A Dedication

When I started building this website, I wasn’t intending on including anything relating to my cooking ventures at home. I wanted to focus on my art and creative projects. But the more I thought about it (and the more I received requests from friends on Instagram), the more I realized that cooking truly is a kind of art form, and should be treated, shared, and presented as such. There is something beautifully ritualistic in the art of cooking—especially so if you’re doing the majority of it from scratch (like me). **Side note: I use the term ‘from scratch’ loosely; sometimes a shortcut is a huge lifesaver. So in this section of my website, I will be sharing my favorite (mostly) Vietnamese recipes. Some will be wonderfully complex, and others will be some of the easiest (and tastiest) dishes that you can prepare in your weekly rotation. I’ll be sharing my tips, shortcuts, favorite brands and ingredients, and will be explaining (in careful and thoughtful detail) my process from start to finish. There may even be a video or two in the near future.

So before I post my first recipe, I wanted to dedicate this cooking section to my mom (pictured in her childhood, on the right), who, like most other amazing Vietnamese mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, can whip up a delicious meal or snack without a recipe or measurements. Just memory and instinct. I fondly remember growing up and helping my mom in the kitchen (along with my two sisters), rolling egg rolls, washing the herbs, peeling the vegetables, mixing with my hands, and being there to taste the results as soon as something was done being cooked/baked/grilled/fried. Not all of it was voluntary (sometimes I would’ve rather played video games or watched tv), but let me tell you something: it was the best thing my mom ever asked us to do. As a result I love, love, love cooking Vietnamese food. I love the process of preparation, I love the exotic scent of the herbs and spices, I love tending to the dish, watching it slowly (or quickly, in some cases) cook to perfection. Vietnamese cooking, to me, is nostalgic. It is ritualistic. It makes me feel deeply connected to my roots. My goal in sharing my recipes, tips, and my processes, is to maintain the culture, strengthen the community, and ultimately (over and over) make edible art. Bon appétit!