Kat Lieu Founder of Subtle Asian Baking Releases Newest Cookbook Forbes

May 07, 2024
Kat Lieu Founder of Subtle Asian Baking Releases Newest Cookbook Forbes

Modern Asian Kitchen: A Cookbook by Kat Lieu

Kat Lieu, the founder of Subtle Asian Baking and the author of the bestselling cookbook Modern Asian Baking at Home, has recently published her latest cookbook, Modern Asian Kitchen. This cookbook is an excellent guide for crafting family-style feasts or simple one-bowl meals at the end of a busy workday.

The book features more than 80 Asian cuisine recipes, including street food staples, dim sum, customizable bibimbap bowls, quick noodle dishes, rice bowls, pho, and Southeast Asian favorites. It also includes a glossary of ingredients and pantry basics, with useful techniques such as wrapping wontons, making dumplings, and quick blanching greens. Additionally, there are plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free recipes.

The Inspiration Behind Modern Asian Kitchen

Subtle Asian Baking, Kat Lieu's group, was created in May 2020 during the pandemic when she missed her mother's desserts and baked treats. The goal of this group was to connect with other dessert and pastry enthusiasts to exchange recipes that use Asian ingredients or baking methods. Today, the group boasts close to 160,000 members worldwide across social media platforms, and is also a fundraising vehicle supporting various Asian American causes.

Kat Lieu is a busy mom who works from home and is a self-taught cook and baker. Lieu credits her grandparents, who were Vietnamese and Chinese, for introducing her to different flavors from an early age. Her maternal grandmother taught her how to season food, beat eggs, and make delicious sauces while her mother prepared traditional Cantonese dishes at home. Lieu has since developed an excellent understanding of flavor pairings, and her cookbook features an array of fusion foods.

Recipe

Gochujang Chocolate Mochi Cake

Chocolate lovers, this cake is for you. It has a fun chew, isn't too sweet, and will undoubtedly be a stunner at any potluck.

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon miso (or salt)
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
  • Confectioners' sugar and/or cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)
  • Sliced fruit (optional)
  • Edible gold flakes (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the center. Generously grease with cooking spray or line an 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pan with parchment paper (including the rim).
  2. In a large bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the eggs, sugar, condensed milk, miso (or salt), and gochujang. Once the mixture is fluffy, whisk in the milk and melted butter until combined. Sift in the dry ingredients: baking powder, glutinous rice flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder. Mix until well combined.
  3. Pour the mochi batter into the prepared pan. Spread on the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, evenly distributing them around the top of the cake. Bake until an inserted toothpick or bamboo skewer comes out clean and the top is semi-cracked, with brownie-like crust, about 50 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan itself or take it out to cool on a wire rack. If you prefer cakes sweeter, drizzle with a liquid sweetener of choice. Decorating with sliced fruits, like strawberries, gives the cake a beautiful pop of color, and if you love edible gold flakes like I do, add them! Dust with confectioners' sugar and/or cocoa powder, if desired, slice, and serve.
  5. Store leftover cake in an airtight container. It should still be good and chewy the next day.

NOTE: If you prefer a non-spicy chocolate cake, simply leave out the gochujang. Please note that most gochujang isn't gluten-free, so therefore including it makes this cake not gluten-free.

MAKE IT VEGAN: Substitute the eggs with 3.5 ounces (100 g) silken tofu, the condensed milk with vegan condensed milk or agave syrup, the milk with water or plain plant-based milk, the butter with vegan butter or neutral oil, and use vegan-friendly chocolate chips.

Originally Post From https://www.forbes.com/sites/claudiaalarcon/2024/05/06/kat-lieu-founder-of-subtle-asian-baking-releases-newest-cookbook/

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