Art of Escapism Cooking

Mandy lee founded her award-winning "angry food blog," Lady and Pups, in 2012 out of sheer frustration after moving from New York City to Beijing. She and her blog have been featured in numerous publications and sites, including Saveur, FoodandWine.com, CNN.com, Yahoo, Food52, and WashingtonPost.com. She currently lives in Hong Kong with her husband and pups.

“Lee, who vents about living abroad in her Lady and Pups blog, fuels this stunning cookbook with the ferocity of Sichuan peppercorns and chili oil. . . . Lee is as gifted a writer as she is a cook. . . . [A] unique and deeply felt debut.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)Part dark wit, part all-consuming food worship, The Art of Escapism Cooking will make the perfect gift for an adventurous home chef or that spice fanatic who would love to place a condiment called "Helldust" next to the salt and pepper.  — Shelf Awareness"If you’re familiar with the blog Lady & Pups, you’ll know to expect both eye-popping photography and fantastically engaging words and stories from this book—and, yes, lots of recipes you’ll want to make immediately (Poached Eggs with Miso Burnt Butter Hollandaise, for instance, and Buffalo Chicken Ramen too)." — Chowhound“In [her] inimitably wry voice, [Lee] shares her story of discovering cooking’s healing powers during an extremely difficult time, alongside more than 100 recipes many of which are boldly influenced by Chinese, Korean, Thai, and other cuisines.” — Booklist“The Art of Escapism Cooking” by Taiwanese-born, Hong Kong-based food blogger Mandy Lee . . . records her agonizing displacement — and the cooking that helped her endure it — when she moved from New York to Beijing for her husband’s job. — Washington Post"Thrilling food. . . . Lee’s conversational writing makes the recipes and dynamic flavor combinations feel a­chievable. . . . [She] scoffs at any notion of what should or cannot be done because of tradition. . . . VERDICT If ever a cookbook could be described as exciting this one would be it. Highly recommended." — Library JournalInstead of the typical posts of gorgeous food paired with gee-life’s-great text, Lee’s gorgeous food is paired with extremely crafted blasts of bile and despair; it’s like looking at a Caravaggio while listening to Rammstein. Her book, . . . pushes the edges of intensity in terms of flavor and fierce originality. (And that’s just the writing.) — New York Times Book ReviewMandy Lee is an absolutely talented chef and now writer . . . The Art of Escapism Cooking proves both in one delicious cookbook. . . . You don't have to be a chef to whip up some of these beautiful dishes. . . . This cookbook is the perfect companion to any expert chef or amateur cook. — Sophie Matthews for Women.com“The recipes in the book are enticing–including the delicious looking crackling-studded pork belly burger that graces the cover.” — Post MagazineI was completely absorbed . . . It’s the same sort of awe I feel when I’m reading a poem that manages to twist language in a way I’d never considered before or when I go to an art exhibit and feel reality start to melt away. — The Takeout