An Evening with Betty Liu for THE CHINESE WAY

Explore the eight powerful techniques that unlock a flexible, modern approach to Chinese cooking with this collection of inspired recipes, from the award-winning author of My Shanghai. Betty Liu cooks Chinese all the time—but this doesn’t mean she makes the same food her great-grandparents did. In her kitchen, the wok sits next to a Dutch oven, and the soy sauce in her pantry lives alongside tomato paste and harissa.

The key to great Chinese cooking lies not in strict “authentic” recipes and ingredients, but in adaptable techniques. The Chinese Way teaches eight key methods that anyone can use to unlock their cooking: first, how to master heat (Steam, Fry, Boil, and Braise) and then, how to create irresistible flavor combinations (Sauce, Infuse, Pickle, and Wrap).

In each chapter, Betty boils down the basics in classic dishes like Mapo Tofu and White-Cut Pork Belly. Then, she brings those techniques to the modern kitchen, with local produce and global flavors. The result? Dishes such as Scallion Oil Smashed Potatoes, Harissa Glazed Torn Tofu, Braised Cabbage and Chorizo, Dashi Steamed Mushrooms, and Tomato-Bacon Sticky Rice. 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. Betty’s food is not traditional—but it is Chinese. And you can cook that way, too.

ABOUT BETTY LIU 

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.

ABOUT MERYL FEINSTEIN

Meryl Feinstein is a James Beard Award Winning chef, pasta maker, and food writer who left the corporate world for the food industry in 2018. After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education and working at the renowned Lilia and Misi restaurants in New York City, she founded Pasta Social Club, a platform that brings people together over a love of food and learning. She is the author of the James Beard Award-nominated cookbook Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It, and her writing and recipes have also been featured in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and Food52, among other publications.