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Tenderheart: A James Beard Award Winner: A Cookbook about Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds

by Hetty Lui McKinnon

Vegetables, family, and a bicultural food heritage

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Regular price $50.15 USD Sale price $30.09 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    IACP Book Award Winner

    The metadata identifies Tenderheart as an IACP Book Award winner; no category or year is specified.

  • Editorial selection

    One of Bon Appétit's Best Books of the Year

    Named one of Bon Appétit's Best Books of the Year; the year is not specified.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Vegetables, family, and a bicultural food heritage

Hetty Lui McKinnon brings together vegetarian cooking and family history through the produce that shaped her childhood in a Chinese Australian household. The book is organized around 22 fruits and vegetables, with more than 180 recipes ranging from mushroom ragu with baked polenta and broccoli wontons to sweet potato and black sesame marble bundt. Her father’s life as a Chinese immigrant in Australia—and the crates of produce he brought home from work at a market—give the collection a personal context. The recipes connect everyday ingredients with heritage, memory, and the way food can link generations.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Home cooks seeking a substantial collection of vegetarian recipes centered on vegetables, fruits, and practical ingredients.
  • Readers interested in food writing that connects recipes with Chinese Australian family heritage and personal history.
  • Cooks looking for ideas across savory dishes and desserts, including noodles, tacos, buns, and baked goods.

Themes

Vegetarian cookingFamily bonds and foodChinese Australian heritageFruit and vegetable versatility

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AND IACP BOOK AWARD WINNER - ONE OF BON APPETIT'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR - The acclaimed author of To Asia, With Love explores how food connects us to our loved ones and gives us the tools to make vegetarian recipes that are healthful, economical, and bursting with flavor.

"A love letter to vegetables and almost a memoir through recipes, this truly special book speaks to the soul as much as to the stomach." --Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat


"Gorgeous, down to earth, vegetable-driven dishes that strike the most delicious balance between fresh and exciting, and cozy and approachable." --Molly Yeh, Food Network host and NYT Bestselling author of Home Is Where the Eggs Are and Molly on the Range

Heritage and food have always been linked for Hetty Lui McKinnon. Tenderheart is a loving homage to her father, a Chinese immigrant in Australia, told in flavorful, vegetarian recipes. Growing up as part of a Chinese family in Australia, McKinnon formed a deep appreciation for her bicultural identity, and for her father, who moved to Sydney as a teenager and learned English while selling bananas at a local market. As he brought home crates full of produce after work, McKinnon learned about the beauty and versatility of fruits and vegetables.

Tenderheart is the happy outcome of McKinnon's love of vegetables, featuring 22 essential fruits and vegetables that become the basis for over 180 recipes.

  • Miso Mushroom Ragu with Baked Polenta
  • Carrot and Vermicelli Buns
  • Crispy Potato Tacos
  • Kale, Ginger and Green Onion Noodles
  • Broccoli Wontons with Umami Crisp
  • Soy-Butter Bok Choy Pasta
  • Sweet Potato and Black Sesame Marble Bundt
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