Preface

Of all the many different kinds of Chinese dishes, if not all the foods in the world, I confess that my favorites are those stir-fried in the wok. Such dishes are light, juicy, healthy and, above all, so fragrant that I can never tire of them. It is not surprising, therefore, that in my pursuit of the Chinese culinary art as a cook, teacher, demonstrator, and writer, I aspire to make stir-frying my forté, like so many great Chinese chefs. The chopping and cutting up of ingredients is, admittedly, timeconsuming and patience-trying, but I accept it as a worthwhile necessity. When it comes to marinating, an essential part of Chinese cooking, I enjoy the mixing of flavors, seemingly at random but really aimed at achieving either a well-balanced result or an emphasis on a particular flavor.