I’m currently working on my first cookbook, Three Meals, Four Seasons – A Year of Chinese Flavours for Every Table, which will be published in December 2026.
Hi! I’m glad you’re here. This page is where I share notes from the process as the book takes shape. It’s been an interesting journey, and I’m learning at every step, so I’ll use this space to record it, both for myself and for readers who are curious about how a cookbook comes together through traditional publishing. I’ll keep updating as I go.
How the Idea Came Together
Writing a physical cookbook has always been somewhere at the back of my mind since I started this blog. Over the years, I’ve had conversations with publishers, but I never quite felt ready. I didn’t have a clear way to bring my recipes together into a book that felt coherent and true to how I cook at home.
That changed when the idea of Three Meals, Four Seasons/三餐四季 came to me. It immediately felt right, a simple framework that could hold everything together. By then, I also felt more ready in other ways: my understanding of the cuisine had deepened, my recipe writing had improved, and I had a much clearer sense of what my readers are looking for. All of this combined made me feel that the time was right to finally work on a physical cookbook.
While the blog is where I share recipes one by one, a cookbook allows me to bring them together in a more complete and cohesive way. With a thoughtful theme, a clear structure, and new dishes added, it becomes something you can cook from and return to in a different way.
What the Book Is About
Three Meals, Four Seasons reflects how I cook at home — simple, everyday Chinese dishes that fit naturally into daily life. The idea comes from the Chinese concept of 三餐四季 (sān cān sì jì), finding comfort in the rhythm of regular meals and the quiet changes across the seasons.
The book is organised by seasons, with dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with iconic recipes for festivals and special occasions from the Chinese calendar, including a dedicated chapter on Chinese New Year.
The recipes are written with home cooks in mind, using accessible ingredients and clear, practical methods, without compromising the identity of each dish.
How I Put Together the Proposal
Before a cookbook is commissioned, it usually starts with a proposal. It’s essentially a plan for the book (think a business plan), outlining the idea, structure, and direction so a publisher can see what you’re trying to make.
Putting this together took me nearly three months. It felt very different from writing for the blog. Instead of focusing on individual recipes, I had to step back and think about how everything fits together, how to present Chinese home cooking in a clear, structured way that reflects how I cook.
It also made me think more carefully about what kind of book I wanted to write. Not just a collection of recipes, but something with a clear voice and purpose. For me, it’s less about telling my own story, and more about sharing the cuisine in a way that feels honest, practical, and useful for home cooks.
As shown in the table of contents screenshot above, the proposal covers several aspects of the book: why I’m the right person to write it, how it fits in the market, its positioning, structure, and a full recipe list. The recipe list didn’t come together overnight. I checked my “cookbook ideas” folder, and the first note was from January 2021. So in many ways, this part had been building for years.
I also included a chapter essay and nine recipes as sample writing. The essay gave me a chance to write in a slightly different, more evocative way, which I really enjoyed.
Many proposals are quite text-heavy, but I included a lot of visuals. That reflects how I work, but also helps set the tone and gives a clearer sense of how I imagine the book to look and feel.
This proposal was later shortlisted for the Jane Grigson Trust Sous Chef Award, which recognises promising work at the proposal stage. It was a really encouraging moment early on.
notes
- I’ll keep updating this page as the book develops, sharing more behind-the-scenes and small glimpses along the way. Stay tuned!
- If you’re curious about any part of the process, feel free to leave a comment below.
Amazing news Wei!! I cant wait to watch this coming together and have 100% confidence in this all coming together for you. It’s not just your recipes i love, but they’re written and explained, Thanks to you, I am no longer intimidated by Chinese recipes. Can’t wait to buy your book!
I’m really glad the recipes and explanations have helped build your confidence, Mandy. I look forward to sharing the book with you!
Hi Wei,
Congratulations on this wonderful milestone! It’s inspiriting to see your creativity and dedication shaping such a beautiful cookbook. I love your recipes and am truly grateful for the effort you are putting into it and can’t wait to enjoy the finished work and celebrate your achievement.
Good luck!
Thank you so much, Mithila, for your encouragement. It truly means a lot. Look forward to sharing the book with you!
Really looking forward to this cook book. So far all the recipes of yours that I’ve made have turned out extremely well, always delicious, flavoursome food which I also believe is quite healthy for me. I hope you’re printing enough copies for all your –
Thank you so much for the kind words, Gaynor! I’m really glad the recipes have been working well for you. I truly appreciate your support.
Keep my fingers crossed and can’t wait! I’m following your receipes and it’s always a blast! Thank you!
So happy to hear that Magdalena! Thanks for the appreciation.
Exelente estoy muy atenta cuando publique su libro se que será de muchos conocimientos culinarios ánimo!!
Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement Grace! I truly appreciate your support and interest in the book.
Can’t wait!!!
Thank you Janice!
Your recipes are very good. Can’t wait to buy a copy of your cookbook.
Thank you so much Kyle for the encouragement!
Hi, Wei. Curious to know whether Three Meals, Four Seasons can be pre-ordered. I would like to add it to my collection of Chinese cookbooks.
As I am very fond of Chinese cuisine, I’ve started following some of your recipes. I’ve tried a couple of iterations of Re Gan Mian and Dan Dan Noodles, but I still need to refine the process for those dishes.
My wife and I were introduced to “real” Chinese cuisine when we visited China for months in 2012 and again in 2014. We were lucky to make many Chinese friends and even luckier to be invited into their homes, oftentimes to cook with them. Also, we avoided tourist restaurants for the most part and, instead, we were taken to the restaurants that the locals favored. It was a wonderful culinary experience.
Today, I’m going to try your recipe for Sichuan Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce. In China, we spent most of our time in Zhejiang province in Hangzhou, although we did get to visit Hubu Xiang in Wuhan for authentic Re Gan Mian. I’ve always wanted to travel to Sichuan and Chengdu to sample the cuisine first hand.
I’d better stop now. Enjoying the recipes and the site. Looking forward to dinner tonight.
Joe Koppi
Thank you so much for your lovely message, Joe! It sounds like you had some wonderful experiences in China, especially being welcomed into people’s homes. That’s very special. I’m glad you’ve been trying my recipes. As for my book Three Meals, Four Seasons, it’s not available for pre-order just yet, but I’ll share an update as soon as it’s ready.
Interesting to see how a cookbook comes together.
Yes, it’s a fascinating process, and that’s exactly why I like to share a bit about it.
I can’t wait for your cookbook to debut. I have saved all and tried most of your recipes and my family has truly enjoyed them. Thank you
Thank you so much, Molly, for the appreciation and support! Hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as my blog.