Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking [Hardcover]

Binh Duong (Author), Marcia Kiesel (Author), Becky Luigart-Stayner (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1991

With its array of provocative tastes and intriguing textures, Vietnamese food is becoming popular in Western cookery. But while the flavour combinations seem complex, the preparation techniques are deceptively simple, as Vietnamese chef Binh Duong and food writer Marcia Kiesel reveal in this book. With more than 150 authentic dishes ranging from coral lobster and beefy Hanoi soup to crunchy happy pancakes and sweet potato nests with shrimp, the recipes provide everything any cook needs to know to prepare a Vietnamese meal.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This excellent introduction to Vietnamese cooking will provide a good starting place for ignoramuses and a stock of useful recipes for know-it-alls. Duong, owner and chef of Truc Orient Express restaurant in Hartford, Conn., and Kiesel, of Food & Wine magazine, carefully itemize preferred equipment and the many ingredients used in Vietnamese dishes. Recipes appeal not just with their delicate interplay of flavors and textures, but with a golden opportunity to alter one's diet. Vegetables, spices and rice make up the bulk of a meal. And, as with most Asian fare, meats and fish are used to flavor, not to dominate, a dish. Several intriguing Buddhist vegetarian recipes are included. All are well organized, and directions are easily navigated. Some recipes may call for as many as 15 ingredients, so be prepared to spend some time chopping and measuring. Cooking time is quite brief. Because Vietnamese cookery relies on many exotic items--tamarind pulp, starfruit, tiger lily buds, pandan leaves--the authors have thoughtfully provided a mail-order reference source. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

An attractive introduction to Vietnamese cuisine from the Vietnamese chef/owner of a Hartford restaurant and Food & Wine 's associate test kitchen director. The subtle, flavorful recipes include both Duong's version of classic dishes and nontraditional creations that reflect his French training, the influence of Western cuisines, and his culinary heritage; Kiesel's introductions and instructions are clear and straightforward but graceful. An excellent companion to Nicole Routhier's highly regarded, more traditionally oriented Foods of Vietnam (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989).
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671768344
• ISBN-13: 978-0671768348
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,127,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Like Mom Use to Make It, July 15, 2010

By 

peaham - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking (Hardcover)

When I first tried some of the recipes many many years ago, when there was only a handful of vietnamese cookbooks, the dishes came out just like my mother's and the food I had as a child. Now that I live in Orange County, there's really no need for me to cook much anymore except for one recipe that I and my husband truly love... the Garlic Crab. We substitute King Crab Legs for the regular whole crab and dish taste so so yummy. I think the author said it's not a traditional dish, but it taste like it should be. At one time I made it so often during crab season that I thought I had the recipe memorized, but then I lost the cookbook and didn't make it as often, and my dish turned out so inconsistently that I had to get a replacement. A few words of advice though, you AND everyone in the house must really like garlic and onion because that's the beautiful scent you will smell for days. So, close the doors to all the bedrooms and enjoy the experience.
The book is full of great recipes, there are very few pictures, but there is a menu suggestion and product guide. It's for someone with cooking experience, definitely not a beginner, though some recipes are very easy to make.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent cookbook!, December 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking (Hardcover)

If you're looking for easy to make, delicious vietnamese dishes, this is it. The recipes are easy to follow and the results are surprisingly good. Excellent book for those who like experimenting in their kitchen and who enjoy the taste of authentic vietnamese cuisine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real Vietnamese (almost), January 10, 2011

By 

Chaz "CTS Consulting" (CT) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Art of Vietnamese Cooking (Hardcover)

Simple Art of Vietnamese CookingThis is my second copy. I gave my first copy away to a friend who loved the recipes. The only problem I have with the book is the substitution of easy to find equivalents for the harder to find Asian ingredients. I eaten at the authors' family restaurant for over 20 years. Numerous friends have shared this experience.