Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Nini Nguyen’s New Vietnamese Cookbook (Food For Thought)
Date: September 4, 2024
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Chef Nini Nguyen
Theme: Exploring Vietnamese cuisine, cultural influences, family, and making traditional food approachable, centered on Nini Nguyen's new cookbook Dac Biet: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook.

Episode Overview

This lively episode welcomes chef, instructor, and Top Chef alum Nini Nguyen to discuss her Vietnamese American roots, her celebrated new cookbook Dac Biet, and how home cooks can explore the rich culinary traditions of Vietnam—especially those shaped by the Vietnamese community in New Orleans. Listeners call in for practical cooking tips, ingredient recommendations, and Nini’s personal stories about heritage and inspiration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Meaning Behind "Dac Biet" and Cookbook Concept

• The book title “Dac Biet” (pronounced “duck bit”) loosely means “special” or “extra.”
• Nini uses the term to symbolize elevating traditional dishes with small, thoughtful touches—not luxury ingredients.
• Vietnamese American slang has co-opted “dac biet” to mean being extra or going above and beyond, a reflection of Nini’s cooking and personality.

Quote:

“To be ‘duckbit’ is to elevate or just make more distinguished. ...From the way I dress, to the way I cook, to just, like, my personality, I feel like I am duckbit.” —Nini Nguyen [02:28]

2. Vietnamese Immigration to New Orleans & Culinary Fusion

• Many Vietnamese settled in New Orleans due to climate and cultural similarities (humid, French influence, food traditions).
• Nini describes feeling at home in Hanoi’s French Quarter because it reminded her of New Orleans.
• The local Vietnamese community embraced Cajun and Creole flavors, creating unique dishes.

Quote:

“When I stepped foot in Hanoi, I understood why my family came to New Orleans … hot, humid, the architecture looked the same… There were so many similar things.” —Nini Nguyen [04:13]

3. Cultural Influences: French & Chinese Legacy in Vietnamese Food

• Celebrations feature Chinese-inspired dishes like whole roasted pig/duck and French touches like champagne and cognac.
• Linguistic and culinary crossover: many dishes are similar across Vietnamese and Chinese cuisines but use local twists.

Quote:

“When I think of a Vietnamese wedding… that’s really the Chinese, like, char siew, their style of cooking … But on the other hand, you also have champagne and cognac.” —Nini Nguyen [05:10]

4. Home-Cooked Dishes Rarely Found in Restaurants

• Caller Question: “What’s a Vietnamese dish you’d find home-cooked, but never in a restaurant?”
• Nini’s pick: Gà Kho Gừng (Ginger Braised Chicken with Fish Sauce), “a flavor bomb… very quick,” typically made with chicken wings or thighs for her dac biet take.

“It’s something that’s really homey. …the thing that my mom makes, that when I come home, I’d be like, can you make that dish?” —Nini Nguyen [06:27]

5. Essential Pantry Staples for Vietnamese Cooking

• Fish sauce (“basically our salt”)
• Thai chilies (freeze them for convenience)
• Jasmine rice
• Soy sauce (esp. Maggi or Golden Mountain)
• Vermicelli pressed noodles (banh hoi)
• Nini recommends NYC’s Tan Hung grocery and Mitsuwa in New Jersey.

“If you’re in the city, there's a place called Tan Hung... that's a really good Vietnamese grocery store.” —Nini Nguyen [09:47]

6. Family & Food: Lessons from Grandmothers

• Nini’s grandmother taught her to be meticulous: picking the freshest produce, knowing when meat gets delivered, reviving greens in ice water.
• Dedication to high-quality, carefully chosen ingredients is a throughline.

“My job was always to pick the greens… She taught me tips on how to make it fresh. Like ice water perks everything up.” —Nini Nguyen [11:24]

7. Personal and Emotional Heritage

• The cookbook is dedicated to Nini’s late brother (“my sous chef”), who was also a chef and inspired her journey.
• Cooking was a family affair, full of experimentation.

“He has always been my biggest cheerleader. And, yeah, I miss him.” —Nini Nguyen [13:05]

8. Training at Eleven Madison Park

• The rigorous standards and leadership lessons from this Michelin-starred kitchen shaped Nini’s professionalism and management style.

“Anybody can kind of run a restaurant, but to become a leader that people will follow continuously was something I really learned there.” —Nini Nguyen [13:39]

9. Advice for Beginners & Approachability

• Sauces are a great starting point—versatile and simple but foundational to flavor.
• Most Vietnamese recipes are more approachable than assumed: Nini encourages “throwing things in a bowl” for salads and simple dishes.
• Focus on learning the braising technique (ca) for dishes like ginger chicken.

“If you could throw things in a bowl, you can make Vietnamese food.” —Nini Nguyen [23:57]

10. Unique Fusion: Vietnamese-Creole Dishes

• Southeast Asian Jambalaya: Trades celery for lemongrass, uses Thai basil, lime leaves, and Cajun/Creole seasoning—a playful riff blending her dual food cultures.

