Andrea Nguyen

Nov 20, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Autumn signals many bounties, including persimmons. I enjoy both Fuyu and Hachiyas. They are sweet and depending on variety, may be crunchy soft, or gelatinous and wondrous. The jewel tone color embodies the season. Many people wonder what to do to prep and cook (or not cook) persimmons. This post offers video pres tips plus 5 recipes to boost your persimmon adventure. You may think they don't need peeling but trust me, you want to do it for better tasting food.

Oct 22, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

There are countless dishes in our global repertoire that are unapologetically vegan because they were originally crafted with plants. Cooks used what was cultivated from the Earth and the result tasted good. Everyone loved them long before 1944, when the term “vegan” was coined by Donald Watson, a U.K. woodworker and animal rights activist. And within the cuisine of India is a wealth of vegan dishes. If I had to be a strict vegetarian or vegan, I’d mine Indian culinary traditions for ideas.

Oct 22, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Milky rich tonkotsu ramen is a Japanese noodle soup that many people swoon over. I have tasted many bowls, but the fatty pork broth and toppings can be a gut buster. I’ve never thought of creating a plant-based option, but Joe Yonan has one in his book, Mastering the Art of Vegan Cooking. His recipe was inspired by creamy vegan ramen noodle soup prepared by Washington, D.C. chef Jonah Kim. The chef’s version employed Banrai brand of soy milk imported from Japan.

Oct 9, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

Charring vegetables can magically coax out their natural sweetness, render them plush, and/or impart an outdoorsy smokiness. The transformation depends on the vegetable chosen, the tool and method used, plus the cook's overall purpose. For something like pho, aromatics such as shallots, onions, or ginger were traditionally set on a metal grill atop a charcoal brazier.

Sep 18, 2024 | vietworldkitchen.com | Andrea Nguyen

A well-made tiki cocktail is transportive. No matter where you may be or what the weather is like outside, drinks like the Mai Tai takes you to a carefree, tropical state of mind. Part of that may be due to the generous amount of rum and bright, fruit juices. There's also all the accoutrements -- teeny tiny paper umbrella, tiki-style swizzle stick and decorative fruit garnishes. But tiki drinks also contain intrigue.