Meet America's TENDERHEART

And stir-fry that pineapple

Oct 18, 2022

Dear Community,

I am so excited to bring to you, TENDERHEART, THE AMERICAN and WORLD edition. Yes the veggie face is back, but there are a few tweaks. Can you spot the main difference?

There will be a lot more happenings around Tenderheart in the lead up to the launch in 2023, but in the meantime, you can PRE-ORDER at the links below. There is only one international edition, so no matter where you order, you’ll be getting the same edition which includes both metric and imperial system:

USA / UK / EVERYWHERE ELSE : PRE-ORDER HERE
CANADA : PRE-ORDER HERE

Make sure you hold onto your receipts and order confirmations because will be launching a MAJOR US and International preorder bonus with bonus content and more. Thank you to the team at Knopf Cooks who have so thoughtfully and sensitively shepherded this edition to the world.

And I wanted to address that question that is often asked - WHY PRE-ORDER? In short, it really does matter, especially to authors like me who rely on my community to spread the word and love!

- Supply chain issues are still a real hurdle in publishing! Preorders will help my publishers understand demand and how many copies are needed to ensure that there are no shortages on release (like there were with To Asia, With love ;( )

- it will help my book get a strong start on release, which is critical in its overall success. Strong preorders will signal to bookstores that people want this book and hence, they will keep more copies in stock. Let’s show the world the power of veggies!

- it will guarantee that you will get your copy on launch day and you can get cooking as soon as possible.

- plus, you will receive exclusive bonus content!!!!!! Stay tuned for more on this

Tenderheart delivers an inventive, flavor-walloping collection of vegetable recipes. I’m not going to be shy about this - this book is unlike any other vegetable book. There is so much heart in every recipe, because giving vegetables the respect and the bold treatment they deserve is my lifelong mission. Perhaps I should have called it ‘new wave vegetables’?

This month has been a whirlwind. It was launch month for TENDERHEART in Australia and I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to return and meet many of you at events and signings. It was very humbling to hear your stories about what these books, stories and recipes mean to you. One of my favourite moments was when a lovely attendee at Melbourne’s book signing with Readings raised her hand and told me she was from Brooklyn and that my food reminded her of home. I got a little emotional because, honestly, it was unexpected that my recipes would have the ability to conjure a sense of home to someone who hails from my adopted city of Brooklyn. It made me think about how a city, and it’s sounds, smells and sensibilities can seep its way into how we express ourselves. I have always seen my food as a little rootless, coming from many places and perspectives like me, but I love that people manage to find their home and their story in my recipes. That means a lot. Thank you.

A huge shoutout to two fiercely smart Chinese Australians - Jennifer Wong and Jess Ho, who moderated my talks in, respectively, Sydney and Melbourne. I was slightly in awe that I got to share space with them. Jennifer is the presenter of an ABC excellent series called Chopsticks or Forks, looking at one of my fave topics, regional Chinese restaurants in Australia. Jennifer is also a comedian and she is super funny, so make sure you check out her work and shows. Jess has a book out called Raised By Wolves. It’s sharp and searing, and I couldn't put it down.

AUSTRALIAN TENDERHEART PREORDER UPDATE

Thank you to everyone who pre-ordered Tenderheart! I have had a few people reach out to say they are unsure of how to access their bonus CORN and GREEN BEAN chapters. To have the chapters emailed to you, please fill in the form here. Make sure you enter all your details correctly, especially your email address.

THIS MONTH’S NEW RECIPE

Fresh pineapple and tofu stir-fry

This month, I wanted to develop recipe that would satisfy my newsletter readers from both hemispheres – something bright and lively for those in the early days of the cooler months, something fresh and vibrant for those transitioning to Spring. I found my answer when I had lunch at Laut in Manhattan, a place that I found curiously starred in my google maps (who else does that, stars places on google but then forgets why?!). My lunch partner and I ordered and shared a very good laksa (and yes, finally a delicious veggie laksa in NYC after our old staple closed during Covid), roti canai and a fresh pineapple stir-fry. That fresh pineapple stir-fry is the inspiration for today’s recipe – it stimulates the taste buds in exciting ways. It’s tangy, sweet, spicy and also savoury, with bright bursts of juiciness from the pineapple. It’s surprising and new, in the best ways.

A few shortcuts and substitutions:

Use store-bought pre-cut pineapple (fresh, not canned!)
Use lemongrass paste, for convenience. If you have fresh lemongrass, use about 1 stalk of the white tender parts and grate it to get a paste.
I use turmeric powder because I also have that on hand but you could also use 1 teaspoon of fresh grated turmeric root
You will need to taste and balance this dish – it should be tangy, a touch sweet and also savoury. The end dish will depend upon how sweet your pineapple is so if you are working with one that is more sour, you may have to add more sugar.
Add green onions (shallots) when you add the pineapple. It adds a lovely aroma to the dish.
If snow peas, green beans or broccoli are unavailable, substitute with another quick cooking veg like asparagus, sugar snap peas or baby bok choy.
You can use 1 teaspoon of ground coriander in place of the coriander seeds.
If you don’t have fresh chilli, use 1 teaspoon of chilli oil or sambal oelek

Serves 4, with rice

Stir-fry Paste
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
¼ - ½ red chilli (such as fresno), finely chopped
2 teaspoons white or brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon tamarind puree

For the Stir-fry
neutral oil
1 small onion (any colour), peeled and finely sliced
1 capsicum/bell pepper, any colour, cut into ½ inch pieces
120g (4 oz) snow peas, green beans, trimmed or 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
185g (7 oz) marinated or pressed tofu, cut into ½ inch cubes
400g (14oz) pineapple pieces, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (for gf)
white or brown sugar, to taste
sea salt, to taste
rice, to serve

To make the paste, place the coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle and pound until you have a fragrant coarse powder. Add the turmeric, ginger, garlic, lemongrass paste, sugar, salt and tamarind and stir to combine. Set aside.

Heat a large frypan or wok over high and add 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and stir for 1 - 2 minutes until slightly softened. Add the paste and toss for 30 seconds until highly fragrant, followed by the capsicum/bell pepper, and snow peas (or green beans or broccoli). Add a splash of water (about 1 tablespoon) and toss for 2 minutes until the veggies have softened a little. Next toss in the tofu, pineapple and soy sauce or tamari, and toss for 1 minute until the well combined and the pineapple is warmed through. Season with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar (or more) and 1-2 teaspoons of salt, tasting along the way, until you have achieved a good balance of tangy, sweet and savory.

P.S. I LOVE YOU

I have know EunYoung Sebazco for a while. She is a horticulturist who I wrote a story about back in Issue 3, The Rice Issue of Peddler. She is also the subject of Season 1, Episode 2 of The House Specials podcast. This week, my friend and fellow Peddler Shirley finally got to visit EunYoung’s plant-paradise Kinka NYC. It’s a dreamy oasis in the middle of Manhattan (not far from Union Square Greenmarket) occupying the front entrance of Japanese restaurant Maki Kosaka. There are beautiful plants of course, but also a gorgeously curated collection of gifts and homewares from Japan, Korea and more. You can also pick up a multi-coloured Eni Puzzle, which was invented by EunYoung’s dad! Believe it or not, Kinka opened during the dark days of the pandemic and it has not only survived, but thrived. This is in no small part due to the joy that EunYoung brings to the world and her corner of Manhattan. Please make sure to check Kinka out and say hi to EunYoung.