Drag Queen Kim Chi’s Upcoming Cookbook Takes Readers On a World Tour

She’s at all times had an urge for food, however ever since she was launched to the world on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Kim Chi has actually been consuming. The drag artist has partnered with Chipotle and Trejo’s Donuts, and made Korean-inspired edibles. She’s launched a podcast about meals and a lot extra with chef Jon Kung. She’s proven us what to eat all over the world whereas on her many drag excursions, and find out how to get pleasure from it with out ruining your make-up.

However when the COVID pandemic struck, like the remainder of us, she discovered herself caught in her kitchen — which is how she discovered herself writing a cookbook. “It was the primary time in years that I really had time to cook dinner, and, as dramatic because it sounds, it was life-changing,” she writes in Kim Chi Eats The World, set to be revealed on October 7 from Union Sq. & Co. “I began writing down my concepts, inspirations, and recipes so I’d be capable to take myself in all places with out going anyplace at any time when I felt prefer it. I didn’t comprehend it then, however these notes have been the start of this guide.”

Kim Chi Eats The World is a global tour of taste. Damaged down by area, Kim Chi consists of recipes for humble rooster soup constructed from Costco rotisserie rooster, Canadian ketchup chips, Spanish paella pulled off in a rice cooker, Thai moo ping, and her mother’s bibim-guksu.

As she explains it, her love of each meals and drag revolve round taking inspiration from right here and there and making it into your individual factor. “Once I’m within the kitchen, I like my cooking the way in which I like my drag: daring, colourful, and at all times with a contact of humor, as a result of whether or not I’m serving up a lqqk or a complete meal, I at all times need it to be filled with taste, character, and coronary heart,” she writes. We talked to Kim Chi about her journey into cookbook writing, getting individuals to cook dinner the world, and why each girlie wants a nonstick pan.

Union Sq. & Co.

Jaya Saxena: As you write, meals has been an enormous a part of your profession. What made you need to add cookbook creator to the resume?

Kim Chi: Clearly, meals is one among my greatest passions, the love of my life. It’s a very easy strategy to share your tradition and your experiences with different individuals. I’ve at all times been interested by new flavors, and after I journey, I like going to as many alternative locations as attainable to check out new dishes. So, I obtained the thought to put in writing about all these world cuisines that folks won’t be accustomed to, and find out how to simply recreate these in an American kitchen.

I do love how a lot of this guide actually seems like a journey memoir. I’m curious the way you stored monitor of all the things you ate, on prime of getting to carry out and hop on planes each different day.

To not be so Asian about it, however I take pictures of all the things I eat. Even after I make one thing actually easy at residence with simply rice and eggs, I’ll take a photograph of it. Whereas writing the guide, I had all these information, and I broke them down from area to area, with the dishes that have been memorable from these locations.

You’ve lots of recipes in right here for issues I’d by no means assume to make myself, like Canadian Ketchup Chips. Particularly contemplating your objective of retaining American kitchens in thoughts, how did you determine what you wished to incorporate?

I wished to pay tribute to the dishes and the recipes that I fell in love with. This guide was a strategy to say, “Should you’ve by no means had them, do this recipe, and possibly you’ll like it too.” With ketchup chips, I at all times carry these again for my pals right here within the States. And everyone is bizarre about at first, which I believe it’s loopy, as a result of potatoes and ketchup isn’t a loopy idea, proper? America’s like, we put ketchup on all the things. However everyone eats it and thinks they’re one of the best chips ever. So then it obtained to a degree the place my pals from Canada will go to and convey again suitcases of ketchup chips, and I don’t want this many chips! So I attempted to make it at residence, so then I can simply sprinkle it on one thing at any time when I crave it.

What are some cookbooks or creators that impressed you whereas writing?

Clearly, Jon Kung; all his content material is superb. My good friend Khushbu (Shah). We went to highschool collectively, and when she was creating her cookbook, she’d carry me a few of her recipes to style. Chef Ronnie Woo and Pete Duong. I additionally love this one meals content material creator, Saeng. He does Lao delicacies, and that’s one thing I didn’t know an excessive amount of about. I like to see individuals discuss meals from their cultures. Or, simply mothers making meals for his or her youngsters. There’s this account, Cooking with Shereen. She’s simply this fabulous mother with the craziest kitchen that I’ve seen. There’s a flour drawer.

