J。 Kenji López-Alt’s debut cookbook， The Food Lab， revolutionized home cooking， selling more than half a million copies with its science-based approach to everyday foods。 And for fast， fresh cooking for his family， there’s one pan López-Alt reaches for more than any other: the wok。

Whether stir-frying， deep frying， steaming， simmering， or braising， the wok is the most versatile pan in the kitchen。 Once you master the basics—the mechanics of a stir-fry， and how to get smoky wok hei at home—you’re ready to cook home-style and restaurant-style dishes from across Asia and the United States， including Kung Pao Chicken， Pad Thai， and San Francisco–Style Garlic Noodles。 López-Alt also breaks down the science behind beloved Beef Chow Fun， fried rice， dumplings， tempura vegetables or seafood， and dashi-simmered dishes。

Featuring more than 200 recipes—including simple no-cook sides—explanations of knife skills and how to stock a pantry， and more than 1，000 color photographs， The Wok provides endless ideas for brightening up dinner。