Chef Kwok Keung Tung tosses the wok with one hand, using the other to stir with a metal spatula. Both hands occupied, he uses his knee to nudge the gas stove’s lever up and down to control the fire ...

Back in college, as a financially struggling would-be writer, I often whipped out my wok, tossed in an array of veggies and created what I thought was an authentic stir-fry. After all, I had a real ...