Ever-Green Vietnamese Cookbook Preview & FAQ!

Vietnamese food isn't all about beef pho and meaty banh mi. It's about agriculture. My new cookbook, Ever-Green Vietnamese, is a jam-packed, stunner that explores timeless foodways and presents my modern interpretations of traditional Vietnamese plant-based eating and cooking. It offers the best of many worlds!

Incredible news! Ever-Green Vietnamese was named among the best cookbooks of 2023 by major newspapers, magazines and radio programs. It was also a double finalist for 2024 awards from the James Beard Foundation and International Association of Culinary Professionals. Yowza. Major honors.

Content highlights

Between the covers, there are 125+ plant-filled recipes and flexitarian options for doable, global flavors and sustainable, wholesome living.

• MAKE weeknight meals + weekend wonders
• SOURCE ingredients with confidence
• GAIN cultural context + "insider" perspectives
• SUCCEED via detailed instructions
• RIFF with practical tips + substitution suggestions + tested variations

Accolades + Media Coverage

Selected as a 2023 Best Cookbook by
New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Epicurious, San Francisco Chronicle, Good Housekeeping, Here & Now, KCRW Good Food, National Post, Eater, Tasting Table

Bon Appetit, People, Sunset, Woman’s Day, Food and Wine, Wall Street Journal, National Post (Canada), Epicurious, Tasting Table, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Eater, Everything Cookbooks, Edible San Francisco, Edible East Bay, Simply Recipes, Edible Monterey Bay, Good Food (KCRW), the Sporkful, Taste Cooking, Mess Hall, Wordloaf, California Table, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Food Issues, Infatuasian, Smithsonian Associates, Food with Mark Bittman

EGV backstory

For most of my life, I ate whatever I wanted but in late 2019, I had a midlife health scare and needed to change my diet. The solution:

• Double down on vegetables, but not give up animal protein altogether
• Revisit my favorite Vietnamese dishes to craft new vegetarian, vegan, or low-meat renditions.
• Develop recipes that are extra healthful, satisfying, and flavorful.

Through all this, I was cooking celebration dishes, not deprivation dishes. I realized that the food I was making reflected the enduring, evergreen philosophy of Vietnamese cooking, which has always been rooted in the plant kingdom with some seafood and a little meat playing co-starring roles. And because that flexible, plant-based philosophy is also sustainable--just commit to more plants and less meat and you'll also be doing good for the planet--the recipes became this book, Ever-Green Vietnamese.

Recipes at a glance

The 125+ tested recipes and flexible variations cover needs and cravings, such as:

• pantry recipes (vegan fish sauce, chile sauces, pickles)
• fun snacks (smoky nori wontons, steamed veggie bao)
• iconic classics (vegan takes on regional noodle soups, a chapter on banh mi!)
• wholesome hacks (oven-fried imperial rolls, sweet potato and shrimp fritters)
• modern street foods (grilled rice paper "pizzas", crunchy spicy garlic bread)
• easy sweets (no-churn jackfruit lime sorbet, coconut-coffee pops)

Doesn't plant-based mean vegetarian or vegan?

Not necessarily. "Plant-based" was coined in the early 2000s but there is no set definition. In the main, there are two camps:

(1) Some people define plant-based as vegetarian or vegan.
(2) Others, such as Harvard Medical School and Columbia University, prefer a flexible definition for omnivores.

I agree with the less dogmatic (#2) approach to plant-based eating because it organically fits my lifestyle and Vietnamese traditions. Plus, it's more inclusive! Since rejiggering my diet and writing Ever-Green Vietnamese, I know that I can deliciously sustain a lifestyle that puts plants first. A plant-based definition to consider:

Unlike vegan eating, a plant-based or, alternatively, plant-focused, diet does not have to exclude animal foods like red meat, fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy. Rather, a plant-based eater may still enjoy animal foods while deliberately building an overall eating pattern that is rich in or primarily made of plants, but not consisting only of plants.

from FoodInsight.com

How many recipes are vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free?

