Did You Eat Yet?: Craveable Recipes from an All-American Asian Chef – Over 100 Flavorful Dishes to Elevate Your Home Cooking

by Ronnie Woo

From renowned chef and beloved food personality Ronnie Woo, a cookbook of over 100 craveable all-American Asian-inspired recipes.

If you were ever to visit Ronnie Woo, chef and beloved food personality, the first words out of his mouth would be "Did you eat yet?"--just like how his mom would greet him and express her love. While not everyone would be so lucky to experience a Ronnie-cooked meal or his mood-lifting humor firsthand, Did You Eat Yet? is the next best thing, with more than 100 of his surprisingly achievable, effortlessly stylish recipes celebrating an All-American Asian pantry. With chapters spanning from breakfast to dessert, and everything in between, you can start your day with Chicken Congee with Pork Floss & X.O. Sauce or a Big Ass Buttermilk Cinnamon Roll, snack on Blistered Miso Butter Green Beans, have a healthy lunch of Hawaiian Inspired Chicken Vermicelli Bun Bowl, feast on Gochujang Grilled Skirt Steak, and end on a sweet note with his Caramelized Hong Kong-Inspired Egg Tart. Plus:

Sexy SaucesBreakfast All Day, Err' dayHealthy IshI Love NoodsDid Someone Say Snacks?Eat Your VeggiesFrickin' ChickenFor the Love of SeafoodBring Out the MeatSweet Lovin' Whether it's a healthy carb-conscious recipe, an overly indulgent cheat meal, or stunning happy-hour fare, Ronnie's over-the-top book delivers on flavor with memorable humor --plus mouthwatering photographs throughout--and offers a serious array of recipes to easily elevate your home cooking and stuff your loved ones with great food.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food and Drink

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2023

About the author

RONNIE WOO is a celebrity chef, television personality, former model, and creator of The Delicious Cook, an LA-based private chef company that specializes in four-star dining experiences. He loves puppies, traveling, and romantics walks to the fridge and lives in Los Angeles, CA with his husband, Doug, and their three dogs, Taco, Queso, and Unagi.

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a bit wary heading into this cookbook from a model-turned-therapist-turned-chef but truth be told, this is a superb cookbook that is appropriate for cooks of all levels and is worth adding to your library. While Ronnie Woo says his recipes don't neatly fit into one box, they do skew heavily towards Asian-ish and they all share a common denominator of deliciousness.

The tone of the book is perky, positive and very, very chatty. I enjoyed the personable headnotes that sometimes bordered on oversharing as well as the excellent tips for recipe success. My favorite tip was for ensuring the golden sear on scallops. I know they need to be dry but now after patting scallops dry, I will put them in the fridge uncovered for at least 15 minutes to help further evaporate moisture from their surface before cooking.

Recipes are extremely well written with clear, easy to follow instructions. There are loads of color pictures of finished dishes along with many photos of the author, many of him in short shorts. While these pics are kinda cheesy it actually tracks with the overall perky tone of book. One especially nice touch were the pictorials showing the techniques for creating some of the more complex recipes (e.g., hand pulled noodles, folding wontons, bao buns, spatchcocking a chicken).

I did notice the author was not afraid of reheating made ahead items in the microwave and included instructions for doing so at home. Recipes I plan to try my hand at include the Simply Kick-ass Garlic Noodles and the Salted Upside-Down Buttermilk Banana Cake. I also really liked the concept of using chicken broth for making savory oatmeal, don't know why I never thought of that but am glad to have learned it from this book.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

[x] Easy Golden Egg Fried Rice
[x] Mama Woo’s Minced Beef and Rice Bowls
[x] Chilled Sesame Honey Ramen with Chicken and Cucumber
[x] White-Wine Braised Pork Ragu with Lasagna Noodles
[x] Crispy Rice Paper Pockets with Pork and Napa Cabbage
[x] Crispy Mushrooms with Soy and Pecorino

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook is such a gem. So many fantastic looking recipes that I’ll be purchasing a physical copy of it for myself.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Self-described "model turned therapist turned globetrotting chef who also happens to be Asian, American, and gay," Ronnie Woo brings readers his first cookbook. DID YOU EAT YET? is a delicious combination of tasty recipes, autobiographical stories and photos of mouthwatering meals. Most of the photos are of the dishes Woo creates, but for thirsty foodie fans there's enough dishy photos of Woo in short shorts or shirtless to rival QUEER EYE chef Antoni Porowski.

The recipes are wide-ranging. "I've never fit into a single box, and neither do my recipes," writes Woo. He divides his cookbook into chapters on sauces, breakfast (including breakfast tacos, pancakes and cinnamon rolls), healthy food (sweet potato chowder, coconut curry chickpea and cherry tomato stew, salads), noodles (garlic noodles, rice cakes, burrata, wontons), snacks (puff pastry bites, sushi, bao, chicken wings, pork sliders) and vegetarian fare (crispy fried onions, eggplant adobo, asparagus and chorizo stir-fry). Three chapters cover various recipes for chicken, seafood and meat dishes. And the final chapter explores desserts (including blackberry ice cream, sushi-rice pudding, salted upside-down buttermilk banana cake, flourless chocolate cake and caramelized egg tart). Each recipe (spread over two or three pages) contains a list of ingredients, a three- or four-step set of baking/assembly instructions, Woo's autobiographical memory of that food and an appetizing photo of the final product.

