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: #7543 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Released on: 2006-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 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

The best Vietnamese cookbook I have ever seen!
Being a Vietnam-born Vietnamese American, I know and love Vietnamese food. When my family moved to America, it became a struggle to find ingredients and recreate the traditional Vietnamese dishes. Because I learned how to cook in America, I am more used to the American equipment, measurement, ingredients, etc. This is why I have always tried to look for Vietnamese recipes and cookbooks that are written in a way that a Vietnamese American cook like me can understand. This book does just that. Everything is written in clear English, American cookbook style. It gives wonderful instructions on how to prepare dishes, identify and buy ingredients, use equipments, etc. - all tailored to the modern American kitchen. The level of details is simply amazing. However, the taste of the dishes remains authentic Vietnamese. Take a look at any recipe, such as the popular Pho, and you will realize that Andrea Nguyen does not compromise Vietnamese flavors. But she also knows how to guide you, step by step, to achieve that flavor with things you can find in America.

I also find the stories and introductions interesting, and true to Vietnamese traditions. They are similar to the stories I have heard in Vietnam. I have an American husband, and we love to read these stories together, so that he can understand more about Vietnamese society. He also loves the dishes that I have prepared from the cookbook.

This is by far the most comprehensive, well-written, througough, authentic Vietnamese cookbook I have ever seen. If you want to know more about Vietnamese cuisine, it is a must-have!

Excellent, well-rounded cookbook
I own several Vietnamese cookbooks but I must say that this is the most comprehensive and detailed Vietnamese cookbook to date. Ms. Andrea Nguyen ventures into unchartered Vietnamese culinary territory by covering recipes from charcuterie to specialty noodles, and even desserts and pastries (which a lot of Vietnamse cookbooks lack). What is particularly noteworthy is that each recipe is exceptionally detailed and thorough; you can read and imagine yourself performing each particular step with Ms. Nguyen. Another factor that I think sets this book apart from the rest is that this is more conventional and up-to-date, making it feasible for the average American housecook to execute the recipes. What I particularly appreciate are the follow-up notes that Ms. Nguyen adds to the end of most of the recipes which give hints and additional information. But aside from the literal aspect, the major question is: are the recipes delicious? I have to say that, of course, each taste palette is different and seasoning is to one's own but all the recipes that I have tried came out scrumptious and mouth-watering! A must have for anyone who wants to learn Vietnamese cuisine.

Buy This Book Today!
I bought this book a few weeks ago and just cannot put it down. I think I will be cooking my way through it this summer. Vietnamese food is so perfect with hot sticky weather. The flavors are light and bright and savoury.

This is an excellent book for novice cooks as well as experienced cooks. If you have never tried making Vietnamese food at home it is the first Vietnamese cookbook you should own. It is clear and concise. I love that it has a glossary with how to pronounce the ingredient correctly, that makes shopping a whole lot easier. I was really pleased to find a chapter on Charcuterie. In a Vietnamese/Asian grocery you will see these foil wrapped frozen rolls and know that they are used in Pho or Bahm Mi but they are hard to interpret. Now I can make my own.

Some highlights so far have been the incredible corn and coconut fritters, I made a quadruple batch for a party 2 weeks ago and guests were gobbling them up as quickly as I could get them out of the skillet. The shrimp toasts are lighter and crisper than restaurant versions, I made the cucumber and shrimp salad on Thursday evening. The veggies in it are still crisp and when I had more for lunch today the flavors were even better. The Cha Gio I made for the same party disappeared quickly, you just cannot have too many of those things and make a bunch and freeze some to have on hand later. I love stuffed squid and her tip about piercing the tail end with a skewer as a steam vent took all of the frustration of trying to keep the filling in the squid body. Next on my list is her deviled crab. I've not had the book long and pages are already getting spatters. If you are a fan of Asian cooking your cookbook collection is sadly lacking if you don't have this book.