Morning Glory: a taste of Vietnam

Sometimes food is the quickest way to a getaway, especially in the cooler months when next summer’s vacation seems a long way away.

Last week I had a chance to be at a demonstration and unofficial US cookbook launch of Chef Trinh Diem Vy.

Chef Vy is the owner of Morning Glory restaurant and cooking school in Hoi An, Vietnam. She also owns three other restaurants as well as a patisserie in Hoi An. All of her restaurants are very close to the central market and the staff shop for fresh ingredients at least twice a day.

Working with Chef Vy was fascinating and really reaffirmed my dream to eat my way through Vietnam. I wish I could travel leisurely, starting with the sweeter flavors in the south, savoring the spicier dishes in middle Vietnam, and then going on to the ‘blander’ (by local standards) cuisine in the north.

We focused a lot on the harmony of the dishes and the ingredients, discussed how cooking for locals is different than cooking for foreigners, learned some of her favorite techniques, and had an extensive lesson in all kinds of herbs (rice paddy and morning glory were my favorites, and their various nutritional benefits.

We also discussed different grades of fish sauce, so prolific in Vietnamese cooking, similar to extra-virgin olive oil. Chef Vy said that the Vietnamese like their fish sauce like we like cheese (there is no dairy in Vietnamese cuisine)!

Oh, and, of course, we made a lot of chili oil and chili paste.

Here are the top tips from Chef Vy:

• Shop the herbs first – make you sure you what you need and adjust the rest of the dish accordingly
• Balance the ying and yang in food, be it in terms of fat content, texture, or flavors
• You can really taste the different when using a mortar and pestle versus a spice grinder so don’t be lazy!