Grace Young, deemed the “Poet Laureate of the Wok,” will share the fascinating story of the wok, from its traditional uses in China to its evolution in America. For 2000 years, the wok has been the iron thread that unites Chinese home cooks, but today it is an endangered pan both in China and in America. The story of how Chinese Americans became disconnected from their iconic culinary tool serves as a springboard for a stir-fry demonstration and tasting of one of their most unusual and delectable diaspora stir-fries, Chinese Trinidadian Shrimp with Rum. Grace will do a book signing following the event.
About Grace Young
Grace has devoted her career to celebrating wok cookery and its global significance as a tool for preparing healthful and delicious meals. She is a James Beard and four-time IACP award-winning writer, including the Jane Grigson Award for distinguished scholarship, recipient of the World Food Media Award, and the eGullet Culinary Journalist Scholarship. Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge was one of the top cookbooks of 2010 by NPR, The Washington Post, Good Morning America, and Huffington Post. She is the author of The Breath of a Wok and The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. Grace’s video, Chinese Trinidadian Chicken with Mango Chutney, won the 2017 IACP Digital Media Single Food-Focused Video Award. In 2016, she was named one of the “40 for 40” Women honorees for the American Museum of Natural History’s Margaret Mead Film Festival. Most recently, Epicurious featured her as one of The 100 Greatest Home Cooks of All Time. Her work is currently showcased at the Museum of Chinese in America and the Museum of Food and Drink.
About John Hutt
John is a lifelong chef with a passion and interest in the theory, history, science, and culture of food. He has opened restaurants, written papers, and cooked a lot of food for a lot of people around the world. John came to MOFAD from the El Bulli institute in Barcelona, where he was working on the theory and practice of food and cooking.
About Kings County Imperial
In honor of this event, Kings County Imperial will be serving Grace Young's Chinese American Shrimp recipe from her Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge book at their restaurant from Tuesday, July 18th until Monday, July 24th.
Photo courtesy of Food52