The pandemic has been tremendously challenging and has led to unanticipated consequences for many. For some, however, it has presented an opportunity to pursue certain ambitions and aspirations.

This was the case for baker and cookbook author Kat Lieu. Growing up in South Brooklyn, New York, she became a doctor of physical therapy to fulfil her parents’ dreams, but admitted to Set The Tables that she had been searching for her identity for over a decade.

In 2020, Lieu began a private group on Facebook for home bakers such as herself. Within two short years, Subtle Asian Baking (SAB) has snowballed to a community of 150,000 members.

Beyond supporting individual bakers, charities, and Asian communities, Lieu sees the platform as a place of connection and inclusivity for bakers of all backgrounds, not only those of Asian descent.

And soon, Lieu will be releasing her first book “Modern Asian Baking At Home”. She talks with Set The Tables about how she moved from physical therapy to the culinary arts, her dreams and people who inspire her, and how she has finally found her identity through baking.

Set The Tables: Tell us more about how you ended up doing what you do now.

Lieu: When I became a doctor of physical therapy in 2008, I was proud of myself, but I knew I’d chosen this profession to honour my parents’ wishes and sustain their pride.

I have worn multiple hats for the past 13 years as a physical and lymphedema (the buildup of fluids in soft tissue) therapist. I’ve worked as a healthcare recruiter, educator, clinical professor, programme founder, school physical therapist, and even a webmaster.

In 2020, a switch flipped inside me when I watched my father breathe his last breath. That night I realised he had never fulfilled his dreams. What were his goals in life? What were MY dreams? Life’s too brief to be stuck in the daily grind and not being true to oneself.

I went from healthcare burnout to full bakeout; from launching the SAB community to writing a cookbook.

These days, I carry Dad’s dreams on my shoulder. In spirit, what I can and shall achieve will be what he realises moving forward.

You founded SAB to connect with other home bakers. Can you share more about this journey?

SAB is a Covid baby – I founded the community on May 24, 2020. It is all about timing and some luck. Everything just fell into place.

I poured my heart into the community, led with genuine intentions, and involved the members. Those are the key ingredients. We’re called the SAB Fam, and our network of bakers spans across the world. It’s open to everyone – you don’t have to be Asian, or bake the Asian way, to join.

We do live events together, like when we streamed a “mukbang” (live eating show) during our first fundraising event!

We will always be mission and purpose-based, where people can share Asian-inspired baking and dessert recipes, learn to bake, compete in virtual bake-offs, participate in fundraising activities, and attend virtual bake-alongs.

SAB’s mission is to give back to the community and to nurture and cultivate innovation and creativity in an inclusive and diverse space. I’m fortunate to have a group of volunteer moderators from around the world who keep the community a safe and fun place.

What inspired you to launch your first cookbook, and how did it happen?

SAB was featured in an article on Eater.com in December 2020. Shortly after, an editor from Quarry Books emailed me to ask if I was working on a cookbook.

He put the idea in my head, and from there, I worked on a proposal, and he pitched it to his publisher. I signed a contract with them and worked on the book for the next six months.

Is there a particular recipe that is very dear to your heart?

The Asian Bakery Fresh Cream Cake, or Ah Ma’s Cake, reflects my fifth birthday cake – one my paternal grandma had baked and decorated for me in Montreal back in the 1980s. It’s not too sweet, incredibly light, and unforgettable, just like the ones you would find at a local Chinese or Asian bakery.

My grandma placing the finishing touches on my birthday cake is a core memory for me, and I like to tell people I started baking when I was four years old, even though I only helped her crack a few eggs and taste-test the fresh cream!

What excites you the most about building the SAB community, and what’s next for you?

Continuing to grow the community, make new friends, connect with bakers who bake the Asian way around the globe, continue to fundraise, and host global virtual bake-offs… the unknown and potential of the group is super exciting for me.

I hope to always maintain our purpose and vision, and perhaps we’ll see an end to Asian hate one day. If we lead first with love, the world will be a brighter and even more beautiful place.

That’s why I love bakers. We bake and give with all of our hearts.

Find out more about the Subtle Asian Baking Facebook group here. Pre-order your copy of ‘Modern Asian Baking at Home’ here or via major online booksellers.

This article was written by Theri Burhan for Set the Tables. Set the Tables is positioned to inspire and educate those in the industry as well as the aspiring reader who dreams of a future in the food business, and maybe even the merely curious tantalised by the vast and irresistible universe of food and drink. Follow them on Instagram.