4 comments about Cafe Vietnam (Conran Octopus "Cafe" Cookbook Series).

1. The year before last, I went to Vietnam for three weeks and came back fired with enthusiasm to try some of its cookery at home. It had become a bit of a standing joke that I always ordered Spring Rolls and I wanted to see if I could make them myself.

   I bought a selection of Vietnamese cookery books through Amazon and I can honestly say that having tried using all of them, "Cafe Vietnam" by Annabel Jackson comes top of my list for usability.

   This book is by no means comprehensive (if you really want to sink your teeth into Vietnamese cookery, then you need to try other ones) but the selection of recipes, great photos and easy-to-follow instructions are ideal for beginners at Vietnamese cookery.

   The thing that appealed to me the most is that the recipes are simplified and yet retain authenticity and originality. If you look at the same dishes in other Vietnamese cookery books, you will see that they are often considerably more complex and can therefore put you off from trying them.

   I was concerned at first that the simplification of the recipes would diminish the authentic taste of the dishes but it doesn't. The concise paring down of the ingredient lists and handling instructions make the recipes more accessible (do-able), and makes one realise that some of the other cookery books, though lovely, are unnecessarily fussy. As always, the proof is in the eating, and I thought the results of my cookery experiments were not as good as the food I had in Vietnam but nevertheless highly satisfactory for an amateur.




2. One of the most healthy cook book. Since I was born there I have try most of the food in Saigon and Hue. You can come to Little Saigon town in California and you can have all of the taste of the finest food of Vietnam.



3. Usually when I buy a cookbook, it is because of the recipes and how close it is to being authentic. This cookbook does not come close at all. I love Vietnamese food and have grown up eating it and know how most dishes should look and taste like. This book will give the reader a small idea of what some of the dishes are but it is not authentic. There are too substitutions for too many ingredients that although the dishes may look valid, the ingredients are not. This book is definately not for readers with adventurous palates for Asian foods. This book is only good for the ones who only like to stay within the Northwestern taste limits. If you are looking for a Vietnamese cookbook that is close to being authentic, I suggest Corinne Trang.



4. This is a great book! I bought this book off of recommendation of my mom who is from Vietnam. The great thing is that it has a few pictures to go with it and it's all in color. Some books these days try to cram as much as possible and make it hard to read. This book is filled with colorful pages. Not only that but there are great receipes in this book. Some of the common foods found in Vietnam. I actually bought 2 of these books so I could give to a friend. If you are looking for a small taste of Vietnam, this is a good buy.

5 comments about 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, 2nd ed..

1. Having gone veggie a few years ago, this was my first non-introductory style vegetarian cookbook, and although I commend Spitler and company for the sheer quantity of recipes here, I've found the recipes to be very hit or miss. I think this is partly due to the often non-intuitive combinations of ingredients found in many of the recipes. While sometimes these out-of-place ingredients are genius (i.e. the black -not adzuki- beans in the egg rolls, or the more than liberal use of celery seed in the bleu cheese dressing), sometimes these combinations can turn what seemed like a tasty dinner into something even my dog looks askance at (like the orange juice and zest in the hummus or the cream cheese and cranberries in the savory wontons). The dishes err more on the sweet side of the palate than on the spicy side. That said, all of the dessert type foods I have tried so far have been solidly good, while the majority of the entrees required a healthy dose of crushed red pepper. My suspicion is that these recipes were generated by a crew less than adequately familiar with vegetarianism, as many of the recipes attempt to make use of meat substitutes (i.e. Mexi "meatball" soup, rigatoni with italian "sausage" and fennel pesto, "burgers" provencal, swedish "meatball" and dilled potato cassarole, etc, etc)with less than appetizing results. There are a least two problems here: first, there are plenty of amazing veggie dishes that don't try to imitate the "meat and potato" style meal (there are almost NO Indian entrees in this book), and second, nothing makes one miss the real thing more than a poor substitute. Yes, those tvp crumbles look innocent enough in the grocery aisle and are easy enough to throw into the pasta sauce, but unless you want to spend you're evening sobbing over your half eaten plate of "sausage" lasagna for your momma's home cooking, then PLEASE skip the phoneys and throw in some chopped baby bellas instead. To summarize, this book is like the bargain basement of vegetarian recipes: over-stuffed with so-so items, but amidst the bland and the out-and-out bad, there are a few gems that make this book deserving of a place on your shelf.
   
   As a bonus for those tracking diet information: each recipe is tagged as vegan, lacto-ovo, lacto, or ovo, to make finding appropriate recipes easy, and all recipes come with calorie counts, basic nutrition information, and the exchange listings for the ADA.



2. I'm not even vegetarian and this is one of my most used books, especially in the summer when fresh fruits and vegtables are abundant. Very tasty and adaptable recipes.



