Melissa King – författare

From award-winning chef, author, television personality, and activist Melissa King comes an intimate, captivating memoir about family, food, and finding her voice as a queer Chinese American chef“Melissa’s story is a powerful reminder that success comes not from fitting into someone else’s expectations, but from embracing your whole self.”—Chef Kwame OnwuachiEmbracing my love of food has empowered me to embrace every layer of who I am: my Chinese heritage, my American upbringing, and all the parts of me that felt too much and not enough. When I chose myself, I set her free. Just me. The girl who became king.As a kid, Melissa King lived for the moment she would come from elementary school, grab her prized Chinese meat cleaver, and prepare dinner for her family. She already knew cooking was her future, but she didn’t know how hard she’d have to fight to make that dream a reality. Growing up, King felt like she was stuck in a box that was only getting smaller. Her Shanghainese and Cantonese immigrant parents had certain expectations—none of which included going to culinary school or falling in love with women. American culture also dictated that kitchens were a man’s world. But trying to live by these rules felt like no life at all. Determined to forge her own path, she fought her way into the demanding world of Michelin-starred kitchens, while discovering a home in the queer community. When she entered Top Chef as a reluctant contestant, inspired by her grandmother’s advice to follow her heart, she began embracing the flavors, culture, and parts of herself she had once forgotten. This journey of self-discovery through food leads her back to her parents, where love creates room for their strengths and imperfections.In this heartfelt memoir, Melissa King shows that empowerment comes from embracing all the different ingredients that make up who you are, and models the hard-won courage it takes to believe in yourself against the odds.

When Melissa King, a transplanted southerner in search of connection, finds herself on the lean, mean streets of Chicago, she turns to her childhood passion for basketball. In her late twenties, King is at a crossroads in her life, and the randomness of the game as it is played on the streets suits her mood. The rules are unwritten, the teams a haphazard collection of players, and unlike anything else around her, the courts feel like home. So wherever there is a game, she gets her ball and goes. From the rough, male-dominated inner-city courts of Chicago, she travels to lazy oceanside pickup games in sunny California and dilapidated gyms in her Bible Belt home state.In a street-smart voice full of understated humor and palpable hope, King chronicles her journey, using the rhythms of the court to riff on the issues of race, class, gender, religion, sexual politics, and love. Ultimately, through the jubilant swish of the net, the brunt of an egregious foul, and the knowing glance of a stranger who says yes, you can be on my team, King discovers in those rare moments on the court the countless things she wants in life but cannot name.

The Anthropology of Los Angeles: Place and Agency in an Urban Setting questions the production and representations of L.A. by revealing the gray spaces between the real and imagined city. Contributors to this urban ethnography document hidden histories that connect daily actors within cultural systems to global social formations. This diverse collection is recommended for scholars of anthropology, history, sociology, race studies, gender studies, food studies, Latin American studies, and Asian studies.

The Anthropology of Los Angeles: Place and Agency in an Urban Setting questions the production and representations of L.A. by revealing the gray spaces between the real and imagined city. Contributors to this urban ethnography document hidden histories that connect daily actors within cultural systems to global social formations. This diverse collection is recommended for scholars of anthropology, history, sociology, race studies, gender studies, food studies, Latin American studies, and Asian studies.

It can be tough to put dinner on the table without falling back on packaged, processed foods. But for Melissa King, watching her two young daughters struggle with health issues was tougher. She switched her family to a whole foods, plant-based diet—and it made all the difference.Today, Melissa is a master at crafting flavor-packed, no-stress recipes that are Easy. Whole. Vegan. (Plus, they’re gluten-free!) Here are her top 100 meals, snacks, desserts, and more—ingeniously organized by need to help busy families find the right one:QUICK: Make Sweet Potato Pancakes or Avocado & Chickpea Stuffed Cucumbers in 30 minutes or lessEASY: Multitask effortlessly with slow-cooker dishes like Chili Mac & CheeseMAKE-AHEAD: Prep Lentil Shepherd’s Pie when you do have time, and freeze it for later (Melissa explains exactly how!)Plus, ENTERTAIN with White Bean & Zucchini Burgers, MAKE IT YUMMY with wholesome condiments like Hidden Veggies Tomato Sauce, and hydrate for health with PICK-ME-UPS like Beet, Orange & Ginger Juice or a Tropical Green Smoothie.You do have time to cook whole, vegan food at home—once a week, or all the time. It’s easy!

WINNER OF THE JAMES BEARD AWARD • In her debut cookbook, Top Chef All-Stars champion and award-winning chef Melissa King shares 120 of her favorite dishes, blending her California sensibility with the Chinese cuisine of her childhood.“Ever since I first tasted Melissa’s cooking on Top Chef, I’ve been waiting for this book. Her food is beautiful and comforting, elegant, and very doable.”—Padma LakshmiFrom the moment she could see over the kitchen counter, Melissa King would spend hours in the kitchen with her mom. For King, the kitchen was a place to play with fire and knives. Now, it's a space where King can express herself, melding the Cantonese flavors with which she grew up and the French, Italian, and Californian ones of the Michelin-starred restaurants in which she trained.Cook Like a King features 120 unforgettable dishes that showcase King's effortless blending of these cuisines, like in her Lemongrass Cioppino and Miso Caesar with Gai Lan and Chrysanthemum Greens. She includes nostalgic, homestyle dishes like her grandmother’s Shanghainese Lion's Head Meatballs and her mother’s Black Vinegar Ribs, and, of course, her famous Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu, which made renowned Italian butcher and Top Chef guest judge Dario Cecchini shed tears of joy.King keeps the needs of the home cook in mind, making recipes accessible while inspiring readers to experiment with food, culture, and flavor. Her recipes, crafted from a lifetime spent cooking for her Chinese family, in restaurants, and on television, show how simple techniques, attention, and graceful application of the Asian pantry can elevate familiar dishes and create new, thrilling classics. With stunning photography, personal stories, and expert guidance, Cook Like a King is a thoughtful, playful examination of the flavors that shape our lives.