Union Sq. & Co.

You’re cooking from all these nations and cuisines. How do you are feeling you bought your individual viewpoint throughout?

Rising up, I principally ate Korean meals in my family. Every time I went to highschool, I had American faculty lunch, mainly pizza or a Styrofoam-like burger, which was such a tradition shock to me as a result of Korean delicacies had all these greens, and American meals was tremendous processed. I simply thought, There’s obtained to be one thing else on the market on this planet.

After which, my good friend was like, “Let’s go to the Indian buffet.” I’d by no means had Indian meals. However we went, and I tasted flavors and textures that I didn’t know existed. I wished to see what else was on the market. So, I saved my allowance to go to completely different “ethnic” eating places in my small hometown in Lansing, Michigan. Subsequent was Ethiopian meals, after which after that, Vietnamese and Thai. So, it’s actually about my love for world delicacies.

You write in regards to the intersection of drag and meals, and what bringing a drag sensibility to the cookbook and these recipes means. Why do you assume they go collectively?

Meals may be very private to everyone. Everyone has an opinion on meals. It’s nourishing, it’s well being, however it may also be dangerous. It’s the identical with drag. Drag is an artwork type that feels private to lots of people. Particularly for performers, it’s how we select to nourish ourselves and current ourselves to the world. So, it actually feels prefer it goes hand in hand.

Is there part of the guide or a recipe that was significantly troublesome so that you can write or develop?

The toughest half was making an attempt to not dumb down any recipes. Quite a lot of the recipes have been made to be simply recreated in an American kitchen. However typically, when the components have been too particular, like a fish paste from a particular nation that almost all Individuals won’t have entry to, I needed to discover a strategy to recreate these flavors with out feeling like I’m dumbing it down. However I believe it got here collectively superbly.

Union Sq. Co.

Are there any recipes you’re significantly excited to have in there?

It’s quite simple, however I believe Anchovy Spaghetti, as a result of I really feel like lots of Individuals are nonetheless very afraid of canned fish. When used appropriately, it may add a lot taste, and it’s a reasonably low-cost ingredient. I’m at all times excited to showcase canned fish.

What are the pantry staples or kitchen home equipment you’ll be able to’t dwell with out?

I’ve my stainless-steel pan and my enamel pots. I really feel like, simply to make your life simpler, you need to have a nonstick pan for frying eggs. After all, you’ll be able to cook dinner eggs in a forged iron skillet, however preheating after which ensuring it’s the precise temperature — simply cook dinner the eggs in a nonstick, it’ll make your life a lot simpler. Particularly for the ladies on the go.

I additionally love vinegar. I really feel like vinegar is simply a straightforward means so as to add taste to issues. If my soup is a bit of boring? Just a bit splash of vinegar. Or, my stir fry is lacking that little je ne sais quoi? Somewhat vinegar, you already know? I like rice wine vinegar, or black vinegar for stir fries.

Given your love of various cuisines, are there any new-to-you stuff you’ve had not too long ago?

I simply tried Uyghur delicacies for the primary time, which may be very scrumptious. Quite a lot of lamb, and so juicy. One among my favourite cuisines is Szechuan delicacies. I like the numbing spices, and though it’s spicy, it seems like a really nuanced sort of spicy. As a result of these days, the pattern is rather like the spicy noodle problem, or one thing. So many issues really feel chemically spicy, and there’s not sufficient taste behind it.

It’s good to restart the Kim Chi Eats account!

I ought to revive it. I cherished posting all the things I ordered. However then, I used to be getting, like [rolls eyes] fat-shamed. I’m very excited for individuals simply to see the guide. I believe all of the recipes are phenomenal, and I believe all of the pictures look so good. I’m nervous as somebody within the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood throughout this political regime, releasing something like LGBT-related. However it is a enjoyable cookbook, I simply need individuals to see it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.