Recipes were developed and selected because many of us now cook for people with varying dietary needs and interests.

• Vegetarian recipes comprise 80 to 85 percent of the book. That's over 100 vegetarian recipes out of the 125+ recipes and variations. (It's a book within a book.)
• Most of the vegetarian recipes are vegan, but not all because because there is no silver bullet egg replacer. (If you use an egg replacer with those recipes and like the results, please share your findings with me!)
• Dairy-free options are always included.
• Most recipes are gluten free, but certain ones, like the yeast-leavened steamed and baked bao, are very tricky to produce with gluten-free flour. (I know my limits.)

If a recipe isn't vegetarian or vegan, and you sense potential wiggle room, check recipe Notes. Margins often contain green "bursts" of bonus tips too. The book is loaded with ideas and insights.

How do you deal with fish sauce?

You can use regular or vegan fish sauce but soy sauce is employed for cooking Viet food too! Vegetarian and vegan cooks have adapted my recipes for years and these recipes make it even easier for them

What are the recipes like?

Recipes cover easygoing weeknight meals and achievable weekend wonders. All recipes have Vietnamese names, spelled with diacritics (accent marks) for folks to easily connect to the Viet culinary cannon. I write detailed ingredient lines so I opted to not include metric measurements, which can make the page look extremely busy and put you off. A scale can easily go between metric and imperial.

In recipe margins, look for bonus tips in green! We created a roomy layout that allowed me to tuck extra ideas into the side. Side bars (tan box at the bottom in the sample below) and recipe Notes section throughout are organized to offer pointers on:

• ingredient substitutions and sourcing
• lifespan for storing and refreshing
• timing for advance prep
• techniques on equipment
• variations for riffing

We also made a handful of how-to shots to explain key techniques. For iconic Viet foods, two-page explainers present versatile recipe blueprints for your success.

Bonus Videos and Tips

The Ever-Green Cookbook Tips page hosts extra resources and short videos to coach you through potentially tricky moves.

Ever-Green Vietnamese Tips

How easily can I find the ingredients needed?

Similar to my last book, Ever-Green Vietnamese relies mostly upon accessible supermarket and farmer's market ingredients. However, because Asian markets have certain excellent ingredients to send your flavors over the top, I nudge you about 15% of the time to go on a grocery shopping adventure (there are often substitution suggestions so always review the recipes well). Additionally, the ingredient guide at the front of the book has lots of practical information, including suggested brands (it's hard to pick what to buy among all the options!).

Are the recipes tested?

Yes, absolutely! I rigorously develop and test each recipe many times over before a volunteer tester take the recipe for a spin in their home kitchen. My team of testers sourced ingredients and cooked up the recipes during the pandemic. I am incredibly grateful to these intrepid people:

Jeff Bareilles, Linh Bui, Diane Carlson, Alex Ciepley, John Farmer, Alyce Gershenson, Candy Grover, Doug Grover, Paulina Haduong, Colin Hart, Kate Leahy, Mike Ly, Laura McCarthy, Hugh McElroy, Cate McGuire, Rosemary Metzger, Johanna Nevitt, Jenny Sager, Kate Schmidt, Nathan Schmidt, Karen Shinto, Terri Tanaka, Catherine Thome, Maki Tsuzuki, Tina Ujlaki, Dave Weinstein

The testers also came up with suggestions that you'll read about in the book. I don't make books alone!

How do the photos and design look?

I am lucky to work with a topnotch publisher, Ten Speed Press, a part of Penguin Random House. My team included editor Lorena Jones, a legend in cookbook publishing. Ever-Green Vietnamese was her last project before retiring. Art Director Betsy Stromberg has worked with me on six books. Designer Shubhani Sarkar has designed books for Gwyneth Paltrow and Dori Greenspan. The late photographer Aubrie Pick, who worked with Chrissy Teigen and many many others, added her magic to every shot. Aubrie composed the images with food stylist Karen Shinto, who has collaborated with me since Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, my first cookbook! Prop stylist Glenn Jenkins provided enough dish ware, cookware, linens, etc. to fill a showroom.

