First Cook: The Debut Lucky Dragon Supper Club Cookbook Will Have You Hosting Like a Pro

You might have caught Stephanie Feher on your socials, trying out exotic fruits, making seriously delicious Asian-forward recipes in her Sydney home or hosting a dinner party with more enthusiasm than you could dream of mustering. She built her brand in the bleak lockdown days, growing it into a vibey community of fans who either love to cook or love to eat – a cross-section of the best kind of people. Lucky Dragon Supper Club is her debut book, bringing the best elements of her online persona to “the real world”: brilliant food, how to cook it and, more importantly, how to serve it to your friends without having a mini meltdown.

Feher says the best dinner parties are about more than just the food. And yes, I hard agree. But once you get your hands on this book, you’ll want to – no, have to – make it about the food. This book is so far from boring, the recipes so slick with flavour and interesting spins, that it all feels exciting – and, most importantly, doable. So, without further ado, I’m taking her torn cabbage and stracciatella number for a spin.

There was a time (that maybe we’re still in?) when a dimly dressed stracciatella was a feature on far too many restaurant menus. Feher, who has never done anything dimly in her life, resurrects the cheese with charred, salty, spicy torn cabbage. If you’re weighing up effort vs reward, this recipe gives way more than it takes. Tear your cabbage, measure your dried chillies, fennel seeds and Sichuan peppercorns, and this dish comes together with no more than a few tosses of the wok (with a tangy mix of soy sauce, oyster sauce and vinegar) and a quick plate-up.

You’re left with a perfect marriage: appreciating the stracciatella’s creamy, neutral base more than ever, with the intense savouriness of the stir-fried cabbage. Chilli oil optional? No, no, chilli oil is a must, as is making this dish for your next dinner party. Ready in a blink, zero gimmicks and guaranteed impressed nods around your table.

Feher learnt her hosting skills early on in her Australian Chinese Hungarian home. The importance of bringing people together around a spread of very good food is not lost on her. This debut is more than just her recipes – it’s a guide to the skill of hosting, encouraging anyone who feels the dinner party itch to get into it. It doesn’t skirt around the potential issues of cooking for too many people on your own, but instead gives you a toolkit for making it less scary, more organised, and ideally, more fun.

Just remember Feher’s three rules of supper club: honour food, celebrate community and organise fun. Now, the latter doesn’t involve an old Twister mat, but instead it’s about getting your shit together so you can actually have a good time – the most important but often overlooked element of hosting.

If your 2026 resolution is to host a little more, there is only one book you need.

Lucky Dragon Supper Club by Stephanie Feher is now available in bookshops across Australia.

Gemma Plunkett is a Sydney-based dinner party tragic and home cook who is a writer, content strategist and recipe developer. Find her (but mostly food) in pictures or in your inbox via her free newsletter Ding!