This week on Eat Your Words, host Cathy Erway is in studio with Kian Lam Kho, author of the brand new book “Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees.” Offering a unique introduction to Chinese home cooking, Kian demystifies the process by focusing on its basic cooking methods. In outlining the differences among various techniques—such as pan-frying, oil steeping, and yin-yang frying—and instructing which one is best for particular ingredients and end results, culinary expert Kian provides a practical, intuitive window into this unique cuisine. Once one learns how to dry stir-fry chicken, he goes on to explain, one can then confidently apply the technique to tofu, shrimp, and any number of ingredients. Tune in to hear Kian discuss how he compiled his recipes, common misconceptions of cooking Chinese, and exactly what Phoenix Claw are!

“The purpose of the book is to empower the cook… to take what they’ve learned and get innovative with it.” [8:55]

“Stir fry is only one of the techniques and there are so many others: the braising, steaming, deep frying, and all of these most Americans are not familiar with, so in this book I wanted to introduce that.” [13:20]

–Kian Lam Kho on Eat Your Words