The resulting photos lend beauty, strength, and calm to Ever-Green Vietnamese. The recipes, photography and design make this book my most creative project to date.

Reviews

“The icon who is Andrea Nguyen has written yet another cookbook that will inevitably become stained from all the recipes I will cook from it. Nguyen shows us how to bring a range of highly delicious, vegetable-forward Vietnamese flavors into our own kitchens.”—Andy Baraghani, author, The Cook You Want to Be

“As many of us try to navigate how to introduce more greens into our lives without compromising our preferences and nostalgia, [this book] is an invitation to confidently move in this direction. Colorful, rich, and inviting, Nguyen shows us yet again why she is one of the preeminent culinary educators in the United States.”—Stephen Satterfield, founder, Whetstone Media, and Peabody Award–winning host

“If I feel like cooking Vietnamese food, Andrea Nguyen is the person I turn to. Through her cookbooks, she has been a presence in my kitchen for years.”—Diana Henry, James Beard Award–winning cookbook author and journalist

“I consider all of Nguyen’s books on Vietnamese cuisine to be my guiding lights when it comes to cooking the cuisine of my family’s home country. And this latest book . . . provides wonderful validation for vegetarians and vegans who want to maintain a soul connection to Vietnamese food and culture.”—Soleil Ho, critic-at-large, San Francisco Chronicle

“If you’re looking for a modern, plant-centric take on Vietnamese cooking, Nguyen delivers. I’ve cooked more from this book than any other this year. This is a masterful resource rooted in tradition, brimming with fresh inspiration.”—Heidi Swanson, James Beard Award–winning author, Super Natural Every Day and Super Natural Simple

“Andrea Nguyen['s] finesse with tofu, smart veganized swaps for common seasoning staples, and tips on how to work with everyday ingredients are a highlight of this book, as are the recipes. Her techniques are simple and smart, and I know eating more plants will be an even tastier endeavor now that she is my guide.”—Ben Mims, cooking columnist, The Los Angeles Times

“I have turned to Andrea Nguyen’s writings and recipes many times for guidance and the reassurance that comes with her vast knowledge and authority. These plant-forward recipes are as timeless and essential as her advice has always been.”—Carla Lalli Music, author, That Sounds So Good and Where Cooking Begins

“Fresh herbs and vegetables have long been pillars of Vietnamese cuisine, but here Nguyen centers them in umami-rich recipes that are not only mouthwatering but also intelligently healthy. Her approach isn’t based on adaptation or compromise but rather on the imaginative evolution of Vietnamese flavors.”—Monique Truong, author, The Sweetest Fruits

“Coming from the life experiences of Vietnamese-American culinary godmother Andrea Nguyen, the spectrum of techniques and ingredient knowledge in this book are equally inclusive of the past, present, and future.”—Minh Phan, chef and founder/creative director of Michelin-starred restaurant PHENAKITE and porridge + puffs

"As someone who is always trying to incorporate more plant-focused meals into my diet, I found Nguyen’s book refreshing. Tofu—rather than readily available alternatives meant to mimic meat—stars as the main source of protein in the book, with assists from fresh vegetables and herbs that lend each dish vivid complexity. Though I was admittedly skeptical about the deluxe vegan pho, it proved to be one of the best things I’ve eaten in a long time."— Genevieve Yam, Bon Appetit Best Spring 2023 Cookbooks

"Ever-Green Vietnamese, isn’t a vegetarian cookbook per se (some recipes include meat and fish sauce as an umami enhancers), but every recipe is completely, wonderfully vegetable-forward. Recipes like nuoc cham cabbage stir fry and smoky tofu-nori wontons, plus a vegetarian alternative to fish sauce brings some of Vietnam’s most underappreciated ingredients to the forefront."— Amelia Schwartz, The 19 Best New Spring Cookbooks of 2023 (Food & Wine)

