Meet Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries author, baker and storyteller Kristina Cho.
Kristina Cho is a baker and blogger turned author of the tasty new title Mooncakes and Milk Bread (Harper Horizon, 2021). A Bay Area resident for almost a decade, Cho worked in architectural and interior design while creating her food blog, Eat Cho Food. She hails from Cleveland, Ohio, and says both her design background and her Midwest upbringing play into the inspiration behind her recipes and writing.
Can you tell us a little more about the book?
Mooncakes and Milk Bread is more than just a collection of recipes. It also includes background into Chinese bakery culture, interviews with bakery owners, visual step-by-step guides explaining techniques, and so many personal stories about the recipes — but also about my family.
What inspired you to start cooking?
I grew up in a very food-centric family. My grandparents immigrated from Hong Kong to the United States in the late ’60s and started working in restaurants to make a living. In this book, you will find plenty of classics from Chinese bakeries, but there are also many new recipes and flavors that are inspired by my own personal experience as a Chinese American.
Favorite recipes to create and enjoy?
It’s very hard to pick a favorite recipe from the book, but I’m currently craving the Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Buns and the Lemon Coconut Tarts.