Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Family Style Cover Square

Credit: HarperCollins Publishers

Peter Som’s Family Style: A Love Letter to Food, Family, and Heritage

10 Minute read

The Making of Family Style

The journey to Family Style began with an unexpected discovery: Som found a worn spiral notebook in his grandmother’s apartment, filled with handwritten recipes spanning decades. The recipes, written in a mix of cursive English and Chinese characters, became a window into her world—one that he wanted to explore and share.

This discovery, combined with his own love of cooking, became the foundation for the book. The recipes in Family Style are a reflection of Som’s personal food philosophy: dishes that are simple yet elegant, deeply flavorful yet unfussy. “I want these recipes to be accessible, joyful, and full of big flavors,” he says.

Throughout Family Style, Som’s dishes seamlessly mix influences from his Cantonese roots, his California upbringing, and his love of global flavors. Dishes like Hong Kong French Toast Grilled Cheese and Matzo Ball Egg Drop Soup show his playful approach to fusion, while his One-Pot Sticky Rice and Chicken—a nod to his grandmother’s cooking—balances nostalgia with reinvention.

For Som, the debate over authenticity in food is less about rigid definitions and more about creativity. “Flavors are flavors,” he says. “Cooking should be about exploration, not rules.” He encourages home cooks to embrace unexpected combinations, using pantry staples like miso, gochujang, and anchovy paste to build complexity with minimal effort.

More Than a Cookbook, A Philosophy

At its heart, Family Style is about more than just recipes—it’s about the experience of cooking and sharing meals with others. Som wants readers to approach cooking with confidence and creativity, whether they’re preparing an elaborate dinner or throwing together a quick weeknight meal.

“I want my recipes to make people happy,” he says. “Cooking should be joyful, and if I can help someone create a meal that makes them smile—even on an ordinary Tuesday night—then I’ve done what I set out to do.”

With Family Style, Peter Som brings the same artistry that once defined his fashion collections into the kitchen. His dishes are stylish without being fussy, sophisticated without being intimidating, and—above all—designed to be shared.

Book Release & Where to Buy

Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage releases on March 18, 2025 and is available for purchase online and in bookstores nationwide.

Join the community
Badge
Join us for unlimited access to the very best of Fine Dining Lovers
Unlock all our articles
Badge
Continue reading and access all our exclusive stories by registering now.

Already a member? LOG IN

Don’t miss out! Register now to get unlimited access to FDL’s curated stories.