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
About the Author
Hetty Lui McKinnon is a Chinese Australian cook and food writer. A James Beard Foundation finalist, she is the author of four other cookbooks, including the much-loved To Asia, With Love (2021), the award-winning Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day (2019), Neighbourhood: Hearty Salads and Plant-Based Recipes from Home and Abroad (2017), and Community: Salad Recipes from Arthur Street Kitchen (2014). Hetty is also the editor and publisher of multicultural food journal Peddler and the host of the magazine’s podcast The House Specials. She is a regular recipe contributor to The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Epicurious.com, and ABC Everyday; and her recipes have appeared in Food52, the Guardian, The Washington Post and more. Born and raised in Sydney, she now resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Praise For…
"Tenderheart delivers on everything we have come to expect and love from the force of nature that is Hetty Lui McKinnon: gorgeous, down to earth, vegetable-driven dishes that strike the most delicious balance between fresh and exciting, and cozy and approachable. What Tenderheart also reveals are the beautiful stories about Hetty’s family and upbringing that will have you reaching for the tissues before opening up the pantry. Prepare to be utterly moved by this book." –Molly Yeh, Food Network host and NYT Bestselling author of Home Is Where the Eggs Are and Molly on the Range
"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. I loved it more than I can say!" –Nigella Lawson
"At its core, this is a book about vegetables and how to treat them in the kitchen with the love and respect that they deserve. However, there is a deeper parallel story here, told through Hetty Lui McKinnon’s personal journey of love, loss, and grief -- and how transformation through healing and grace makes us evolve as people and teaches us how to be better humans." –Nik Sharma, James Beard Award-nominated author and photographer of The Flavor Equation and Season "[Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipes] prove that vegetarian cooking is anything but boring. The book is an ode to her late father, a fresh produce supplier who passed away when she was just 15 . . . . Incredibly touching and relatable. . . . What I appreciate most about Tenderheart is how McKinnon highlights different ways to use Asian vegetables beyond how they’re typically prepared: stir-fried, poached, or stirred into a casserole. . . . If you’re looking for creative ways to eat more vegetables, Tenderheart is a great place to begin." –Genevieve Yam, Bon Appetit, 23 Best Cookbooks of 2023 “A very moving book about family love and how everyday cooking is built into that. Hetty McKinnon is never sentimental. She truly understands how to nurture - deliciously - with vegetables. When you cook out of this book you can’t not think of that. You feel as if every dish is you make is a tribute to this approach to life.” – Diana Henry
“The best of both worlds. . . quick to make and a little fancy. I am a loyal McKinnon stan girl because her recipes almost always always fall in the center of this Venn diagram. From wilty stir-fried lettuce to sticky gochujang brussels sprouts, her latest cookbook is no different—packed with genius ideas that coax maximum flavor out of minimal ingredients."–Ali Francis, Bon Appetit
"McKinnon (To Asia, with Love) returns with a cookbook that is deeply personal and uniquely vegetarian. Organized by the star vegetable, recipes are easily homed in on based on season or garden glut....A variety of flavors can be found throughout the distinctive dishes, such as fennel and black pepper ice cream and Broccoli Forest Loaf, which are equally whimsical and comforting. McKinnon’s voice is very friendly and will be familiar to fans of her writing as she invites readers on her journey to explore ingredients and raise up vegetables....Home cooks will love the versatility and innovation she delivers, whether they are vegetarians or not, while readers will revel in the sweetness and beauty of her story...Calling all vegetarians and veggie lovers; this is the inspiration you have been looking for. —Sarah Tansley, Library Journal
“In the stunning pages of Tenderheart, Hetty McKinnon takes readers to the origins of her love for vegetables, teaching us to view them the way she does: brimming with memories and the intractable things life inevitably brings our way—loss, resilience, determination, and joy. At the center of each recipe is McKinnon’s father, Wai Keung Lui, known in Australia as Ken, and the man who Tenderheart is named for: a generous and affectionate caretaker who made a livelihood working in a wholesale fruit and vegetable market, had a love for photography, and shared with McKinnon a passion for food. The stories McKinnon weaves about food and family—through her recipes and the narratives that she welcomes us into—allow her father to live on. A wonderful, moving tribute to the people and tastes that indelibly shape us. I will be cooking from Tenderheart for years to come.” – Kat Chow, author of SEEING GHOSTS
