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

Famous for making Chinese cookery easy and appealing to everyone, Ken Hom has surpassed himself with this new collection of over 80 fast wok recipes. Ken Hom's Quick Wok has been written for the busy people of today, be they 17 or 70. Clear instructions, combined with the use of fresh ingredients that need little or no preparation, mean you can rustle up sure-fire winners in no time at all, such as Sweet Ginger Chicken and Firecracker Pork with Com, which your friends and family will love you for. If you want healthy food without compromising on taste; if you want inspiration but are in a hurry, then this is the cookbook you've been waiting for.

Customer Review: Very good book on wok cookery, but not the best
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.
Customer Review: Good Book by Worthy Author. Worth Considering
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 feel 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,especially if fast recipes are your major interest, but give some alternatives some thought as well.

You may have heard about supplementing your diet with green tea in order to lose weight. But in addition to losing weight, green tea users tout its other benefits such as lowering bad and increasing good cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and even fighting colon and bladder cancers. But other than carrying around a bunch of tea bags and hoping to find some boiling water, how can you get green tea into your diet? Most people have started turning to green tea extract supplements in pill form.

Besides their ease of use, supplements also take care of the complaints some people have when taking green tea in its more traditional brewed form. Those complains include the tea's somewhat bitter taste as well side effects from its caffeine content. One six-ounce cup of green tea contains approximately 30 mg. of caffeine, so people who are caffeine sensitive should take green tea supplements instead of brewed tea. In addition, more than six cups of green tea a day can lead to sleeplessness, irregular heart beat, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches. Taken as a dietary supplement, green tea extract generally comes in 500 mg. capsules taken two or three times daily.

Green Tea is also widely recognized as one than can protect you against lots of different cancers such ovarian cancer, stomach cancer, prostate cancer, as well as cancer of the colon, mouth, breast and cervix. Advocates claim that a diet supplemented with green tea or a green tea extract in supplement form may actually delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease. One study from Great Britain found that green tea inhibited three chemical culprits associated with breaking down brain cells and producing plaque and protein deposits in the brain.

Although green tea has been considered a medicine for 4,000 in China, only recently has Western medicine recognized its curative properties. In 1994 an article was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that a normal diet that included green tea could reduce the risks of cancer of the esophagus by up to 60%. The study found that compounds in green tea had a tendency to inhibit the growth of cancer cells along with reducing total cholesterol levels, increase the ratio of good cholesterol and decreasing the level of bad cholesterol.

Finally, according to research, green tea contains a substance known as L-theanine that triggers a body's T cells to secrete as much as ten-times their normal output of virus-battling interferon, so incorporating a green tea supplement into your diet may be a key flu-fighting strategy.

The Author is a long-time student of health, fitness and bodybuilding. You can read more free information about health, fitness and bodybuilding as well as where to get Green Tea supplements at his website http://www.ultimategreenteaweightloss.superfood-reviews.com

Ban Thai Appetizers