Cook Like a King: Recipes from My California Chinese Kitchen

This is Chinese Californian cooking at its most inventive—rooted in family, shaped by fine dining, and driven by curiosity. While you’ll find a few traditional dishes here (like the author’s grandmother’s cold fried fish, or black vinegar ribs), most recipes lean boldly modern, drawing on a wide range of influences.

Think: cheesy scallion pancakes, chili-lime melon with prosciutto, salted egg yolk Basque cheesecake, lobster wontons in yuzu broth, green beans with pancetta and caramelized soy. There’s a wedge salad with shiso ranch, a turmeric-lemongrass pork belly roast, and a take on beer-battered fish served with apple tartar sauce. These are recipes designed to surprise and delight—not repeat what’s been done before.

Melissa King’s training spans Cantonese home cooking, French technique, and high-end California restaurants, and her voice throughout the book is clear, confident, and encouraging. This isn’t restaurant food, but it’s the kind of book many chefs will find themselves inspired by.

A fresh and thoughtful debut for cooks eager to break new ground—and anyone ready to cook with both precision and play.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.