3. This is just a good, basic vegetarian cookbook with lots of variety. One may not use every recipe in it, but I rarely use every recipe in any cookbook, so I don't think that is unusual. And, it IS 1001 recipes to work with. A nice addition to vegetarian cooking, and really nice to have. It is not a how to be vegetarian book, I would recommend Becoming Vegetarian for that, or The Vegetarian Way.



4. I only got to page 3 because I saw something that was completely non-vegetarian listed in a vegan recipe! "Chili Bonzos" call for Worcestershire Sauce. I don't know if the author knew, but one of the main ingredients in Worcestershire Sauce is ANCHOVIES! If one were to assume that the author meant Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce, then shouldn't that have been covered in the Ingredient Information section at the beginning of the book?
   
   I'm already turned off of it and I don't know if I'll read past page 3 unless it's just to look for more errors.



5. I have had this cookbook for several years and have made many recipes in here. I'm about to give up on this book. So many of them are just not good. I need to be able to trust a cookbook, and I am not able to rely on this one. Save your money.

1 comments about Vietnamese Food and Cooking.

1. This book is beautifully illustrated and features about 65 pages of introductory material about the history of Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as pictures and definitions of the many ingredients of the cuisine. This is very helpful because the recipes themselves are so authentic, that many require some sort of substitution with local ingredients, unless one has an unlimited budget and an incredibly well-stocked Asian market nearby.
   If you are the kind of cook who thinks, " I don't have dried squid and chicken carcasses to make a stock; organic chicken broth simmered with some vegetables and a couple sloshes of fish sauce will be close enough",you will do great with this cookbook, and find it inspiring. If you are strictly a by-the-recipe person, you will enjoy it for the cultural notes and beautiful illustrations, but might find it frustrating to actually cook with.

No comments about Vietnamese Cooking (Cooking (Periplus)).

5 comments about The Vietnamese Cookbook (Capital Lifestyles).

1. I like the book after just skimming through some of the pages. I know to cook some of them before and I think it matches the way it was taught in there. I believe this is an excellent book for those who really want to know to cook traditional Vietnamese dish especially the dish from the Northern Vietnam.



2. i am vietnamese and since i never had the priviledge to learn directly from my mom how to cook.. i picked up this book just to give it a try. within a few weeks, i have tried most of the recipes particularly the main dishes. not only are they quick recipes with only 4 to 5 steps max, the dishes require simple ingredients, obtainable and cheap.. not only that but all these dishes have turned out to be delicious.. i feel like i can compete with my mom's great cooking. lol. i absolutely love this book. it's a must have!



3. I've tried three (3) dishes from this book. Part of me feel it lacks a good kick (taste) to the dishes. Is the writer from North or South Vietnam? It does give you where to start in cooking vietnamese food.



4. I don't really describe myself as much of a cook. I generally can follow recipes, but I can't do it from taste or experimentation. Most recipes I follow come out okay, but I always wonder if it was something I did wrong or if there was a secret ingredient left out, because they only turn out so-so and lack that punch. Not this cookbook.
   
   Some things to point out:
   
   * The photos are beautiful. Not all recipes have a photo to accompany them, though. Wish they did.
   
   * The recipes are easy to follow, but if four-ingredient cooking is your thing, you will not find it here.
   
   * Each recipe comes with serving suggestions.
   
   * Every recipe I've tried has been a hit. No misses. A perfect blend of flavors.
   
   For an authentic taste of Vietnam, try this cookbook. Every recipe is sure to please.



5. I own five Vietnamese cooking books and this one surpasses them all in terms of taste and practicality. Unlike other Vietnamese cookbooks, this one is low on personal anecdotes and high on quick, quality recipes. Most of Ms. Tran's recipes are designed for ingredients available at most supermarkets, with a monthly trip to the Asian market for fish sauce, rice etc. Moreover, they do not require time consuming prep (i.e. making caramel sauce, deep frying shallots, marinating meat overnight) in order to have a delicious meal on the table in less than an hour. Most of the recipes which include fancy dishes and everyday dishes come with pictures of the finished product. My husband, who is Vietnamese, and son have enjoyed most of dishes I've made from this book. The only downside is the binding on the book could be better (pages are falling out-perhaps from frequent use). Otherwise, highly recommended.

5 comments about The Foods of Vietnam.

1. I absolutely love love love this Vietnamese cookbook. Everything I have tried in it has turned out to be so tasty and very similar to how my mom's tastes. I like the specificity with which Ms. Routhier disseminates the cooking techniques and instructions. Her accompanying passages are informative and interesting. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know how to prepare authentic and delicious Vietnamese cuisine.



