At the L.A. Times Festival of Books, social media star and cookbook author Cassie Yeung took the live cooking stage to demonstrate one of her signature recipes: a sweet and spicy shrimp and pineapple Thai curry. Yeung, whose debut cookbook “Bad B*tch in the Kitchen” released in October, kept the crowd entertained by answering audience questions while grinding fresh aromatics in a mortar and pestle.
Throughout the interactive demonstration, Yeung shared memories from her time on Gordon Ramsay’s “Next Level Chef.” When asked about working with the famously intense chef, she noted that Ramsay was actually supportive and kind, constantly encouraging her during stressful moments on set. Yeung also discussed her rapid rise to digital stardom, recalling how a viral beef and broccoli video she posted shortly after filming the reality show validated her decision to pursue content creation full-time, easily meeting a deadline set by her parents.
As the scent of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and Fresno chilies filled the air, Yeung proved she can handle both the heat of the kitchen and the spotlight. Drawing parallels between her lifelong dance training and her dynamic cooking style, she explained that she views cooking as a performance and loves to cosplay the energy of her dishes.