Book: Into The Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen

Book Info: Published by Ten Speed Press; 352 pages; hardcover; from the library

Goodreads Summary: 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.

I really liked this cookbook.  Granted, I only made a few things from it, but what I did make, I liked.

There were a bunch of recipes I wanted to make, but didn’t have the chance to, so I’m planning on checking it out another time.  I’m not sure about the authenticity of the recipes, but honestly, I wouldn’t know the difference.

Some of the recipes looked really complicated, but after making them, they really weren’t that complicated.  There’s a lot of steps involved with some of the recipes, so they don’t seem good for weeknight cooking.

A lot of the ingredients were easy to find at the grocery store, but an Asian market would also be a good place to find the ingredients.  Probably.  I think.

My only complaint is there are not a lot of pictures.  There doesn’t have to be one for every recipe, but since this is the 1st time I’ve cooked Vietnamese food, pictures of what things are supposed to look like would be really helpful.

Overall, it gets a 4 out 5.  Things are explained pretty well, but more pictures and a better explanation of the different kinds of noodles are needed.