2. This is a good cookbook in general. I like the suggestions for specific brands. But compared to something like Thai Food by David Thompson or Cradle of Flavor by James Oseland it does not really enable you to try to balance flavors within a recipe . I don't know of a better Vietnamese cookbook yet . If you are thinking of buying it get all three of the books I've mentioned from the library and read the cultural sections as well as the food prep sections . You will discover that you have to train yourself to balance alternating flavors as you go which is not a typical technique in Western cooking.



3. Of all the Vietnamese cookbooks, this book has the most beautiful photos of the food. I often flip through this book to look at the photos for inspiration because other Vietnamese cookbooks that I own do not have as many photos or such great photos. The author is careful in her recipe writing and explanations. I love the tip she provides about putting a little sugar in the water before dipping rice paper in it to soften the rice paper; the lightly sugared water helps to turn the rice paper into a nice and even golden color when you deep fry it [i.e. for recipes such as "cha gio" (fried imperial rolls/fried spring rolls)]. As far as I can tell, this author is the only one suggesting this great tip. This book is the only book I own that has a recipe for "banh bot loc" (boiled tapioca lumps with shrimp & pork filling). Of course, you can also wrap them in banana leaves and steam, rather than boil, them. I mainly use this book to look at the beautiful color photos, and that's why it's getting such a high rating from me.



4. This is a terrific cookbook. The photos are mouth watering, and they don`t disappoint. All the recipes I've tried have been restaurant-quality delicious.
   
   If you have not cooked Vietnamese food before, be prepared to go shopping for lots of ingredients. It is not uncommon to spot recipes sporting 15 ingredients or more, and you will also need to make the accompanying sauces. Depending on where you live, those ingredients may not be available in your local grocery store. You may find yourself searching for things like Chinese sausage (lap xuong), oxtails or lemon grass.
   
   The recipes are easy to follow, albeit time consuming. I don't have time to be cooking like that every day. For shorter, easier meals, I prefer The Vietnamese Cookbook by Diana My Tran. However, for those special occasions when I'm willing to knock myself out, this cookbook will do the trick. Patience, and I am rewarded.



5. According to some friends, Vietnamese cuisine is the world's absolute best. This is high praise coming from a Jewish family from Marseille. At the very least, Vietnamese cuisine is one of the best, albeit largely undiscovered. It is largely a fusion of indigenous ingredients and techniques with those of China and France. Not to take anything away from Chef Routhier, but she was born into a great culinary heritage. All praises go to her for judgment. The author judiciously altered traditional recipes to be practical, delicious and exciting when attempted in Occidental kitchens. Her recipes are simultaneously elegant and approachable. The few I have tried succeeded.
   
   I have the original hardcover edition. It is well constructed, extremely heavy because of the paper's quality, with sewn signatures. This book deserves five stars but I can't drag it into the kitchen. This is something of a coffee table show piece. From experience I know that I spatter and soil my cookbook pages, not something I want to do with this one. Can't bring myself to deduct points from my rating just because I am a messy cook.

5 comments about Sushi Made Easy.

1. Great book with good accessories for the $$. But the package it was all kept in was severly dented to the point where I had to re-package it before I gave it as a gift. Be aware that may not be in the best shape to send to someone directly.



2. This book does a pretty good job at helping the inexperinced sushi chef, particularly with getting the rice correct. I agree with the other reviewer - it would have been nice to know more about making eel. Another downside is the poor illustrations and limited instructions for actually forming the rolls, but other than that I would recommend it for someone starting out because it comes with the basic tools you need. It is a good kit, especially for the price.



3. Sushi Made Easy, by Kumfoo Wong, is an introductory guide to preparing and presenting sushi. The book is targeted to beginners, and at only 80 pages, is completely manageable.
   
   Sushi Made Easy provides an introduction to the more prominent sushi ingredients and kitchen utensils and equipment needed, as well as advice on selecting suitable fish to be used raw. There is a great deal of emphasis here on appearance and presentation. Sushi Made Easy covers nigiri-sushi, sushi rolls, hand rolls, rolled sweet omelet, and soups. The book is fully-illustrated, and features step-by-step instructions for making each recipe.
   
   Sushi Made Easy is an excellent introduction for anyone who wants to make sushi at home. It is also available through Amazon as part of sushi starter kits that include utensils and equipment.



4. I was really pleased with this book. I love sushi and didn't have a clue how to make it. This book explains it all, and the photos are both helpful and beautiful.
   
   My one nit, which is why I don't give it 5 stars, is that it presents a very traditional way of preparing the rice for Nigiri. If I followed the instructions, I would either be preparing a dinner for 5 or more people, or throwing away tons of perfectly cooked rice every time I wanted to prepare sushi for myself and/or a guest.
   
   A simple, economical method of preparing the rice for dinner for one or two people is needed here.



5. Good Beginner's book and nice gift. I still have difficulty with the bamboo mats.

1 comments about Vietnamese Cooking Made Easy: Simple, Flavorful and Quick Meals (Learn to Cook Series).

