Ep 59: Cookbook author, writer, podcaster & salad queen - Hetty McKinnon

Food Tribe

Joining me on the show today is cookbook author, writer, podcaster, and infamous salad queen, Hetty McKinnon.

After she had her children, Hetty wanted a way to connect with and build relationships in her community so she decided to start making hearty salads from her home kitchen in Sydney and delivering them to her hungry neighbours on her bicycle. She named her small operation Arthur Street Kitchen and it quickly grew a cult following which led to the publishing of her first book, Community, in 2013. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Hetty now lives in Brooklyn and recently published her 4th book, To Asia with Love. This book is a personal homecoming story for Hetty - an exploration of her heritage and a return to the humble, nurturing flavours and meals of her childhood as a Chinese girl born in Australia.

Beyond writing cookbooks, Hetty does so much in the food community - she’s a storyteller at heart and works to highlight the personal stories of everyday cooks and important issues surrounding food, culture, and identity through her food magazine which she started called Peddler and accompanying podcast called the House Specials.

Hetty and I chat about her new book, her experience of growing up as a third culture kid and the extraordinary role food has played in her life.