Hetty Lui McKinnon's Something to Eat and Something to Read Q&A

Sydney-born, Brooklyn-based cook and author Hetty Lui McKinnon shares what she's been reading and eating.

Photo of Hetty by Shirley Cai

Hetty Lui McKinnon is one of my all-time favourite writers and people. Since self-publishing her very first book Community, back when she was running a salad delivery business in Surry Hills to her latest offering Tenderheart, written and published in the states where she’s been living (Brooklyn) since 2015; Hetty has given so many of us so much inspiration.

She shared her experience of growing up in a traditional Chinese household in Sydney in her beautiful book To Asia With Love (my favourite) and she has a way of writing and photographing recipes so that we feel invited in, like we are learning how to make these dishes right at her kitchen bench.

Thank you Hetty for your wonderful books, and for answering our Something to Eat and Something to Read questionnaire.

Sophie

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What’s a book you’ve recently read and LOVED! And why? 

Raised by Wolves by Jess Ho because it was a searing look at the realities, inequalities and toxicities of the hospitality industry in Australia, told from a very different point of view, that of a Chinese Australian. I think we need more stories like this in this country, ones that reflect the experiences of diverse Australians. 

What’s a recent meal you’ve had in a restaurant and LOVED? And why?

I had an incredible meal recently at a local place called Lore. It’s a neighborhood joint and super cozy, with lots of vibes, even on a Tuesday night. The food is uniquely Brooklyn, cross-cultural, with Indian-inspired dishes that also taste like New York. 

What’s a recent meal you had at home and LOVED? And why?

I recently made a red chard and potato thai curry and it was pretty spectacular. I loved it because it was made mostly with things I had in my pantry - thai curry paste, coconut milk, potatoes, makrut lime leaves from my window sill, and a beatiful bunch of ruby red chard which I picked up from my local market. This is the way I cook most of the time and it's also the most satisfying because it's EASY and quick.

What’s your go-to comfort read?

The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. The way she writes so honestly and vulnerably about death, loss and grief are hugely comforting to me. I keep it close at all times.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Jook (congee), macaroni soup or steamed water egg custard, all things my mother made for us as kids, dishes that I associate very strongly with her desire to nurture. My comfort foods also change over time and place. As I get older, I have different memory triggers that influence the foods and flavours that I want to revisit. Sometimes it’s just a smell (like that of rice cooking) or a sound (a spatula scraping against the wok, or the crackle of the gas cooktop flame) that I find comforting. 

A cookbook you are loving cooking out of?

I’m really enjoying Hannah Che’s The Vegan Chinese Kitchen as it dives into the history of vegan cuisine in China and also presents beautiful vegan renditions of dishes I loved eating growing up. I love using traditional ingredients like tofu skin and Hannah shares recipes that are very familiar but still fresh and modern. 

You get to invite 4 of your favourite writers over for dinner, who are they and what will you cook them? 

Ocean Vuong 
Joan Didion
Jane Austen
Nigella Lawson

I would make it a Chinese steamboat (hotpot) with lots of dumplings, noodles, greens and tofu because with such a diverse group, we need a dining experience that is communal, fun and interactive!

Image by Hetty Lui McKinnon

As well as her books, Hetty contributes recipes to a number of publications including New York Times Cooking, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Food52, Food & Wine, The Guardian and more.

She has a regular monthly column in ABC EVERYDAY and also write a monthly newsletter called To Vegetables, With Love and you can subscribe to that here.

Find a selection of recipes from the above here on her website.