Today I speak with Hetty McKinnon all about how food connects us to ourselves and others, as well as how to bring excitement and flavor to winter vegetables. Hetty is a Chinese Australian cook and food writer. A James Beard Foundation finalist, she is the author of five bestselling cookbooks, including her latest Tenderheart, and is a regular recipe contributor to New York Times Cooking, The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Epicurious, and more.

I love Hetty’s work so much because it’s imbued with story and authenticity. Hetty describes how for her, cooking is a channel for connection. It connects her to her family, to her Cantonese and Australian heritage, to the people she cooks and writes for, and also to those she’s lost. She desribes how food is a channel for remembering her father, who passed away when she was fifteen, and how she brings aspects of him onto the plate.

We also talk about winter vegetables, which can seem tough or unruly to cook, or drab and boring. Hetty proves otherwise. She shares recipe ideas and cooking tips for making winter vegetables utterly delicious. We’re talking turnips, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and more. If you think you know these vegetables, think again. I think you’re going to walk away hungry and inspired to get in the kitchen.

Links and Resources:

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore/

* Hetty’s newsletter: https://tovegetableswithlove.substack.com/

* Find Hetty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hettymckinnon/

* Hetty’s new book, Tenderheart: https://amzn.to/3GoHkVf

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