On Winning without Winning + New Project

👋 Hanoi Hello 📚 June Napa Cookbook Festival Savings

Greetings from Vietnam! After Bangkok, we headed to the Motherland to explore old and new, plus to see family, some of whom I’ve never met. An example of Vietnam’s charming decrepitude:

I haven’t been back since 2015 and so much has changed. The obvious is that there’s greater prosperity in Vietnam, with most people on cell phones, just like elsewhere in the world. There is more optimism here, particularly among the younger generation. I’ve experienced a lot since we arrived and it will take a while to process everything and share highlights with you.

Being overseas means that I didn’t attend the James Beard Foundation’s Media Awards last night in Chicago. And the winner in my category was . . . Tenderheart by

Hetty Lui McKinnon

. She is a friend and I’m happy for her first Beard win.

This year, Asian cookbooks and content creators shined. Filipina Abby Balingit and the Cooking with Lau family were recognized as emerging voices in the book and media space. I’ve been in food publishing long enough to understand the importance of representation. When the tide rises, everyone’s boat gets lifted.

Winning would have been be great but to be honest, I was just excited about learning of the award outcomes. I wasn’t nervous about it. I’ve fortunately been a cookbook award finalist many times. The 2024 Beard nomination validated that I’ve still got something to contribute. As my mom says, “You had to create this career for yourself from nothing.”

This morning, we took a walk on a nearly empty beach here in Vietnam, collected sand dollars and sea shells, enjoyed a sumptuous brunch, swam in the ocean and in a pool. Things are dreamily good.

I was raised in a competitive family and in a culture where people are ranked by status and performance. It’s taken me until midlife to realize that winning means feeling fulfilled by the work you’ve done, are doing, and are going to do.

Which brings me to sharing some important news with you. I’ve been working on a Thai cookbook project one of the best Thai chefs and restauranteurs — Pim Techamuanvivit. I’ve mentioned her recently because part of my travel to Southeast Asia was to work with Pim — to understand her flavors in situ and how she translates them abroad.

Pim is the chef and owner of three restaurants, two in San Francisco and one in Bangkok. Each one has earned a coveted Michelin star and retained it. To my knowledge, Pim is the only Thai chef with that accomplishment. More importantly, we’ve been kindred kitchen sisters for many years. We’ve cooked together in various locations and I’ve long encouraged her to write a cookbook.

Why work with someone on a book?

When we sent Ever-Green Vietnamese to print, I felt tired but also restless. I’d mostly worked on solo projects for decades and wondered what it would be like to co-write a book. Over the past 20 years, I’ve developed an unusual set of skills to write and edit cookbooks. I’d like to help other folks make solid cookbooks too. I want to keep doing the work that I love but not always alone and I also want to learn from others.

Out of the blue, Pim invited me and my husband to dinner. As I helped her prep food, she popped the question: She wanted write a Thai cookbook, would I work on it with her?

Maybe I manifested it. Maybe Pim is telepathic. I immediately said, “Yes!”

Our book proposal was quickly snapped up by my long-time publisher, Ten Speed Press. In publishing, such a deal is called a “pre-empt” — an offer so attractive that we opted to not shop it elsewhere.

Ten Speed Press publicly announced the project this week in Publishers Marketplace (an online trade publication). The news about Cooking Thai was picked up by Eater San Francisco and

Stained Page News

, a cookbook publishing newsletter.

What are Pim’s recipes like? Let’s say this: I’ve been making fabulous Thai food in my home kitchen. My family, neighbors, and friends have been mightily impressed by the stunningly good flavors. Pim has a reputation for being exacting but sensible and this book aims to capture her Thai cooking journey, brilliant techniques, and true Thai savors. Here we are at Pim’s favorite congee breakfast joint in Bangkok:

We’ve also had a blast comparing Viet and Thai food notes — words, techniques, ingredients, and flavors. Though our native countries are neighbors there are many distinctions.

Pim and I want to make a book that will be well used in your kitchen. I’ll keep you posted as Cooking Thai shapes up.

June 21-23 Napa Cookbook Fest Savings

I’m in Vietnam typing this dispatch, but I’ll be back in time for the inaugural Cookbook Fest in Napa, California. What is Cookbook Fest? It’s for readers, cooks and eaters — anyone interested in cookbooks. I’m scheduled for a bunch of activities and hope to meet some of you there! Food and drink are included in the day-pass.

I’m one of many cookbook authors on the schedule. If you’re attending, say “Hello!”

Saturday is the big day. If you attend, save $30 dollars per Saturday ticket with this code: ANDREA30 (bonus: you’ll also receive a free festival apron!).

Festival schedule and ticket information is here.

First Night in Hanoi

I’ll post more about my Vietnam travels but this is from our first evening in Hanoi.

The restaurant is 1946 Cửa Bắc, a quirky spot in the Truc Bach neighborhood, where we’d rented an Airbnb. The year 1946 is said to refer to many things, including an historic general election, and beginning of the northern Vietnamese resistance movement to French occupation.

The restaurant is slightly run down but it’s elegantly homey and clean. Their menu is ginormous, and on the night we dined there, they were serving only about 50 percent of the items.

I didn’t mind. I wanted some comfort food.

One of their most popular dishes is fried tofu smothered in green onions — a homey recipe that I wrote about here. It’s a classic and the tofu in Hanoi is exceptionally tender and creamy, better than tofu elsewhere in Vietnam.

Portions were generous for Vietnam. We took leftovers back to the Airbnb.

The English translations are glunky but if go, you can look at what other diners are ordering and ask. 1946 Cua Bac is down the alley from Le’s Path Coffee shop. There’s a young man dressed like a faux soldier at the door.

Have questions or tips about traveling to Vietnam? Use comments below. When I’m back in the States, I hope to do some online chats. Vietnam travel will be one of the topics!