“. . . Those new to Vietnamese cooking will find a teacher ready to hold their hand through each step of the unfamiliar, while the more experienced will benefit from Nguyen’s rigorous insights. Ever-Green Vietnamese is poised to be an essential resource for any cook interested in Vietnamese cuisine, not just the vegetarian ones.” — BM, The 12 Best Cookbooks of Spring 2023 (Eater)

“. . . Nguyen is a beloved source in Vietnamese food writing and cookbooks, and her latest is another example of her unfussy yet thoughtful approach to reimagining the traditional recipes of Vietnam.” — Thao Thai, The 20 Most Exciting New Cookbooks of Spring 2023 (Simply Recipes)

"Keep your 2023 health goals without even noticing it by picking up Andrea Nguyen's slyly plant-based cookbook, Ever-Green: Super Fresh Recipes Starring Plants from Land and Sea. Leaning on fresh ingredients and approaches from her Vietnamese upbringing, Nguyen paints realistic snacks and meals the average home cook can recreate at home without anxiety. Already a veteran cookbook author of a half dozen cookbooks, and a James Beard Award recipient (for writing on a single subject) her track record as one of America's leading Vietnamese cooking voices has Nguyen's latest primed for even more accolades." — Tasting Table, Upcoming Cookbooks We can't Wait to Read

"With clear instruction and tantalizing description, Nguyen convinces us that each creation worthy of these pages passed her ultimate test: “They tasted delicious, and I felt good without feeling deprived.” -- Susan Puckett, Atlanta Journal Constitution

Food and Wine, March 2023, from Celia Sack of Omnivore Books

A VIP review

I gifted my mom one of the advance copies that I received. This is her review, delivered on March 16, 2023. (She will always bug me for being a late riser.) I've translated our conversation from Vietnamese:

MOM: I’m so glad you called. I wanted to talk to you but didn’t know if you were awake yet.
ME: It’s 9:45. I got up around 7.
MOM: I’ve been reading your new book. It’s so good. It’s different from your other recent books. You have so much in there but not too much. Just enough. For example, you tell people how to make vegetarian pho but also include its history. And, there are so many photos. So many beautiful photos. This is such a wonderful book. I told you that this was your brainchild. It is more than that. It is  a tour de force, as the French would say. 

Where can you buy Ever-Green Vietnamese?

Independent bookshops, such as: Indiebound.org and Bookshop.org
Cookbook shops, such as:

• Book Larder (Seattle)
• Kitchen Arts and Letters (NYC)
• Bold Fork Books (Washington, DC)
• Now Serving LA (Los Angeles)
• Omnivore Books (San Francisco)

Cookware shops with solid cookbook inventories, such as Cooks of Crocus Hill (Minneapolis, MN)
International: Eslite (Taiwan), Kinokuniya, Kobo (for ebooks)
Online retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart and many others -- wherever books are sold!

My advance thanks for your supportive reviews
at Amazon and elsewhere.
They help other people learn about the book!

How to support Ever-Green Vietnamese?

Buy the book, cook from it, share it with others. Feed your family and friends. Organize a cookbook potluck and holler if you want me to beam in via Zoom!

And please, leave a positive review at Amazon and elsewhere. People do not write reviews like they used. Each review carries more weight nowadays! Thank you!

Are you touring for the book?

I toured in May and June 2023 to meet cooks from all over. It was extremely gratifying. Future in person events will be listed on the Events page. The best way to stay in touch is through Pass the Fish Sauce (my newsletter, housed at Substack, will arrive in your inbox). Otherwise, reach out on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

I'm looking forward to seeing where you take my recipes, how you make them yours. When you've cooked from the book, tag me on Instagram and Twitter. Use #evergreenvietnamese too!