“Instead of having the celery in trinity, I switched it for lemongrass… You have all these citrusy, bright notes to something kind of hearty and warm as a jambalaya.” —Nini Nguyen [16:47]

11. Ingredients, Techniques & Equipment

• Rice Salad with Clams: Flexible ingredients, highlights the importance of texture; encourages using leftovers.
• Jasmine rice: The key is patience in steaming; let it rest, don’t stir too soon.
• Fish sauce recommendations:
  • Mega Chef (blue bottle, Vietnamese recipe, for most cooking)
  • Red Boat, premium, for raw/dipping applications

“Mega Chef… is so delicious. Then I like Red Boat fish sauce… for raw preparations.” —Nini Nguyen [19:20]

12. Sauces & Dipping Condiments

• Classic dipping sauce: sugar, garlic, chilies, fish sauce, lime—Nini’s southern, lime-centric family version.
• Lemongrass chili oil (ha sate): Fried shallots, garlic, chilies, lemongrass—a vibrant Vietnamese chili oil.

13. Noodle Dishes: Beyond Pho

• Though pho is covered, Nini champions dishes like bun bo hue (spicy beef noodle soup) and bun moc (pork meatball soup).
• Advocates for pork broth’s underrated deliciousness.

“There are so many other noodle dishes that are so delicious and need a time to shine… bun bo hue or bun moc.” —Nini Nguyen [21:04]

14. Making Banh Mi Bread at Home

• Surprisingly easy with Nini’s method.
• The secret? Fresh lime juice to develop gluten for fluffiness and a crisp crust.

“The secret ingredient is lime juice. ... The acid helps the gluten develop.” —Nini Nguyen [22:42]

15. Dessert: Three-Color Sweet & Beignet Fusion

• Che ba mau (“three color dessert”): Pandan jelly (green), mung bean paste (yellow), red bean paste (red), coconut milk, crushed ice. Described as “eating a cold cereal.”
• Vietnamese beignets (“banh tieu”): Puff up with sesame seeds, sweet dough, sometimes dusted with powdered sugar.

“Beans in dessert sounds really, really weird, but this is very typical… I like to describe it as, like, eating a cold, like, cereal.” —Nini Nguyen [25:44]

16. Restaurant Recommendations (NY/NJ)

• Sao Mai (East Village)
• Madame Vo
• Di An Di
• Mum (Lower East Side, for adventurous eaters: fermented shrimp paste, tofu on plastic chairs)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being “Dac Biet” (special/extra):
  “You don’t always have to have, like, luxury ingredients to make something special. Sometimes it’s just a little more time and thought.” [03:19]

• On breaking down intimidation around Vietnamese cooking:
  “If you can just shred cabbage and throw things in a bowl, you can make this cabbage salad. ...The most scary part is not the technique, it’s the ingredients.” [23:57]

• On Family Influence:
  “My grandmother ... has really instilled a quality with me. ...Making sure we pick the nicest greens.” [11:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:28] - Title meaning and “Dac Biet” philosophy
• [03:48] - Why Vietnamese immigrants chose New Orleans
• [05:10] - French and Chinese influences in Vietnamese cooking
• [06:26] - Homecooked dishes, ginger braised chicken
• [08:29] - Top five Vietnamese pantry staples
• [11:24] - Lessons from grandmothers about shopping and freshness
• [12:24] - Dedication to late brother and family cooking memories
• [13:39] - Lessons from Eleven Madison Park
• [14:50] - Advice for first-timers cooking Vietnamese food
• [16:43] - Vietnamese-Creole Jambalaya fusion dish
• [17:50] - Rice salad with clams, importance of texture
• [18:42] - Secret to perfect jasmine rice
• [19:20] - Best fish sauce brands
• [19:59] - Traditional dipping sauce ingredients
• [20:33] - Lemongrass chili oil (“ha sate”)
• [21:04] - Noodle dishes that go beyond pho
• [22:16] - Making banh mi bread at home
• [23:56] - Demystifying Vietnamese cooking techniques and ingredient sourcing
• [25:44] - Three-color dessert (“che ba mau”) explained
• [26:48] - Vietnamese beignets (“banh tieu”)
• [24:10+] - Restaurant and grocery recommendations

Final Thoughts

Nini Nguyen’s warmth, humor, and deep connection to her Vietnamese-Creole heritage shine in this episode. She demystifies Vietnamese cooking, encouraging listeners to start simple, experiment, and not fear specialty ingredients. Through family stories, approachable tips, and culinary wisdom, Nini invites everyone to make their kitchen a little more dac biet.

Further Info:

• Book signings and event info at WNYC website
• Cookbook: “Dac Biet: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook” available now

“If you can throw things in a bowl, you can make Vietnamese food.” —Nini Nguyen [23:57]