, Thai, etc.
It works on both fronts.

If you're totally new to Asian cooking or are looking to broaden your horizons, there's a lot of good information early in the book about types of ingredients you'll use (broken down into smaller categories such as sauces, spices, etc.) and a brief discussion of them. There's also information (short) on cooking techniques, equipment needed, etc.

If you're looking to do these recipes exactly, you may need to find an Asian market where you can get some things; many recipes call for Shaoxing rice wine and two types of soy sauce. The only place I was able to find these were at an Asian market - I tried every other grocery store around me before finding them there.

Finally, the recipes are great. My favorite so far is pineapple pork -- like most of the recipes, it takes only a couple minutes to prepare and tastes great.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for delicious yet quick wok food, November 16, 2002

By	Carol Haemmerli "Proustian mess" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ken Hom's Quick Wok: The Fastest Food in the East (Hardcover)

Only second best to Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison's "Wok fast," you'll find yourself thumbing this book very often for easy and fast wok dishes. It's also a good primer for those who have no inkling of what is what in Asian ingredients.