Why grind your own spices when there are so many pre-ground spices conveniently available for purchase at the grocery store, spice shops, and big box stores? Because freshly ground spices tastes infinitely better than purchased pre-ground stuff. That's because as soon as you grind spices, they start releasing their oils. Flavor and aroma slowly dissipate […] The post A Spice Grinder Buying Guide 2025 appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
Chopping ingredients can be tedious, even if you're an avid cook with sharp knives and well developed knife skills. We all need and deserve small appliances that can serve as our sous chefs! That's what food choppers (aka mini food processors) promise to do for us. They help to cut down the stress and time […] The post Food Chopper and Mini Processor Buying Guide appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
Why outsource the most important ingredient in a curry? Blend your own to craft better, more personalized food.| Viet World Kitchen
Soft, not too sweet, and utterly fun to eat -- these coconut balls of joy are easy to make and better to gobble up.| Viet World Kitchen
Sweet-salty and mild, these are super easy to put together for a weeknight meal. The versatile recipe includes options for using pork steaks too.| Viet World Kitchen
Believe it or not, one of my favorite Indian cookbooks is published by Betty Crocker. It was written by Indian food expert Raghavan Iyer and titled, Indian Home Cooking. The book title seemed modest but the 2001 work is full-color and loaded with practical information, including a detailed guide to buying the many kinds of […]| Viet World Kitchen
Asian sweets don’t get enough appreciation. To the unfamiliar, they’re offbeat and perhaps texturally challenging. That has never stopped me from trying them, but I’ve watched many people pause and look quizzically at a bowl of Vietnamese che sweet soup loaded with beans, tapioca worms and coconut milk. I suppose that’s why many Asian cookbooks […]| Viet World Kitchen
Asian ice cream flavors are radically different from their Western counterparts. Step into the frozen section of an Asian market and you’ll see durian, green tea, red bean, and others. Check out ice cream parlors like Nirvanaah! if you are interested in Indian flavors such as pista (pistachio and cardamom) and Alphonso mango. In Japan, […]| Viet World Kitchen
How to choose the best coconut milk for recipes? There are many options and they are not the same. Here are my tips for your adventure.| Viet World Kitchen
Are these fried shallots from Trader Joe's worth buying and eating? Surprisingly, yes and here's why. Plus, here are 8 recipes to use them up!| Viet World Kitchen
There are many simple sauces in the Vietnamese kitchen, not just the ubiquitous nuoc cham dipping sauce made with lime, fish sauce, sugar and chilies. This one has an unusual twang and slight thickness due to its source of tartness -- tamarind liquid. It's the thick liquid rendered from soaking and straining tamarind pulp. Make […] The post Vietnamese Tamarind-Ginger Sauce (Nước Mắm Me) appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
Like iconic rice-paper rolls and pho, Vietnam’s signature sandwich is highly personalizable. As long as you maintain the framework of crisp bread, succulent filling, tangy pickled vegetables, chile slices, cucumber, and herbs, you can feature practically anything else in it. Use these pointers to create your own masterpiece. Think like you're setting up your own […] The post A Master Banh Mi Recipe for Vietnamese Sandwiches Anytime appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
Say “banh mi” and most people think of the quotidian Vietnamese sandwich — a crisp, light baguette lined with mayo, pate, meat, pickles, cucumber, and chile. But the sandwich can be a knock-out vegetarian affair and may even be deconstructed on a plate as a breakfast platter. Banh mi also just means “bread,” and over […] The post How to find good bread for banh mi appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
I'm not South Asian but I have several shelves of cookbooks dedicated to the region's spectacular flavors. They are layered with complexity, sometimes subtle and sometimes yowza wowza. South Asians have had a long history in Vietnam too so we are connected in many ways. This recipe is nuanced and incredibly good. I made it […] The post Gujarati-Style Charred Eggplant (Olo) appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
Most people think of panfried noodle pancakes as being wheat-based but you can make them from rice noodles too. You just need to choose and cook wisely. I'm sharing my tips gathered over the decades of eating in Vietnam and abroad and cooking in my kitchen. The aim here is to create a crispy bed […] The post Panfried Rice Noodle Pancake Master Recipe appeared first on Viet World Kitchen.| Viet World Kitchen
It's easy to make Vietnamese bun rice noodle salad bowls. All kinds of things can star in your creation. Here are tips and a blueprint recipe.| Viet World Kitchen
The quotidian fluffy rolls that you see in Asian bakeries are ephemeral when made at. home. Here's the doable recipe and know how!| Viet World Kitchen
Welcome to Viet World Kitchen, the website of award-winning cookbook author Andrea Nguyen. Dive in to develop your Asian cooking chops!| Viet World Kitchen
A lingering container of Trader Joe’s zig zag butternut squash and some ground pork inspired me to make these dumplings today. The recipe is from The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook by Helen You, written with Max Falkowitz. The book is based on You’s namesake restaurant in Flushing, Queens, the Chinese food destination in New York […]| Viet World Kitchen
Sichuan peppercorn is used in East Asian cuisines. There are different kinds and here's a guide to buying and using them.| Viet World Kitchen
The first tofu dish that I really fell in love with was ma po dou fu (aka mapo tofu) a Chinese specialty made with ground meat, tofu, salty/hot/rich sauce and numbing Sichuan peppercorn. If you have Asian Tofu, the recipe headnote tells the story how as a teen permitted to tag along on an adult […]| Viet World Kitchen
Chinese doubanjiang can be tricky to buy. There are several kinds and here's the lowdown to help you shop and cook well.| Viet World Kitchen
Anyone who enjoys almonds should enjoy orgeat. When made well, it captures the essence of the nut, it's perfume and delicate sweetness. When poorly made it tastes like sweetened almond milk. People have told me that you can make orgeat by boiling down commercial almond milk, but it may have gums and other ingredients in […]| Viet World Kitchen
Incredibly easy to make and eat. All the ingredients are readily available to boot.| Viet World Kitchen
The other day I read that due to La Nina, the winter of 2016-17 will likely be a bit colder than usual, and depending on where you live, a little wetter, too. Here in Santa Cruz, it’s been chillier than normal, drizzly and in the mornings somewhat foggy. The dreariness and cooler temperatures led me […]| Viet World Kitchen
Take a look between the covers of my plant-based Vietnamese cookbook!| Viet World Kitchen
Elegant, delectable and classic, this Chinese classic is doable at home. Go for it.| Viet World Kitchen