This was in the 50’s – the pressure cooker was aluminum, as I recall. Gadgets were at a minimum as not many were on the market. She used bamboo chopsticks in cooking, for stirring and picking up pieces. Good knives, both Chinese style and western style, and chopsticks were also important. She wanted a round edge to get into the pan corners and she liked cooking to be quiet. Mother used the pressure cooker pot and wooden spoons. Thinking about the traditional Chinese kitchen, it tends to be a spartan place. This way there were no hot spots high sides enable stirring without food falling out. Mother used a heavy duty pressure cooker pot. Growing up we never had a round-bottom wok, mother didn’t believe in them because she felt it didn’t fit properly on the American stove even with the ring which is used to support the wok when on a regular range, helping direct heat to the bottom of the wok and provide stability. Many times a year we had celebratory food. I can’t remember all 100 dishes now many were specialties from Shanghai where she grew up, and Chinese comfort food, festival foods enjoyed during the dragon boat fest or Chinese New Year. My mother was a fabulous cook, mostly Chinese food. I came up with 100 dishes! In terms of being exposed to food, I was. In terms of food, when I wrote my first cookbook I made a list of all the dishes I remember my mother cooking at home. If you treat this 14 inch Helen Chen wok well, season it from time to time, over the years it will become a valuable and unreplaceable kit to make delicious Asian meals.Nicole Herman: Helen, your mother Joyce Chen was a well-known Asian chef, so you must have been exposed to a lot of great food and cooking equipment while you were growing up. Many buyers just buy this wok and don’t take care of it. However, this wok is going to be an asset if you treat it well. While buying the first wok, you always have several doubts in your mind and hence if the wok comes cheap, it keeps you at ease. If you compare it with some of the popular carbon steel wok versions available in the market, Helen Chen is affordable. Helen Chen wok has an ideal 14-inch dimension, flat bottom to support any gas hob, lightweight yet durable body, and an easy to grip wooden handle. The initial seasoning process might take some time and effort, but your further experience will indeed be polished with good scrubbing and seasoning. You will eventually learn how to cook Asian foods and to care your cooking tool like a true chef. She learned cooking from her mother and established a new line of Asian culinary tools production. If you don’t know her, just remember she brought revolution in cooking utensils over the years. VIEW ON AMAZON Why Helen Chen’s Carbon Steel Wok is so popular?Įvery cooking savvy might be aware of Helen Chen, the Asian culinary expert. In all of the cooking techniques, it served me well. I have boiled, deep-fried, made stews, poached, roasted, and did several things. Most importantly, with the dome-shaped lid, this wok becomes apt for any type of cooking. Many questions arose in my mind, such as: Initially, it was confusing about what to do with it. The carbon steel is not overwhelmingly thick, hence while doing all the tossing and turning during the stir-frying process, my hands don’t get tired. And after the formation of the patina, my meals turn out to be healthier and tastier. Unlike, stainless steel or many nonstick woks that claim to be low in maintenance, I prefer this thick heavy gauge carbon steel wok because even at fluctuating temperature, it heats up quickly and evenly. VIEW ON AMAZON Much better heat-conductivity:
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