Kat Lieu, founder of Subtle Asian Baking and author of the best-selling Modern Asian Baking at Home, has been cooking since she was a child., I always dreamed of becoming a writer. But it wasn't until the pandemic hit that Lieu, who spent his early career as a physical therapist, discovered his calling.
“I’ve been a PT for over 13 years, but I’ve always written,” says Lieu, whose latest cookbook is Modern Asian Kitchen: Essential and Easy Recipes for Ramen, Dumplings, Dim Sum, Stir-Fries, Rice Bowls, Pho, Bibimbaps. . , and many more published last month. “But I never dreamed I would become a cookbook author.”
Lieu's dream came true during the pandemic when she created the social media account @subtleasian.baking. Thanks to its solid content, the account, which currently has 159,000 followers, has received a lot of media attention. At the same time, the group also raised funds for AAPIs (it has raised more than $100,000 to date).
It was at the height of the social media boom that Lieu was contacted by a publisher asking if he was currently writing a book. She jumped at the opportunity to create a community-based cookbook inspired by the recipes of members of this group. The book was a huge success, and she soon had another cookbook deal from the same publisher.
In her latest cookbook, Lieu features vibrant vegetable dishes, street food favorites, dim sum, quick noodle dishes, custom bibimbap bowls and even vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Here's more about the cookbook and what's next for the very busy author:
OS: What is one of your favorite recipes from Modern Asian Kitchen?
instead: Spiral Cucumber Salad is refreshing and full of flavor. This salad is unlike any other and you will want to make it over and over again. This place is for vegans. The only difficult part is cutting the cucumbers into spirals!
OS: I read that all of the photos were taken by a team of AAPI female photographers. Can you tell me more?
instead: This was very important to me. For example, take a look at this miso soup recipe. Because miso soup is not traditionally eaten with a spoon, photographers were trained to take pictures with chopsticks rather than spoons. We talked about how to tell the story of each recipe through visual elements and how important it is to preserve the traditions that come with it.
OS: I love that you got help from other experts on the recipe.
instead: If I'm doing Korean cooking, I admit that I'm not an expert in Korean cuisine because I'm half Vietnamese and half Japanese. It is important to respect the culture from which you adapt the recipe.
OS: Can you share some tips for busy cooks?
instead: If you don't have time to make dumpling or dim sum wrappers from scratch, you can use rice paper. I always tell people that it's okay to use rice paper.
OS: Can you tell us more about why you included so many vegan, gluten-free or vegetarian recipes?
instead: I'm not vegan, but I've created comprehensive baking and cooking options so everyone can enjoy my recipes. After giving birth to my son 10 years ago, I can no longer eat beef. I'm also lactose intolerant, so I think it's important to eat more plant-based meals for future sustainability and climate change. Ultimately, I hope my book will interest someone who is vegetarian and see that there are plenty of vegetarian options in the cookbook. There are plenty of alternatives, even if they are gluten-free.
OS: What's next for you?
instead: I am writing an Asian baking book called 108 Asian Cookies. We plan to finalize the manuscript this year and publish it in 2025. I can't wait to share it with you. It’s really surreal to see my books in bookstores around the world. I can't understand the fact that I achieved my dream before I turned 40!