Adapted from The Kitchen Diaries. [Photograph: Blake Royer] Why I Picked This Recipe: Though I've ordered this type of salad at restaurants before, I've never tried it at home, and I was eager to play with Slater's proportions in the... More

This unconventional shrimp and quinoa salad with Vietnamese flavorings is nutritious and light. Also, wonderfully satisfying. More

I was sold on this recipe from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen the moment after I read the first step. That's where author Andrea Nguyen describes watching the "whirling blizzard" of lemongrass in the food processor as it transforms from chopped stalks into a "fine, fluffy mass." Sure enough, the lemongrass puffs up sort of like cotton candy, before eventually turning into a paste when you add the onion and ginger. Theatrics aside, it's really just a fragrant base for a dish that is far more comforting than I had expected. More

I have a huge soft spot for egg drop soup, specifically the Chinese-American version I first tasted as a kid. You know, the kind that's golden yellow with shards of cooked egg? I assume this fond memory is actually based on a bowl of gloopy, bland, and inauthentic egg drop soup, but that's okay. Luckily, this recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Into the Vietnamese Kitchen is the opposite. It is bright, fresh, and dynamic. More

Of all the cooking methods I use, steaming is probably close to the bottom of the list. Part of that is my fault; I don't usually get excited when I see "steaming" mentioned in recipes, correlating it unfairly with bland and boring. But bland and boring is about the last thing you'd say about this recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. The salmon fillets come out of the steamer juicy and coated in a flavorful sauce. More

This Vietnamese-inspired marinade made with fish sauce, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar imparts a light salty and tangy flavor that really lets the sweetness of the cherry smoke shine through in these juicy, tender ribs. More

This sweet and sour Vietnamese dipping sauce can brighten seafood, add a salty tang to beef or pork, soak into a bowl of vermicelli for a delicious snack, and a whole lot more. More

This recipe from Sunday Nite Dinner is kind of a Vietnamese egg drop soup, with crab meat and asparagus that give the soup some freshness and a little sweetness, and just enough fish sauce and charred onion to give it some funk. More

The restaurant Chả Cá La Vong in Hanoi makes the definitive bowl of Chả Cá, but everywhere we went in Hanoi, there were noodle joints serving their unique version of the dish. The major elements of the dish were as follows: a white-fleshed fish like catfish or snakehead seasoned with turmeric, seared, with plenty of dill and green onions on top; a bed of rice noodles; roasted peanuts; and an assortment of herbaceous greens. More

"This phở might not be quite as nuanced as the restaurant version but it's still entirely satisfying." [Photograph: Caroline Russock] Some people go straight for the chicken noodle when they are sick, but when I feel under-the-weather, only one soup... More