![]() On the recommendation from Chen’s relative, a Harvard-educated Chinese journalist, they settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living first on Kirkland Street and a few years later on Alpine Street near Fresh Pond. ![]() She was the youngest in a family of nine children and acquired her English name from her school teacher, who gave her the name Joyce because she was always joyful.Īs recounted in her cookbook, the Joyce Chen Cook Book, Chen was always interested in cooking and was encouraged by her mother to learn from the family chef so she “wouldn’t eat raw rice…”Ĭhen fled the communist regime in 1949 with her husband, Thomas, and their two small children. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.Celebrated restaurateur, cookbook author, culinary television personality, and entrepreneur Joyce Chen was born in Beijing, China on Septemand grew up in a highly-regarded family in Jiangsu Jiading, a suburb of Shanghai. Related Articles Editor's Picks Articles Top Ten Articles Previous Features Site MapĬontent copyright © 2022 by Kathy L. Just be forewarned that you can't bring the wok home from the store and immediately start cooking! Investing a little time and effort up front will give you a wonderful piece of cookware that will grow better with age. This turned out to be time consuming, but I haven't had any trouble with rust and the wok is virtually nonstick. The care instructions that come with the Joyce Chen unseasoned wok directs you to scrub it thoroughly with soap and water, then coat the inside with oil and heat it for about ten minutes, repeating the process several times. Whatever brand wok you ultimately buy, follow the manufacturer's direction. Oil it with a small amount of cooking oil, inside and out, before you store it.Įqually important to proper cleaning technique is the initial seasoning of the wok. Dry thorough, then heat the wok over a low flame until it is completely dry. Rinse the wok with all the hot water you like, wipe out with a sponge, and scrub any stubborn bits of food with a soft brush, then rinse again. ![]() Never put the wok in the dishwasher or wash it with soap. Wok care is simple and aimed at preventing the number one enemy of carbon steel, rust, from taking hold. It is roomy enough to keep the meat and vegetables corralled, even with energetic stir fry action! The 14-inch size works well for family cooking it is large enough to cook six to eight servings of stir fry without crowding the food. But I think Western cooks are more familiar with flat-bottomed cookware and would find balancing a rounded bottom pan on a stove a challenge. This design is a departure from the traditional rounded bottom. Since I have an electric cook top, I needed a flat bottomed wok. Both handles are wood, so they stay cool to the touch. A second “helper” handle ensures that the cook can safely move the wok as needed. The Joyce Chen wok feels substantial and well made, but is still light enough to handle. ![]() Nonstick coating is not a good idea for a wok, as I have learned the hard way-the high cooking temperatures will damage the coating, and deep frying wontons or egg rolls in a nonstick wok is a big mistake. Carbon steel is light and a good heat conductor, so I can easily lift the wok and it heats quickly and uniformly. Woks are commonly made of carbon steel, although other materials are available. The Joyce Chen 14-inch carbon steel flat-bottom wok has done a great job for me in my home kitchen. A wok is a marvelous invention designed to cook food quickly and efficiently over high heat with a minimum of oil.
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