Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors | 
 enlarge | Author: Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen
Creators: Bruce Cost, Leigh Beisch
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
Buy New: $18.95
You Save: $16.05 (46%)
New (35) Used (9) from $18.10
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 5289
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 344
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.3
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 8.4 x 1.3
ISBN: 1580086659
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.59597
EAN: 9781580086653
ASIN: 1580086659
Publication Date: September 5, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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 flavoured yet delicate, sophisticated yet simple, the recipes include steamy phonoodle soups infused with the aromas of fresh herbs and lime; rich clay-pot preparations of catfish, chicken, and pork; classic banh mi 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
It's in the family October 12, 2008
So this is my sister's book so I can't comment on it personally since it would be biased, but I have give several dozen copies to friends and they have give positive feedback to me (maybe they just want to be nice). For many, the recipes were easy to duplicate and "tasty" in their representation. A number of my vietnamese friends use it daily in their kitchen as a resource guide to plan their daily meals.
I hope that everyone at least go to their public library or find a friend that has a copy and try one to two recipes out, then you can make up your own mind if :
1. Vietnamese cooking is for you
and
2. This cookbook is for you.
Happy cooking
Wonderful introduction to Vietnamese Cooking September 17, 2008
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 September 16, 2008
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! June 15, 2008
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.
amazing book- even for a non vietnamese May 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
When I got this book I had very limited knowledge on Vietnamese food. There is a striking difference in ingredients, spices and herbs used in the Vietnamese cuisine compared to western cooking and the author takes the time to explain all the different ingredients used, how and where to purchase them and how to store them. I found that very helpful! All the recipes in the book are explained in detail and often take more than one page. The ingredients are also very well listed and the dishes are very well organized in chapters.The recipes are very easy to follow and I have been really satisfied from everything I have cooked until now! The author also tells a few words about each dish and its origin and characteristics making the book a true journey into the Vietnamese kitchen (and culinary culture) rather than a mere cookbook. I have a much better understanding and appreciation of Vietnamese food now and a lot of it is due to Andrea Nguen's book.
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