Grace Young believes that we are all warriors and miracles who, through various struggles and challenges, have each acquired fracture lines. With the hope of bringing peace, empowering women, and encouraging a movement that emphasizes inner strength, self-love, and courage, Young shares details of her amazing journey through life, during which she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds, learned to trust her power and find her voice, and eventually healed her own fracture lines. Young begins by offering a glimpse into her chaotic childhood, overshadowed by a violent, alcoholic father whose unpredictable rages cast a dark cloud over a dysfunctional family situation. After her mother suddenly died and her father remarried, she quickly learned to trust her intuition in order to survive within a volatile home environment. Even after she was raped by an uncle at age seventeen, she somehow managed to pick herself up, attend college, and marry-without any idea that soon life would once again test her strength. Fracture Lines is the true story of one woman's life experiences as she finds the power within to overcome her greatest challenges and define her destiny.

When Grace Young was a child, her father instilled in her a lasting appreciation of "wok hay, " the highly prized but elusive taste that food achieves when properly stir-fried in a wok. As an adult, Young aspired to create that taste in her own kitchen. Her quest to master wok cooking led her throughout the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China. Along with award-winning photographer Alan Richardson, Young sought the advice of home cooks, professional chefs, and esteemed culinary teachers like Cecilia Chiang, Florence Lin, and Ken Hom. Their instructions, stories, and recipes, gathered in this richly designed and illustrated volume, offer not only expert lessons in the art of wok cooking, but also capture a beautiful and timeless way of life.
With its emphasis on cooking with all the senses, "The Breath of a Wok" brings the techniques and flavors of old-world wok cooking into today's kitchen, enabling anyone to stir-fry with "wok hay." IACP award-winner Young details the fundamentals of selecting, seasoning, and caring for a wok, as well as the range of the wok's uses; this surprisingly inexpensive utensil serves as the ultimate multipurpose kitchen tool. The 125 recipes are a testament to the versatility of the wok, with stir-fried, smoked, pan-fried, braised, boiled, poached, steamed, and deep-fried dishes that include not only the classics of wok cooking, like Kung Pao Chicken and Moo Shoo Pork, but also unusual dishes like Sizzling Pepper and Salt Shrimp, Three Teacup Chicken, and Scallion and Ginger Lo Mein. Young's elegant prose and Richardson's extraordinary photographs create a unique and unforgettable picture of artisan wok makers in mainland China, street markets in Hong Kong, and a "wok-a-thon" in which Young's family of aunties, uncles, and cousins cooks together in a lively exchange of recipes and stories. A visit with author Amy Tan also becomes a family event when Tan and her sisters prepare New Year's dumplings. Additionally, there are menus for family-style meals and for Chinese New Year festivities, an illustrated glossary, and a source guide to purchasing ingredients, woks, and accessories.
Written with the intimacy of a memoir and the immediacy of a travelogue, this recipe-rich volume is a celebration of cultural and culinary delights.

The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, with its 150 recipes culled from a lifetime of family meals and culinary instruction, is much more than a cookbook. It is a daughter's tribute -- a collection of personal memories of the philosophy and superstitions behind culinary traditions that have been passed down through her Cantonese family, in which each ingredient has its own singular importance, the preparation of a meal is part of the joy of life, and the proper creation of a dish can have a favorable influence on health and good fortune. Each chapter begins with its own engaging story, offering insight into the Chinese beliefs that surround life-enhancing and spiritually calming meals. In addition, personal family photographs illustrate these stories and capture the spirit of China before the Revolution, when Young's family lived in Canton, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

The first part, "Mastering the Fundamentals," provides instruction on the arts of steaming and stir-frying; the preparation of rice, panfried, and braised dishes; the proper selection of produce; and the fine arts of chopping and slicing. Part Two, "The Art of Celebration," concentrates on the more elaborate, complex, and meaningful dishes -- such as Shark's Fin Soup and West Lake Duck -- that are usually made with rare ingredients, and sweets such as Water Chestnut Cake and Sesame Balls. The final part, "Achieving Yin-Yang Harmony," explores the many Chinese beliefs about the healing properties of ginseng, gingko nuts, soybeans, dong quai, and the many vegetable and fruit soup preparations that balance and nourish the body. The stories and recipes combine to demonstrate the range of Cantonese cooking, from rich flavors and honored combinations to an overall appreciation of health, well-being, and prosperity.

In addition to the recipes, Young provides a complete glossary of dried herbs, spices, and fresh produce, accompanied by identifying photos and tips on where to purchase them. Unique traditional dishes, such as Savory Rice Tamales and Shrimp Dumplings, are also illustrated step by step, making the book easy to use. The central full-color photo section captures details of New Year's dishes and the Chinese home decorated in celebration, reminding one that these time-honored traditions live on, and the meals and their creation are connections to the past.

Grace Young believes that we are all warriors and miracles who, through various struggles and challenges, have each acquired fracture lines. With the hope of bringing peace, empowering women, and encouraging a movement that emphasizes inner strength, self-love, and courage, Young shares details of her amazing journey through life, during which she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds, learned to trust her power and find her voice, and eventually healed her own fracture lines. Young begins by offering a glimpse into her chaotic childhood, overshadowed by a violent, alcoholic father whose unpredictable rages cast a dark cloud over a dysfunctional family situation. After her mother suddenly died and her father remarried, she quickly learned to trust her intuition in order to survive within a volatile home environment. Even after she was raped by an uncle at age seventeen, she somehow managed to pick herself up, attend college, and marry-without any idea that soon life would once again test her strength. Fracture Lines is the true story of one woman's life experiences as she finds the power within to overcome her greatest challenges and define her destiny.