Tag Archives: Hetty Lui McKinnon recipe

Gnocchi — But Turn It Korean

Korean bibimbap gets a little Italian flair.
Korean bibimbap gets a little Italian flair.

When it comes to cooking, Hetty Lui McKinnon has a knack for seeing what others don’t. With a gift for fusing ingredients from different cultures, this Chinese Australian cookbook author who lives in Brooklyn creates dishes that aren’t confounding, but rather thoughtfully and marvelously cohesive.

After all, who else would think to take Italian gnocchi and turn it into a foundation for Korean bibimbap?

Her “Bibimbap-Style Gnocchi with Gochujang Vinaigrette” absolutely works, too, with purchased gnocchi taking the place of the usual chewy Korean rice cakes or fluffy steamed rice.

The recipe is from her latest cookbook, “Linger” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy. It’s a collection of hearty salads and simple desserts that are especially dear to her heart.

In fact, salads are what inspired her culinary career. As a mother of three living in Australia, she started a salad delivery service out of her home. Two days a week, for four years, she made salads and delivered them on her bike to customers.

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Mushroom Udon with Honey? You Bet!

Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?
Mushrooms, udon, and honey? Say what?

Admittedly, when I first laid eyes on this recipe for “Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon,” I was initially a little skeptical.

Mushrooms with honey? Really?

But James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Hetty Lui McKinnon has never steered me wrong in any of her other recipes that I’ve made.

Ditto for this one. Not only was this recipe quick and effortless, but it showed me just how honey could further deepen the caramelized taste of sauteed mushrooms.

First published in the New York Times, this recipe calls for boiling frozen or fresh udon noodles, then rinsing well to remove excess starch.

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