Book Club Tuesday: Tenderheart

There are moments in life that, at first, seem ordinary or transient but as time passes, you realize it was the beginning of something special. Over 5 years ago, on the advice of someone who followed me on Instagram, I bought myself a copy of Neighbourhood – Hetty Lui McKinnon’s second cookbook. I already knew of Hetty’s food from her delicious-looking Instagram feed (which still went by the old @arthurstreetkitchen moniker), so it didn’t take much urging for me to treat myself. And it was with that review that I have come to know Hetty as a recipe developer, mentor, and most importantly, as a friend. Neighbourhood was unlike other “vegetarian” cookbooks I’d used because her approach defied that label. Looking back at that review (here), I am reminded of a quote from the opening passages of Neighbourhood that, glancing at her whole body of work up to this point, sums up the foundation of her dishes: “Neighborhood will show home cooks that you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetables, and you don’t have to be a chef to be a good cook.”

Broccoli Forest loaf, p. 61

Broccoli Forest loaf, p. 61

At the beginning of this year, Anderson Cooper interviewed record producer Rick Rubin for 60 Minutes and, something that Rubin said made me think of how Hetty creates recipes. Rubin tells Cooper, “The audience comes last.” And Cooper incredulously asks: “How can that be?” Rubin further explains, “Well, the audience doesn’t know what they want. The audience only knows what’s come before.”  In this way I think Hetty’s mindset is the same. There is an honesty in Hetty’s work – as I’ve cooked and shared recipe after recipe with my family, I’ve come to realize that Hetty doesn’t develop recipes in the way most do. Hitting trends, trying to guess at the next viral dish or even thinking about what other people like is not what she thinks about, because she’s working on creating food that she finds delicious. It’s never about what’s come before, rather, it’s the promise of what’s to come that drives her on. And somewhere in finding enjoyment for herself, home cooks are vicariously welcomed into her kitchen via her recipes to enjoy these delicious meals too.

Her latest cookbook, Tenderheart, is about enjoying vegetables for their own sake. The “Everyday Heroes” (as she calls them) are “the hard-working and dependable vegetables” that she uses the most and, are her favourite. The book is about how the sum of our experiences tethers us to the people we love and the food we crave. She explains in the introduction that, “This book is about vegetables but, for me, there can be no story about the significance of vegetables in my life without telling you about my father, and the enduring legacy of the fresh, tender world he created for his family.” (9) From these sweet and warm moments of her childhood, Hetty shares the impact her father – Wai Keung Lui (Ken, as he was known in Australia) — and his legacy has on her ever-evolving relationship with vegetables. As with all her books, she offers the reader a poignant glimpse at the people, places and ingredients that are at the heart of her work.

Throughout 22 chapters and 180 recipes Hetty demonstrates that vegetables are as versatile as any other ingredient and, it’s not about comparing. If you’re asking yourself “Where’s the beef?” then you’re asking the wrong question. What Tenderheart reveals is how truly versatile and satisfying vegetables are! The chapters are organized A to Z: Asian greens, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Eggplant, Fennel, Ginger, Kale, Mushrooms, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin & squash, Seaweed, Spinach, Sweet potato, Taro, Tomato, Turnip & daikon, and finally, Zucchini. You may notice some fruits in that list but for the purposes of her book they’re being treated as vegetables. She also notes that since onions and garlic are used pervasively throughout her recipes, they did not get their own chapters. Likewise, there are other “notable” vegetables (as she calls them) that, while they don’t get their own chapters, they play a supporting role in the recipes. As with her other work, she provides substitutes and swaps throughout the book to be helpful to home cooks. I’ve never felt that in cooking her recipes I needed to be exacting. I could meet the recipe where I was, use ingredients I had and make the dish my own. I like to think Hetty enjoys the felicity that happens when home cooks embrace her recipes because this is where communities are built.

Cabbage and Kimchi Okonomiyaki, p. 106

Huck’s Broccoli and Lettuce Salad w/ an Accidental Ranch, p. 72

Roasted Potato and Lentil Salad w/ Black Sesame Aioli, p. 312

Pea and Kimchi Falafels w/ Pea Tahini, p. 300/301

Spinach and Mint Ruffled Milk Pie, p. 381

Roasted Napa Cabbage w/ Sesame Sauce, p. 105

Now, is this the part of the review I tell you that I am impatient? Unfortunately, it is either my best or worst quality depending on who you ask, and, in the autumn of 2022, I purchased an Australian edition of her book because I couldn’t wait until now to try Tenderheart. So, I’ve been living with and cooking from this book for the better part of 7 months and I can tell you that I adore it (it may even be my favourite of all her books)! Normally I try to touch on every recipe I make but, after cooking over 25 of the recipes, I’ll give you some of the highlights.

Ever since making her recipe for Baking Tray Chow Mein from her last book, To Asia With Love (review here), there’s hardly a week that passes that I haven’t made it. After making her recipes for Kale Dumplings w/ Brothy Butter Beans, the Tomato and Coconut-Braised Cabbage and Lentils, and the Cabbage and Kimchi Okonomiyaki (my husband’s favourite), I find our weeknight suppers being populated by our favourite Tenderheart recipes. Her recipe for Cheesy Kale and Rice Cake Bake is another gem – before I was able to find rice cake sticks, I used gnocchi instead. While gnocchi are pillowy and cloud-like, I can tell you that rice cake sticks have a delicious chew. My family also prefers her suggestion to swap broccoli for kale – I think it’s the delicious bite broccoli offers that makes it our fav. When I served this to my MIL, she told me how delicious it was – without missing a beat, Katie chimed in, “Of course! It’s a Hetty recipe!”

Walk Away Tomato Sauce w/ Pici Pasta, p. 445

Kale Dumplings w/ Brothy Butter Beans, p. 249

Butternut Squash “Lasagne”, p. 344

I appreciate that Hetty offers a sweet side to vegetables too. The recipe for Sweet Potato and Black Sesame Marble Bundt is delightful, and it’s just as she says in her recipe notes: “This cake is a triumphant combination of opposites, sharply contrasting flavours and colours that both compliment and highlight one another.” And, as I baked up her recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts, I laughed as I read her boys commentary on the recipe: “My youngest, Huck, declared these ‘the best doughnuts I’ve ever eaten’ while middle child Dash, who is not a pumpkin fan, muttered ‘you can make anything taste good.” It’s funny because I think my husband (who is often a tough sell on new recipes) feels the exact same way about Hetty’s food. Even if he feels skeptical before the first bite, it soon melts away because he knew all along a recipe from Hetty couldn’t be anything else but delicious. Thinking about other treats from the book, there’s another I’d better mention – the mochi cake! I learned to make mochi from To Asia With Love (the Peanut and Coconut Mochi Muffins are pure dynamite) and then I jumped at the chance to try her recipe for Ginger and Coconut Mochi Cake from Tenderheart. Needless to say, it was perfect – chewy and not-too-sweet.

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts, p. 351

Chocolate-Eggplant Brownies, p. 194

Ginger and Coconut Mochi Cake, p. 231

Even as I’m trying to sail into the conclusion here, I have pangs about not mentioning all the other wonderful food I made, and my family enjoyed. It was all a highlight for me because Tenderheart is yet another example of Hetty showing home cooks that we don’t have to – in her words – be a vegetarian to enjoy vegetables, and you don’t have to be a chef to be a good cook. Her work is humble yet generous and, no matter the day I’m having, especially on the days I have no idea what’s for supper, I can open the cover of Tenderheart and find a reliable, delicious meal.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Penguin Random House Canada and Knopf for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.