Customer Reviews

Noodles Every Day: Delicious Asian Recipes from Ramen to Rice Sticks

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love this book! So many cookbooks just re-hash old recipes, but this one has some really unique takes on traditional Asian food that made it stand out for me. One of my favorite aspects is the layout; right off the bat Chapter 1 gives you everything need to know about buying and storing the ingredients used in all of the dishes. As a run-of-the-mill home cook a lot of the ingredients were new to me, and this really makes it easy. The first thing I made from the book was the Basic Asian Marinade, p.43, and we were surprised to find that it was better than the dumpling sauce our favorite Thai place uses. The Pink Plum-Flavored Noodles with Spinach and Mushrooms, p.71, is as pretty as it is delicious, and is a big hit at dinner parties. I've also learned how to make a proper Pho, p.121, have learned that I like Kimchi, and have made Asian Style Kirby Pickles p.45 (Yum!). Great book! I also have "The Asian Grill" by the same author and love that one as well, it has some of the best sauces I've ever tried.

This book is what I consider fusion cooking with heavier emphasis on using Chinese and Vietnamese seasoning. It tries to cook some Japanese, but if you are looking for Japanese noodle recipes, this book is not it. The use of sesame oil in some of the Japanese recipes are quite odd. I also thought the technique presented for making tempura shiso/ooba/perilla leaves a lot to be desired. Nowhere did the author talk about dipping one side of leaves only because dipping the whole leaves do not work. It makes for gooey tempura shiso leaves. Not sure if this author actually made tempura shiso leaves or just decided to add this because it is often added in Japan.

I think she should have stayed with the area of noodle cooking she is most familiar with which is mostly Chinese and Southeast Asian. In this, I think she does a great job.

I went back to her book and made the cover recipe and it is by far the most bland, greasy noodle dish I've ever made and tasted. No taste at all.

[Review book (published 2009) provided by Chronicle Books]


When I read a book title like Corinne Trang's Noodles Every Day, I tend to picture quick, simple recipes intended for working families, so you should know first of all that most of these recipes are a little complex for a tired person just home from work. The other thing to know is that there are definitely some ingredients in here that you'll have to hunt down if you don't have an Asian grocery nearby. It can be awfully tough to find crab-flavored or green tea noodles, for example.

However, the recipes are amazing! Each one we made turned out stunningly delicious. Wonton soup is one of those dishes that I've only ever had in restaurants before, and of course the quality varies from place to place. We couldn't resist trying to make our own, and it was AMAZING. We used the book's recipe for homemade wontons, which were so good that the word "sublime" passed our lips multiple times. Combine that with homemade stock and the rest of the recipe for the wonton soup, and you have something incredible! Honestly I've never had wontons before that were so good. Restaurant fare will never measure up again.

You won't find a huge number of photos, but the ones here are gorgeous and evocative. As is typical of most Chronicle cookbooks, the layout is clean and clear and makes it easy to pick apart a recipe on the go in the kitchen.

So as long as you don't mind tracking down a few ingredients and spending a little time in the kitchen, Noodles Every Day will bring you wonderful results!

This is the third book I've bought by Corinne Trang. Each one is great. Every dish I've tried has come out perfectly. This book is no exception -- easy instructions, authentic recipes, simple to make. This is a great addition to any working cook's library -- or -- just a great book to read! But after reading it, you'll wanna make everything in it!

Noodles, noodles, and more noodles! The contents of this book are revealed by the title. If you are a noodle lover, you will be intrigued by all the different ways the author creates dishes that included noodles. Since this book consists of mostly Asian dishes, Trang uses a wide variety of spices in her recipes including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Japanese seasoning.
The photos of the finished products are just scrumptious and the recipes are easy to follow. I enjoyed it!

NOODLES EVERY DAY provides a fine gathering of Asian dishes from ramen to rice sticks, pairs them with color photos throughout by Maura McEvoy, and is arranged by type of noodle (udon, buckwheat, egg, rice, cellophane) for quick and easy location of dishes. The result is a lovely presentation perfect for any general cookery collection.

Corinne Trang has the amazing ability to write a recipe in such a way that you want to eat every single dish in this book!

Glancing through the book, it seemed to have a great history lesson on the subject.
It was well packaged and delivered on time. What more can you want?