For Betty Liu, the award-winning author of My Shanghai, the key to great Chinese cooking lies not in strict “authentic” recipes and ingredients, but in adaptable techniques. The Chinese Way is an ethos that builds on a set of eight powerful, adaptable cooking techniques that flex with your pantry and the seasons. This collection of inspired recipes will teach you how to unlock your cooking, master heat, and create irresistible flavor combinations. One core technique at a time, Betty shows how to become a better cook—whether you’re stir-frying cauliflower or adding preserved lemon to broccoli for extra zing.
MOFAD is excited to welcome Betty Liu in celebration of her latest book, The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors. She will be joined by award-winning cookbook author and food writer Hetty Lui McKinnon and Kaitlin Leung of The Woks of Life for an unforgettable conversation on the Chinese way of cooking.
This program is 21+. Ticket includes access to Flavor: The World to Your Brain from 6 to 7pm, snacks, and a baijiu cocktail tasting from program sponsor, Ming River.
Copies of The Chinese Way can be pre-purchased in a ticket bundle and during the program from our partner bookseller, Kitchen Arts & Letters.
A limited quantity of Betty’s Chile Crisp Dust by Curio Spice Co. will also be available for purchase during the program.
“To celebrate Betty’s Liu’s new book The Chinese Way, Betty and I created this collaborative “Chile Crisp Dust” that highlights her love of shallots, crispy garlic and sichuan pepper berries. It also includes aromatic star anise and umami-rich shiitake mushroom. This is like a chile crisp condiment minus the oil! It is more versatile and shelf-stable and will become your new best friend for eggs, veggies, congee and more. We sourced the shallot and garlic specifically from small sustainable producers in Vietnam for this blend. Can’t wait till you try it!”
BETTY LIU
is an acclaimed cookbook author, photographer, and doctor completing her surgical residency. An avid home cook who writes about Chinese home cooking on her award-winning blog, she published her debut book, My Shanghai, in 2021, and it was named one of the best cookbooks of the year. Her writing, photography, and recipes have been featured by Bon Appétit, Epicurious, and The New York Times. She lives in Boston with her husband, son, and dog.
KAITLIN LEUNG
of
THE WOKS OF LIFE
Since its founding in 2013, The Woks of Life has become the #1 online resource for approachable, creative, authentic Chinese recipes in English. Through their popular recipe site and diverse social media community, Bill, Judy, Sarah and Kaitlin Leung share inspiring recipes and their family’s culinary genealogy with millions of home cooks. With the debut of their highly-acclaimed, New York Times bestselling cookbook The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family in 2022, the family has served up even more of their sought-after recipes and culinary stories to hungry fans and new audiences. The Leungs have been featured in numerous press outlets, including Magnolia Network’s Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern, Food Network’s Family Meal, as well as Bon Appetit, Good Morning America, NPR, The New York Times, and many more.
HETTY LUI McKINNON
is a James Beard Foundation Award winning cookbook author and food writer, with a passion for vegetables and community. She has written five bestselling cookbooks, including Tenderheart, the much-loved To Asia, With Love, and the genre-defining Community. Hetty is a regular recipe contributor to New York Times Cooking and other major publications including The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, and ABC Lifestyle. She also currently writes the popular newsletter To Vegetables, With Love. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now resides in Brooklyn, New York.
MING RIVER
Program sponsor Ming River is an award-winning baijiu crafted at China’s oldest distillery, Luzhou Laojiao, established in 1573. A traditional baijiu made with locally harvested sorghum grain, Ming River is notable for its complexity and robust body. The Ming River brand was established to champion universal appreciation of baijiu through culture, community, and cocktails.
KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS
is a bookstore devoted to food and drink, with titles imported from around the world. They emphasize works on food culture and innovation
CURIO SPICE CO
is on a mission to improve the livelihoods of spice farmers and inspire culinary creativity. We specialize in directly-sourced spices, sourced locally from our base in the Eastern US as well as from smallholder spice farms around the world. We pay above Fair Trade price – sometimes as much as ten times the commodity rate – for spices that burst with flavor. We give back through fundraising efforts via our Curio for a Cause campaigns, which support gender equality, climate resilience and community empowerment. We instill in every product a respect for the land and the farmers grow our spices, alongside a sense of wonder for the rare flavors available to us. We are an independent, woman-owned certified B-Corp® and benefit corporation.