In the world of culinary arts, few writers have championed the humble salad with as much passion and creativity as Hetty Lui McKinnon. The Chinese Australian cook and food writer has built her career around transforming simple vegetables into extraordinary meals, a journey that continues with her latest cookbook, Linger.
A Communal Approach to Cookbook Creation
Unlike traditional cookbooks that are often developed in isolation, McKinnon's sixth title came together through a year of shared meals and genuine connection. The concept emerged in late 2022 as a direct response to the loneliness many experienced during pandemic isolation. McKinnon decided to document a full year of gatherings, creating more than 100 recipes based on seasonal ingredients and personal cravings.
The project began in January 2023 with a loosely themed Lunar New Year lunch. As friends gathered around her table in Brooklyn throughout the year, McKinnon discovered that the longing for connection was universal. Each of the twelve chapters corresponds to a different gathering, all centered around spreads of innovative salads that challenge conventional expectations of what a salad can be.
Three Standout Recipes for Canadian Tables
From the extensive collection in Linger, three recipes particularly stand out for their festive appeal and complex flavour profiles. These dishes demonstrate McKinnon's signature approach to salads as complete, satisfying meals rather than simple side dishes.
The soba with roasted Brussels sprouts, mushrooms and maple-soy sauce caramel serves as a perfect salty-sweet centrepiece for holiday meals. This dish combines the earthy flavours of roasted vegetables with the rich complexity of a maple-soy caramel, all tossed with hearty soba noodles.
Another standout recipe features roasted grapes and feta with grains and kale. This unexpected combination showcases how McKinnon transforms ordinary ingredients through technique and pairing. The roasted grapes develop a concentrated sweetness that balances perfectly with the salty feta and bitter kale.
For those seeking bolder flavours, the broccoli and tempeh with salsa macha offers a spicy, textured alternative. This recipe highlights McKinnon's ability to incorporate global influences while maintaining approachable techniques suitable for home cooks of all skill levels.
From Community Kitchen to Award-Winning Author
McKinnon's salad journey began in 2011 when she founded Arthur Street Kitchen, a salad-delivery business in her hometown of Sydney, Australia. Her self-published cookbook debut, Community (2013), was based on this enterprise and laid the foundation for her subsequent success.
Now based in New York since 2015, McKinnon reflects that salads have always been her gateway to building relationships. "When I moved to New York, I made many, many of my friends that I still have now through inviting them to my house on a cold winter's day to have a salad," she recalls. "It was like the icebreaker."
Her previous cookbook, Tenderheart (2023), earned both James Beard and IACP awards, cementing her reputation as a leading voice in vegetable-forward cooking. With Linger, she returns to her roots while pushing the boundaries of what salad can be.
The photography in Linger captures not just the food but the fleeting moments of connection as light shifts through her Brooklyn apartment across seasons. McKinnon shot all dishes before guests arrived for each gathering, creating a visual diary of a year dedicated to togetherness through food.
