I’ve been a die-hard fan of Nini Nguyen ever since her appearance on Top Chef season 16, and when her cookbook debuted, I was ecstatic. Harboring both the distinctive flavors of her Vietnamese heritage and her heartfelt experiences as a chef in New Orleans, Đặc Biệt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook by Nini Nguyen and Sarah Zorn © 2024, is a cookbook that belongs in every household. Nguyen explains the inherent connection between Vietnam and New Orleans including French influences on architecture, religion, and language. Their geography also overlaps, with humid climates and waterways lending pristine conditions for fishing and shrimping industries. The pathway between Vietnam and New Orleans may feel oceans apart, but for Nguyen, they are intertwined.
“Đặc biệt” is a term in Vietnamese culture used to describe making something special or elevated, or, in modern terms, slang for “extra.” For Nguyen, embracing this phrase means leaning into high quality, splurge-worthy ingredients, not shying away from time spent plating in the kitchen, and embracing those little surprises on top. Many of the recipes in her book give suggestions on how to fully “embrace the extra” to make the dish Đặc biệt.
