Betty Liu is not a formally-trained chef — but that didn't stop her from writing one of my favorite cookbooks of the year.

Liu, currently in training to be a surgeon, is a two-time cookbook author who also doubles as a photographer. Her first book, "My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water," was just recently joined by a follow-up, "The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors." And the recipes inside more than live up to the name.

In the book, Liu presents eight different forms of cookery, mixing-and-matching Chinese fundamentals and foundations with ingredients from all over the globe, resulting in some of the most delectable-sounding dishes I've come across in some time (delicata squash cut into rings and glazed with a sweet-and-spicy glaze before being topped with milky, creamy burrata? Genius!)

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As Liu writes on her website, "The Chinese way of cooking is not about who you are, strict traditional recipes, or even which type of soy sauce you use. Instead, it’s an ethos that builds on a set of eight powerful, adaptable cooking techniques that flex with your pantry and the seasons—and anyone can do it."

Salon Food recently had the opportunity to speak with Liu to get her insight on cooking, Chinese techniques, her balancing between being a surgery resident in training and being a passionate home cook and much more.

Betty Liu (Photo courtesy of Betty Liu)

The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

This is a terrific cookbook — one of my favorites this year! How would you differentiate this book from "My Shanghai"?

"My Shanghai" was the book I felt like I needed to write – it’s an homage to my roots: the Shanghainese food I grew up eating. It holds the flavors of home, of nostalgia and I still reference it when I crave comfort and familiarity. There is a taste memory there. When I cook and taste these traditional flavors, I am transported home.

The Chinese Way is the book that I really wanted to write. It reflects how I truly cook. Rarely will you find anyone who
only cooks traditional food at home, especially those in my generation, or Chinese Americans!

Our kitchen and pantry are a reflection of time and place and my kitchen has not only various soy sauces (actually, tamari now that my child is allergic to wheat), but also miso paste, various mustards, vinegars beyond black and rice and more. I cook with not just traditional ingredients, but still in a very........

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