Comfort Through Food: A Guest Post from Newt Nguyen
Whether you’re on TikTok or not, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the adorably goofy cooking videos of Newt Nguyen. In his exclusive essay below, Newt discusses becoming a voice for Gen Z chefs and the story that led him to internet fame.
Hardcover
$27.00
$30.00
Newt: A Cookbook for All
Newt: A Cookbook for All
By Newt Nguyen
In Stock Online
Hardcover
$27.00
$30.00
Newt boasts the three most important pillars of a cookbook — the recipes are accessible, inexpensive and delicious. Spanning a wide array of culinary options from Vietnamese cuisine and presented alongside Newt Nguyen’s humorous and endearing narrative voice, this is the kind of cookbook that makes the kitchen fun and fulfilling.
Newt boasts the three most important pillars of a cookbook — the recipes are accessible, inexpensive and delicious. Spanning a wide array of culinary options from Vietnamese cuisine and presented alongside Newt Nguyen’s humorous and endearing narrative voice, this is the kind of cookbook that makes the kitchen fun and fulfilling.
Newt: A Cookbook for All is my version of a ‘coming of age’ book. When I wrote this book, I’d just recently moved 500 miles away from home to a city where I’m completely alone—without any friends or family. Although it was super exciting, it was also challenging. You can only order take-out for so long, until you take a look at your bank account and think, “Okay, maybe we should pick up a pan and spatula and cook at home. Because this isn’t it. But where do I start?” The kitchen is intimidating for a lot of people, because for the majority of our lives, our parents put the food on the table. I wanted to create a book specifically for my followers and me. A lot of my viewers are college students that are moving away from home, and starting their young adult lives. If you’re new, don’t worry. Hold my hand, and I’ll guide you through a bunch of recipes that are easy to make and taste delicious.
The recipes for this book are inspired by my journey with food. When I moved to Los Angeles, away from home, I wasn’t satisfied by the Vietnamese food in town. It was actually painful to eat LOL. I grew homesick and wanted to learn how to make Vietnamese recipes that my mom used to cook for me as a kid, like Ca Kho and Thit Kho Trung. But the book isn’t just strictly Vietnamese recipes. Finding myself in a new city with no friends or family, I had a lot of time to be by myself. It was scary at first, but I soon found a lot of joy from trying a lot of new restaurants around the city. I was surprised by the diverse cultures of foods in LA. I slowly made my way through as many Thai, Korean, and Mexican restaurants as possible, and slowly fell in love with the cuisines. Which is why when it came to conceptualizing the list of recipes for this book, I wanted to pay respect to these cultures for providing me comfort, through food, at an important time of self discovery. I think the book covers a really wide range of different cuisines, with popular recipes like Pad See Ew, Chicken Adobo, Crispy Asada Tacos, Spicy Vodka Pasta, and a bunch more gems. I tried my hardest to pay respect to the cultures around me, while coming up with recipes that I think my followers would love and benefit from. There aren’t any overly complex recipes, like a dry-aged duck confit, paired with potato pave accompanied by a sauce that takes 10 steps to make. I think the majority of people just want to cook, wow their friends, and eat good food. That’s exactly what this book is for! I really hope the readers enjoy the recipes.
Before the success on social media, Newt Nguyen was a kid with little to no experience in the kitchen. Through a lot of trial and probably more error than normal, I learned the ins and outs of what the beginner should know in the kitchen. The whole purpose of this book is to make the cooking effortless, even for the beginner. I spent a lot of time thinking and compiling recipes that I think my generation (Gen Z) would appreciate the most. It’s a perfect combination of viral recipes, such as Spicy Vodka Pasta, Red Wine Braised Short ribs, but also pays homage to my Vietnamese culture that I’m so proud of.
One of my dearest recipes that I included in this book is none other than the Spam Musubi. I think it’s so cool how a small Hawaiian snack containing mystery meat was the start of my own cooking lore. I wouldn’t have it any other way. As I grew up in a low income household, it was hard to keep up with the rest of my friends who had parents that were able to buy them new shoes, clothes, etc. I felt really guilty asking my parents for money, so I sold Spam Musubis in High School to have my own income. For over three years, I would come home from school and make Spam Musubis with my mom, everyday. I have a lot of fond memories of her and I, sitting across from each other at our wooden coffee table, wrapping spam musubis into the night. Our conversations and strengthening of relationships that happened at that table is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
Newt: A Cookbook for All is a cookbook created with my followers in mind. I wanted to write a book for those that find themselves in a similar stage in life as myself. Whether you’re experiencing independence for the first time, moving away to go to college or have already graduated and are getting started in your professional career, cooking can seem daunting. This is totally normal, TRUST ME! It’s not as scary as it seems.
