“When I heard the vegetable whisperer Hetty Lui McKinnon was coming out with another vegetarian cookbook, this time focused on salads (and sweets), I got my hands on it as fast as I could. Sifting through the pages of Linger, I quickly learned that this was not just a cookbook, but a wondrous collection of McKinnon’s heartfelt essays and composed menus, as well as playlists curated by none other than her daughter, Scout. The inspiration for this book came from a past career, when McKinnon prepared salads and delivered them by pedal (biking, that is) in Sydney, a project under the name of Arthur Street Kitchen. The simple exchange of salad was a way for McKinnon to develop a kinship with her community. The recipes that follow encourage that intimate connection, as well as draw inspiration from McKinnon’s Chinese Australian background. McKinnon’s opinions are tenacious and specific, offering nuggets of wisdom like, ‘salads don’t always have leaves;’ ‘think of fruit as a vegetable;’ and ‘anything can be a salad.’ I, for one, couldn’t agree more.”
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit
“Come for the approachable (and as always, quietly vegetarian, though also usually adaptable to vegan) recipes; stay for McKinnon’s ruminations on self, family, and community. In Linger, McKinnon once again proves that she’s one of the most well-rounded food writers working today. She photographed the entire book, too, in real time during gatherings with friends in her home. At least in my kitchen, Tenderheart now has some real competition.”
—Bettina Makalintal, Eater
“McKinnon’s creativity shines when reinterpreting the classics: a savory twist on trifle, for example, layers grilled and puréed eggplant with grains; and falafel inspires a salad of pan-fried smashed chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and tahini. Exciting desserts round things out, from Hong Kong milk tea tres leches cake to plum and cardamom galette. McKinnon is especially good at offering suggestions for simple substitutions and modifications, with vegan and gluten-free riffs available for most recipes. The result is an inventive collection that transforms humble produce into something extraordinary.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hetty Lui McKinnon is the Queen of Salads….I have followed Hetty’s work for so long and find her recipes endlessly inspiring and so creative. She cooks the kind of food I want to eat everyday, unique but familiar. Food that looks simple, but is so thoughtful and honors the ingredients she cooks…. [Linger] is full of vegetarian recipes for salads, small bites, and desserts inspired by intimate gatherings in her own home. Community building is more important than ever, and hopefully this book will inspire you to invite some friends to the table to linger. ”
—Yossy Arefi, Have a Little Something (Substack)
“Every once in a while, a cookbook arrives that feels less like a manual and more like an invitation. Linger is precisely that kind of book. From the moment you open it, you can sense her generosity, her warmth, and her ability to take everyday ingredients and turn them into food that makes you want to gather, sit down, and stay at the table a little longer.…Hetty has always been a champion of vegetables, and in Linger she shows just how thrilling, comforting, and deeply satisfying they can be. The recipes travel across borders, from cauliflower buried under a mountain of dill, to salads brimming with seasonal fruit, to noodle bowls that feel like home in every bite. Each dish carries her unmistakable voice: thoughtful, soulful, and always centered on connection….What makes this book truly shine is how it balances the celebratory with the everyday. These recipes are unfussy, and you can make them on a weeknight with what is in the fridge, and others that feel worthy of a dinner party centerpiece. And woven throughout are Hetty’s stories, tender reflections that remind us cooking is not just about technique, but about memory, identity, and care.…It is a cookbook that nourishes far beyond the plate.”
—Nik Sharma, The Flavor Files (Substack)
“I was dazzled by such recipes as Ginger-Roasted Kabocha with Black Rice and Ginger-Miso Dressing; Shawarma Zucchini with Peas and Tofu Green Goddess; Soba with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms and Maple-Soy Sauce Caramel; Rice Paper Spring Roll Salad; and Whole Roasted Cauliflower with a Mountain of Dill. I mean, come on! (And it’s not just salads—you’ll also find Salsa Macha, Spiced Pumpkin Nian Gao (Mochi Cake), Master Cashew Cream, Vegan Meringue, and Cherry Tapioca Pudding—to name just a few alluring non-salady recipes.)”
—Emily Nunn, The Department of Salad (Substack)
“A new cookbook that is as much a call to arms for connecting with our communities as it is a collection of riotously gorgeous salads. Yes, salads. After the pandemic, Hetty started hosting a series of lunch gatherings, setting out an array of colorful capreses and larbs and grain-based, noodle-based, tofu-based dishes that brought people together in a relaxed, low-key way. (‘Salads are meant to be shared.’) She photographed the book in real time — not in a studio — and it feels that way: authentic, informal, and extremely motivating.”
—Jenny Rosenstrach, Dinner: A Love Story (Substack)
“Hetty Lui McKinnon needs no introduction around here, and her newest cookbook is really something special. Other authors might call it an entertaining book, or a menu cookbook, or maybe a salad book. But in Hetty’s hands it’s something altogether different: a book about coming together IRL, with salad as the love language….It’s structured around 12 menus that reflect the year that Hetty spent inviting friends over for leisurely lunches each month. Each chapter includes a lovely essay that gives some context to that month’s menu, with musings on her love of vegetables and the experiences that have shaped that passion — and each menu even has a play list, too….If you’re a fan of Hetty, of hearty salads, of excuses to sit around a table with your favorite people, of cookbooks to savor because they’re full of heart — then this is definitely a cookbook for you.”
—Lukas Volger, Family Friend (Substack)
“The vegetable whisperer gathers her friends around the table for this book, which knows that we could all use some nurturing these days. Bibimbap-style gnocchi with gochujang vinaigrette? Be right over.”
—Christine Muhlke, Xtine (Substack)
