The Chinese Way Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors

Explore the eight powerful techniques that unlock a flexible, modern approach to Chinese cooking with this collection of inspired recipes, from the award-winning author of My Shanghai

Betty Liu cooks Chinese all the time—but this doesn’t mean she makes the same food her great-grandparents did. In her kitchen, the wok sits next to a Dutch oven, and the soy sauce in her pantry lives alongside tomato paste and harissa.

The key to great Chinese cooking lies not in strict “authentic” recipes and ingredients, but in adaptable techniques. The Chinese Way teaches eight key methods that anyone can use to unlock their cooking: first, how to master heat (Steam, Fry, Boil, and Braise) and then, how to create irresistible flavor combinations (Sauce, Infuse, Pickle, and Wrap).

In each chapter, Betty boils down the basics in classic dishes like Mapo Tofu and White-Cut Pork Belly. Then, she brings those techniques to the modern kitchen, with local produce and global flavors. The result? Dishes such as Scallion Oil Smashed Potatoes, Harissa Glazed Torn Tofu, Braised Cabbage and Chorizo, Dashi Steamed Mushrooms, and Tomato-Bacon Sticky Rice.

One core technique at a time, Betty shows how to become a better cook—whether you’re stir-frying cauliflower or adding preserved lemon to broccoli for extra zing.

Betty’s food is not traditional—but it is Chinese. And you can cook that way, too.

Betty Liu is a critically acclaimed cookbook author, photographer, and doctor. She is an avid home cook who started writing about the Chinese home cooking she grew up with on her award-winning blog bettysliu.com, and since then her writing, photography, and recipes have been featured on sites such as Bon Appétit, Epicurious and The New York Times. Her critically acclaimed debut cookbook, My Shanghai, was published in March 2021. She lives in Boston with her husband and dog, Annie.