Woo's charming and funny intros to each dish broaden the appeal of this cookbook. This is not just a collection of recipes; it's a friendly and endearing conversation with an exuberant and playful foodie and chef--and a tasty treat for gourmands and gourmets alike.

[Janet Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This terrific book is another of the few cookbooks I choose to review. While some of the recipes are similar to things I've been cooking for years and can absolutely vouch for--ie the chicken broth--others are new, creative, delicious, and fun. Of course my rule is to never review a cookbook until I've cooked 3 recipes from it, and the ones I loved the most from from the half dozen I tried from this book are: Dan Dan Inspired Zoodles--I've loved Dan Dan Noodles for years, and the substitution of zoodles is brilliant because the zucchini is perfect with the spectacularly yummy ground meat sauce and hits all of the low carb buttons I need most of the time; Bulgogi Pork Tenderloin Lettuce Wraps--a substantial wrap and delicious way to cook a frequently tasteless cut of meat, which everyone in my family gobbled up and adored so much it will be a frequent part of my regular rotation; Chicken & Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites--OMG, I will never keep up with enough of these to stock my freezer for emergency snacks! In addition the "Eat Your Veggies" section is chock full of winners. Even if a total recipe doesn't hit your buttons, take a look at the sauces and marinades for optional use. None of the recipes I tried was less than delicious and worth cooking again. Terrific cookbook that uses easily available and economical ingredients and reasonably simple recipes.

[Danielle T · Rating 4 out of 5]

oops, I definitely read the hardcover version of this, not ebook (that's what I get for adding books on mobile, I guess?) Anyway, had to speed read this because someone put a hold on it and I couldn't renew again, so to the front of the TBR stack it went!

I found all of these recipes to sound pretty approachable, and with a lot of stuff you likely have on hand or ready access to (especially for Asian American households- a lot of fish sauce and sambal oelek appearances!) Really love the blend of putting Asian flavors in things, truly diaspora work imo. I also appreciate the step-by-step photo series on things like folding wontons in different ways or spatchcocking a chicken.

[Rifatuzzaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

*Did You Eat Yet?* is a delightful cookbook that brings bold, comforting, and craveable Asian-inspired flavors into everyday home cooking. The recipes feel approachable while still offering exciting combinations that make each meal something to look forward to. I especially enjoyed the balance between familiar comfort food and creative ideas that encourage you to try something new. The writing is engaging, the dishes are inviting, and the variety makes it easy to find inspiration for different occasions. A fantastic choice for anyone who loves flavorful food and wants to make restaurant-worthy meals at home.

[Jeanette C. Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard about chef Ronnie Woo on a TV show and looked up his book right away. I don't know if his recipe ideas are unique but they are new to me. Several appealed and I want to try - Chunky Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder, Spicy White Bean Dip, Orange Spatchcock Chicken, Creamsicle Cake to name a few. Some I won't try - Wontons, Hand-pulled Noodles, Potstickers - not because I wouldn't like them but because they are too fussy. I like to make my food and eat it, not play with it ;-0 If you enjoy cooking it's worth having a look.

[Sohel Rana · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

Flavorful, approachable, and seriously inspiring!

Did You Eat Yet? is the kind of cookbook that makes you excited to get into the kitchen. With more than 100 recipes, there’s plenty of variety, and I loved the way the book brings bold Asian-inspired flavors into approachable home cooking.

The recipes feel creative without being intimidating, and the flavors sound incredibly craveable. I also enjoyed the personal touch throughout the book—it gives the recipes a sense of warmth and personality rather than feeling like just another collection of dishes.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cook book has a really fun vibe, uses easy to find ingredients and pantry staples, and the recipes are easy to follow and execute.
I like that there are also pictures for every recipe so you always know what it should look like and if you've done something horribly wrong.
So far I have cooked:
Hawaiian chicken
pork sliders
caramelized broccoli
green beans
garlicky bucatini
fish sauce pork chops
banana upside down cake
Everything has turned out well so far.

[Fiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun to read cookbook with drool-worthy flavor combinations and easy to source ingredients. What more could I want aside from the Red Curry Mac n' Cheese or Carmel Chicken w/ Garlic Coconut Rice in my mouth right now?!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful cookbook. All the recipes have photos and look delicious. The recipes are easy to moderate and most require 10-20 ingredients but 1/3 to 1/2 of those are spices or condiments. Ingredients should be available in most markets. There are at least a dozen recipes I’d like to try.

[Tera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg I had no idea this guy had been a model before he went into a chef business.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare to be hungry as you read this cookbook!

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be honest. I picked up this book so I could drool over the gorgeous Ronnie Woo. I stayed because there are actually some great recipes in the book.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to make everything in this cookbook!!

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really delicious looking recipes and photos.

[Bailey]

✅

[Risa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an inspiring collection of recipes! Proud to say that I’m now serving us Asian cuisine at least 50% of the time - aiming for more but two kid life does not leave a lot of room for experimenting.

Absolutely love the jammy ramen eggs, pork belly and salt & vinegar roasted potatoes. Frequently requested by my toddler and husband, which proves how crucial these simple foods are to my household.