Born in Canton, China, Eleanor Hoh is on a mission to make everyone a Wok Star in the Kitchen! Her simple approach to wok cooking eliminates the need for recipes, measuring and calorie-counting. Eleanor's visual roadmap to wok cooking gives you freedom in the kitchen to prepare quick, delicious, and healthy meals. She's even put together a Wok Star Kit that includes everything you'll need to get started!

Check back for details on the next Wok Star Cooking Class.
 

Wok Star Eleanor Hoh treated Digest Miami to a three-course cooking class. The interactive demonstration showed us just how quick, easy, and delicious wok cooking can be. Most of us might relate wok stir-frying to greasy noodles and fried rice, but Eleanor's demonstration proved you can also have a healthier diet with this chinese cooking technique.

Our class was hosted in Casa Vinicola Zonin's swank, urban loft with sweeping city and bay views. Zonin generously filled our glasses throughout the class beginning with their wonderfully delicate Prosecco, followed by a silky Vermentino, and a soft and lush chianti classico.



Eleanor delivered a thorough instruction. She guided us through each step of the wok cooking process including the necessary tools, how to select your ingredients, creating flavor, best practices, and how to cook veggies versus meat.



A wok is the obvious tool you'll need to get started on your ancient chinese cooking journey, but you'll also need a flame to achieve the appropriate level of heat. Unfortunately, most of our kitchens are equipped with an electric stove (sigh). Keeping in mind that most condo buildings may have "rules" preventing from the use of mini-butane tanks, Eleanor suggests purchasing a portable, gas cooktop burner.



There are many seasonal vegetables to choose from, but Eleanor suggests keeping it simple and only using 3-4 veggies per dish. Carrots, Asparagus, Jicama, and Green Beans are all excellent options for stir frying. To make life even easier, prep your ingredients early in the week and store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator until your ready to use them.



Keeping it simple is a reoccurring theme, especially when it comes to marinades and sauces. Eleanor identified the essentials to preparing a basic marinade for any wok dish, but you'll have to attend her class to discover these four secret ingredients. You can also purchase her Wok Star Kit which includes everything you need to get started.




We learned a few key points in the wok cooking process. Most importantly, always try to avoid excess liquid. Chopping and slicing ingredients helps retain moisture while grating or food processing makes vegetables release moisture causing splatters and inefficient cooking. 



Another tip, always cook and remove veggies first as the meats will leave bits for deglazing and add flavor to your sauce.



Along with Eleanor's informative demonstration, she shared her favorite products and even provided each student with a packet that included a comprehensive list of Miami's best Asian markets. Matching Eleanor's methodic class format, the packet also included a "visual roadmap" to "wok" at home.




Cooking after a long day of work doesn't sound appealing to most of us, but Eleanor Hoh's Wok Cooking Class could change your mind. Her simple approach taught us that with a few fresh ingredients, strong heat… and a good wok we can eliminate the need for time-consuming recipes.