Product Description

When author Andrea Nguyen's family was airlifted out of Saigon in 1975, one of the few belongings that her mother hurriedly packed for the journey was her small orange notebook of recipes. Thirty years later, Nguyen has written her own intimate collection of recipes, INTO THE VIETNAMESE KITCHEN, an ambitious debut cookbook that chronicles the food traditions of her native country. Robustly flavored yet delicate, sophisticated yet simple, the recipes include steamy pho noodle soups infused with the aromas of fresh herbs and lime; rich clay-pot preparations of catfish, chicken, and pork; classic bánh mì sandwiches; and an array of Vietnamese charcuterie. Nguyen helps readers shop for essential ingredients, master core cooking techniques, and prepare and serve satisfying meals, whether for two on a weeknight or 12 on a weekend.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22801 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 344 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Vietnam-born Nguyen writes passionately and knowledgeably about the history and fundamentals of Vietnamese cuisine and offers more than 175 tempting and largely nonintimidating recipes, with the Vietnamese translation of the name beneath the English name and headnotes that provide excellent context and helpful tips. Chapters begin with alluring introductory text—the first set of recipes, for example, are the "Gifts to the Mouth," which the author explains is a translation of the Vietnamese phrase for snacking. The chapter includes such dishes as Beef and Jicama Hand Rolls, the Baguette Sandwich—the "one sandwich in the Vietnamese repertoire... a tour de force"—and Fried Shrimp Chips. Other chapters are Sacred Soups (Chicken Dumpling and Chrysanthemum Leaf Soup is one beautiful entry), Classic Meats (like Beef Flank and Ginger Simmered in Caramel Sauce), Vegetables Many Ways, and Delightful Sweets and Palate Refreshers, which features Grilled Bananas with Coconut Sticky Rice and Lemongrass Ice Cream. Chapters on noodles, poultry, fish and shellfish, and basic sauces, as well as guides to Vietnamese ingredients, round out this culturally rich culinary tour. (Nov.)
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From the Publisher
* A landmark collection of more than 175 classic Vietnamese recipes, framed by stories of one family’s home kitchen and a wealth of information on the regional cuisines, essential ingredients, and culinary traditions of the country. * Illustrated with more than 50 stunning color photographs, this is the first comprehensive full-color cookbook devoted to Vietnamese food in the English language. * One of the world’s most elegant cuisines is also one of the most healthful and easy to prepare. Many dishes take less than 45 minutes from prep to pan to table and require just a handful of ingredients.

About the Author
ANDREA NGUYEN is a food writer and teacher based in Santa Cruz, California. She founded the Viet World Kitchen website, the most comprehensive resource on the Internet devoted to the food and culture of Vietnam. She has written for Saveur, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Jose Mercury News. She recently led a tour of Little Saigon in Orange County for the Travel Channel/Epicurious TV.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful introduction to Vietnamese Cooking
I just wanted to say that this is easily my favorite cookbook. I was new to cooking vietnamese when I bought this and it made cooking vietnamese food accessible to me. With pictures and descriptions of common ingredients, beautiful photos of finished foods, and detailed history accompanying the recipes, you really learn about the food you are cooking. The recipes are great and from what little I know from eating in vietnamese restaurants taste very authentic. My friend who was born in vietnam has served as my guinea pig and said she was surprised a lazy white kid could make authentic-tasting pho :) One other nice point is that, while she provides detailed description of the traditional (and usually time-consuming) ways to make the dishes, she often describes alternate "quick and dirty" methods for when you are in a time crunch. I would also like to add that I checked out the author's website ([...]) and it has some nice additional recipes and other adjuncts to the book. Anyway, hope this helps, and happy cooking...

Adaptable
The book is wonderful. I used the book as a basic principles and adapt it to the way I want it to taste.

Vietnamese American writing her first book review because it's just that good!
I'm American-born Vietnamese, and my parents came to the U.S. in 1975 at the tailend of the war. I have been searching for a thorough Vietnamese cookbook for quite some time. My mom sifted through the book in great detail and compared it to her set of Vietnamese recipes that have been passed down through generations. She kept commenting how thorough the recipes were and how authentic.

What I love about this book is:
1. Vietnamese cooking is difficult, meticulous, and takes patience. What I love what the author does is simplifies these recipes to make them adaptable to American kitchen equipment, while still keeping authentic flavor. Yes, you may have gotten there differently, but you end up in the same place.

2. The intro and appendix chapters to teach you about the foundations of Vietnamese cooking and explaining the different ingredients (how to store them, how to cut them, where to find them)

3. The equivalent Vietnamese names and pictures help me associate the dishes to the botched English translations. Any Vietnamese person will say that the English translations do not translate directly to what the author has named them in this book, but having the exact Vietnamese name helps me recall what the recipe is...and for anyone else, helps you recognize it on a menu to order at a restaurant later!

4. The group of recipes provided really encompass end-to-end Vietnamese cuisine that consist of classic dishes and "Dac Biet" dishes (fancy dishes usually saved for special occasions). From crab asparagus soup to Moon Cakes, each dish brings back all of my childhood memories of my favorite dishes that my mom is now too tired to cook herself.

Bottom line, the recipes are simplified - it's no 30-minute meal - but instead of brewing pho broth for a full day, she gives alternatives of how to shorten it....but also still providing the recipe for the all-day broth.