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Let’s Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Wok Star’s Picadillo

September 22, 2022 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

For all my Hispanic friends, I wanted to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with you. So many of you have taken my cooking class or purchased my WOK STAR KIT over the years. I want to thank you all for believing in my WOK STAR project from day one. Your love of Asian food has helped bring Asian fusion to new heights! So, here’s my version of Picadillo using what I had, the Wok Star Way and it came out DELICIOSO!

I’m so excited I found a way to repost from my Instagram because I can include posts, videos, Reels and add to my blog more frequently. Go ahead and click the blue button, VIEW PROFILE so you’ll see my full Instagram account even if you don’t have an Instagram account.

This Picadillo dish brings back very fond memories of the time Associated Press food editor, J.M. Hirsch who commissioned me to make my version with title, “Asian techniques meet Hispanic ingredients”, you can see it here. It was syndicated and published all over the world, thanks Jason.

Would love to hear what Hispanic dishes you like making in your wok in comments below?

Enjoy Hispanic Heritage Month, everyone!

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Testimonials from Wok Stars

September 22, 2022 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

Every time we cook “The Eleanor Hoh Wok Star System” ( I just named it ) we are at awe how well it works. It is not just the Cast Iron Wok or Butane Stove, it is the entire System that you have so thoughtfully put together. We see years of training and experience in each thoughtful element. You have added a wonderful new element to our routine cooking and dining as well as a bump to our many dinner parties. Bill & Judy

**Bill excited with his new style of cooking!**

World Wok Cuisine

“Thank You Eleanor for giving me the simplest, most impactful way to make flavorful memories! I give you Indian, Italian, Chino Latino and any cuisine you can fathom…it’s always Wok Cooking! This handy dandy cast iron wok has its own suitcase and I never leave home without it! Camping, beach, hiking or let me cook for you at your house! It is the single most important pan for cooking for me! “ Henri

**Henri cooks dishes from all over the world in his wok!**

Creative, Fun and Healthy Family Gift

“Mark opened his Christmas gift this morning and loved it. Thanks so much for this creative, fun and healthy gift for our family. We made our first meal tonight (turkey lettuce wraps and extra veggies), our girls were eager to help. The meal was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Eleanor (9) cooked the veggies and Annabel (7) cooked the turkey.” Heather & Mark

**Annabel, Mark and Eleanor, fun time cooking dinner together as a family!**

Put FUN back into Cooking!

“You’ve made cooking fun again. Wok so much, can’t tell you how much you have changed my eating habits and inspired so much enjoyment for cooking. 🙂 The best part about your no-recipe technique is the technique is so easy to learn and build on without needing any cooking experience at all. I’ve gotten great results with every kind of meat and every kind of vegetable.” Dr. Eric Runyon

**Dr. Eric Runyon finds cooking relaxing!**

How I learned to Cook Like a Wok Star from my Mom!

September 21, 2022 By Eleanor Hoh Leave a Comment

I learned to cook from my mom, whose instructions were, “it’s just a little bit of this and a bit of that.” Who knew, decades later, what she taught me became my mantra too.

My mom was born in Singapore and met my Dad in Malacca. When my parents moved from Malaysia to China, then Hong Kong, she had to make do because she couldn’t find many Malaysian ingredients.

It was fascinating and hilarious to hear mom’s stories of chickens laying eggs on her pillow. She didn’t learn to cook till after she got married and she didn’t enjoy cooking at the beginning. My mom was multi talented, I don’t know how she juggled 5 kids, taught at a Boy’s School, gave private tuition, was a Cub Master, as well as taking lessons in crochet, ikebana, cooking and piano. She had such an infectious laughter, she would set off and get us all in hysterics.

Mom looked gorgeous in a Chinese Cheong Sam as well as in western outfits.

Mom enjoyed entertaining with lavish dinner parties and decorating.
I think my sisters and I picked up many of her talents.

When my sisters and I were shipped off to boarding school in England, circa 1970’s, we were at a loss how to imitate her delicious dishes we grew up eating. We would call her up and I’ll never forget a simple thing as using the right vinegar could make or break a cucumber, tomato, onion pickle! She served that with Spicy Malaysian Chicken Curry or Char Quai Teow to cool us down. We were hooked on that pickle and to this day, I make this whenever I’m making a spicy dish.

Malaysian Chicken Curry bowl — Malaysian Chicken Curry

Malaysian Chicken Curry on banana leaf and newspaper setup — Malaysian Chicken Curry

Some of my fondest and best childhood memories were of cooking with mom and my three sisters. What a blast, there was so much giggling and silliness going on, we wondered how we ever got dinner made. To this day, those memories come up whenever I cook. Certain smells of curry leaves, sour tastes from tamarind, sounds of a sizzling hot wok and even the way I peel and score down the cucumber to make a pattern and release its flavors bring back such vivid associations of food I grew up with.

Just the act of preparing dinner for my husband and myself makes me feel I’m taking care of our health and our well being and my mind goes into a state of a relaxation. Being in the moment, appreciating the action of chopping vegetables or stir frying in my cast iron wok, the wok my mom introduced me to using all those years ago!

Now, decades later, whenever my sisters and I have our reunions, we always cook together and reminisce about how fun it was cooking with mom. And now, I get to share everything I learned from my mom including that same cast iron wok she taught me to cook in as well as a few essentials to help you cook at home the same way I learned from her, except easier and faster.

I’m telling you this story because if you knew cooking with your family can bring such joy, creativity, happiness, and incredible memories, you’ll be inspired to start your cooking journey and experience those feelings I have when I cook.

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World Wok Cuisine

Creative, Fun and Healthy Family Gift

Put FUN back into Cooking!

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