1. I like this small compact spiral-binded book: pictures on every recipe. Nice to have this as part of your vietnamese cooking library.

5 comments about The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam (Plume).

1. I am Vietnamese and have grown up in a home with authentic Vietnamese cooking. Most all of the recipes in this book are great and easy to follow. My only recommendation would be to add pictures. But it is a great book nonetheless. I especially like how it contains the Vietnamese name of each dish so I can better identify it (since I only know what the dishes are called in Vietnamese).



2. This book contained some of the tastiest dishes I ever prepared. It has many good recipes with easy to found ingredients (such as chicken and ginger). Preparations are easy and fast (under 30 minutes).



3. When I left home for college, what I missed most was my mother's Vietnamese cuisine. This book was a lifesaver! The recipes are all familiar, from the fancier noodle soups, Pho and Bun Bo Hue, to the basics, such as omlettes and picked mustard greens. Each of the dishes come with an introduction accompanying their Vietnamese name. The region of the dish is sometimes discussed as well as when the dish is enjoyed and with what. The recipes are very easy to follow. I recommend this book for anyone who wants an AUTHENTIC Vietnamese cookbook. I am just sorry to see that it's out of print.



4. This book has the most authentic Vietnamese recipes, even pickled pig's ears! Whoa! I couldn't believe it when I saw it because I've eaten it before. I'm Vietnamese, after all. This book is a treasure because it authentically writes down many Vietnamese recipes for future Vietnamese generations to enjoy. With so many changes in the world, I'm afraid that future Vietnamese generations will not know how authentic Vietnamese foods are prepared. I had to buy a used copy from Amazon.com because this book is out of print. I hope this book will be re-printed one day. The author, Bach Ngo, does not try to show how creative and inventive she is, rather she simply writes down valuable authentic recipes. If you are Vietnamese and you want an authentic Vietnamese cookbook, this is the one you should buy. It's an heirloom, for sure. Personally, I do not buy Vietnamese cookbooks that do not have authentic Vietnamese recipes.



5. My mother bought this book as a first edition and cooked from it when I was a child so I am somewhat biased towards it. page 110 is favourite.. stir fried beef with french fries was one of my favourite one dish meals as a kid, and brings back lots of memories.
   Compared to Nicole Routhiers book which is all flashy, this book is a lot more about home cooking (the food styling in the pictures is non existant.. which is cool and refreshing if a bit dated) it also has recipes for things like vietnamese pâtés, something rarely included nowdays because it is widely available in vietnamese stores ( not true when the book was written in the 70's). Some recipes need a bit of ajusting, but all in all this book is a real asset.. I still have my mum's original copy.. I had it rebound and recovered and I still cook from it.

5 comments about Vietnamese Fusion: Vegetarian Cuisine.

1. The distinctive local herbs and produce of Vietnamese cuisine has been heavily impacted French, Chinese, and Indian influences with respect ingredients and techniques. Now this culinary tradition has been further influenced and developed by Chat Mingkwan who transforms classic ethnic recipes into gourmet quality vegetarian dishes through utilizing customary Vietnamese seasons and ingredients, but substituting innovative animal-free alternatives for meat or fish in the recipes comprising "Vietnamese Fusion: Vegetarian Cuisine". After informing the kitchen cook about the characteristics of Vietnamese cuisine, soy products, and other ingredients fundamental to Vietnamese dishes including herbs and spices, vegetables and fruits, rice, noodles, wrappers, and seasonings, "Vietnamese Fusion" organizes the recipes themselves into sections on sauces, snacks and appetizers, soups and salads, main dishes, sweets and beverages. The easy -o-follow, step-by-step recipes themselves range from Sot Dau Phong (Peanut Sauce); to Canh Chua Thom (Hot-and-Sour Soup with Pineapple and Tamarind); to Nam Rom Nhung Dam (Mushrooms in Vinegar Fondue); to Banh Goi (Steamed Rice Cakes in Banana Leaves). Enhanced with color photographs of completed dishes, a list of references, mail order sources, an author biography, and an index, "Vietnamese Fusion" is especially recommended for personal and community library multi-ethnic and vegetarian cookbook collections.



2. bought as a Christmas present. My husband is an awesome chef and he is picky about the cook books he uses. This one is a keeper.



3. The recipes in this book lack authenticity. If you were to look up a traditional recipe for Pho (for example) you would find all manner of spices used in the stock that this book leaves out resulting in a rather bland version of the original. You would do better buying an omni vietnamese cookbook & making your own substitutions.



4. I bought this book thinking that I could use it to create vegetarian options to many different dishes. That is to say, I expected more in a stir fry recipe than "add vegetarian stir-fry sauce". I expected too much. my bad. It's a little book, and it's got very little in it.



5. Bought this for me. I love to cook. This book has provided me with new ideas and the recepies are wonderful.