The Illustrated Wok – Kickstarter

In an effort to keep you informed on all cookbook news, occasionally I will share a Kickstarter project that I believe will interest many of you – The Illustrated Wok is one such project.

The Cleaver Quarterly, a print magazine exploring the incredible diversity of Chinese cuisine around the world was funded through Kickstarter three years ago. Now they are working on The Illustrated Wok, a print collection of hand-illustrated Chinese recipes from some of the best chefs around.

Who are some of these amazing chefs?

• Fuchsia Dunlop, author of Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking and Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China
• Linda Lau Anusasananan, author of The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from Around the World
• Carolyn Phillips, author of All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China
• Kian Lam Kho, author of Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees: Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking
• Hsiang Ju Lin, author of Chinese Gastronomy and Slippery Noodles
• Diana Zheng, author of Jia! Eating at the Swatow Table (forthcoming)
• Robyn Eckhardt, author of Istanbul and Beyond

For this cookbook, the team reached out to 40 well-known chefs, asking each to choose one restaurant-quality recipe that reflected their deep connection to Chinese cuisine. Next, each recipe was assigned to a different illustrator. The artists were instructed to use visual storytelling to bring the dish to life – while integrating the full recipe text into the illustration.

Cookbooks that explore international cuisine – especially Chinese food – always catch my interest – and this title promises to be extra special considering the talent involved. More information about this project and how to become a supporter can be found on their Kickstarter page.

Photo courtesy of The Illustrated Wok.