Dac Biet

“Nini Nguyen fills this debut cookbook with her signature exuberance and soul, shining light on her New Orleans community and delicious Vietnamese American experiences.” — Andrea Nguyen, James Beard Award-winning author of The Pho Cookbook and Ever-Green Vietnamese

“The love shines brightly in all aspects of Nini Nguyen’s Dac Biet: from the heartfelt stories of her Asian American upbringing, to the detailed explanations behind each ingredient choice to the delicious and easy to follow recipes themselves. This is a must-have cookbook for any serious home or professional cook!” –Anita Lo, James Beard Award-nominated chef and author of Solo

“Having Nini share with me her perspective on cooking has been one of the great privileges of my cooking career. She’s taught me some of the coolest stuff I know! Her food is grandma-inspired Vietnamese food dialed up to ten, from the perspective of a true New Orleans original. A book with all her recipes in one place just may be the greatest thing that has ever happened.” —Mason Hereford, chef and New York Times bestselling author of Turkey and the Wolf

“This brilliant, beautiful book celebrates Vietnamese culture through food and showcases Nini’s compelling story, from her upbringing in New Orleans to her career in New York City. But most importantly for home cooks, Nini—who is one of the best teachers I know—has produced an invaluable guide to the fundamentals of Vietnamese cooking.” –Chef Mei Lin

“Đặc biệt refers to something special. In Nini Nguyen’s cookbook, she demonstrates this through Vietnamese recipes, both traditional and those with a distinct New Orleans influence (for the city she grew up in). The principle shows up in a varied way — sometimes she achieves it simply, like with the unexpected addition of ginger to a sauce; other times in an all-out feast, like a Viet-Cajun Seafood Boil.” — Emma Wartzman, The Strategist

“According to New Orleans-based chef and teacher Nini Nguyen, “Đặc Biệt” translates loosely to “extra special,” a term that could also be applied to her first cookbook. In addition to the classics (pho, bánh cuón) Nguyen freely riffs on French and Vietnamese techniques and ingredients, as in the succulent and acidic Shaking Beef with Watercress Salad, or mouth-puckering, juicy Shrimp Caramelized with Tamarind.” — T. Susan Chang, NPR

“Dac biet means “special” in Vietnamese, and Nguyen, born and raised in New Orleans by Vietnamese immigrants, uses the title to highlight her special twists on classic Vietnamese and Cajun dishes in the 100 recipes inside the book. Her distinctive point of view shines in culinary inventions like coconut crispy rice crepes and a banh mi-po’ boy mash-up.” — Devorah Lev-Tov, The Smithsonian Magazine

NINI NGUYEN is a New Orleans–based chef and cooking instructor. After starting her career in some of the country’s most innovative kitchens, such as Coquette in New Orleans and Eleven Madison Park in New York, she competed in season 16 of Top Chef, as well as Top Chef: All-Stars, becoming a fan favorite. At the beginning of the pandemic, she leaned into her passion for teaching, originally honed at Cook Space in Brooklyn, New York, and built her Cooking with Nini virtual classes into a robust business. The classes, which she teaches several times per week, are wildly popular and perpetually sold out.

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