Customer Reviews

Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food from a Family Table

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

 

 

Those who gave positive reviews about this book...let me ask you this...are you even Vietnamese? Did you grow up on some of these foods and did you see your mom, grand-mothers, aunts and uncles make these dishes? And by the way, if you said YES, then obviously, you would NOT need a Vietnamese cooking book to show you how to make these meals today. Get out....re-steam banh cuon at that stage? Yes, you re-heat food when it has completely cooled down or has become cold, but this is not the way banh cuon is made. Is this author even real? I can't even give this book one star, or even half a star (I still had to give one because I was required to rate it) since the book is just darn ugly. Some cooking books may have unclear, imperfect and flat out not tasty recipes but to compensate for all those lacks, the books may have gorgeous pictures of the dishes. This one not only has very very UNAUTHENTIC, Americanized dishes, it is just a plain boring book altogether. It just rubs me the wrong way when people try to articulate in books certain things that cannot be put into words, and Vietnamese cuisine is one of them. My family and I have cooked Vietnamese dishes all of our lives and except for a few exceptional dishes, we have never followed a recipe...we just go with the taste and the feel of it...that's just the Vietnamese way and it's great, amazing, authentic foods. Granted, not everyone grew up eating and cooking these traditional dishes and one needs parameters, recipes and instructions to cook certain ethnic meals that one is not accustomed to. However, please please please....do not think that this book can remotely sell AUTHENTIC Vietnamese recipes....it is only authentic if you don't know what that is and can't compare with it. If this survey had more stars, I'd give it a minus 10.

Don't let the title of this book fool you. The recipes are not authentic at all. They have few ingredients and therefore easy to cook, for sure, but they're not authentic. On top of that, there are no pictures of the food. Her mentioning of eating dog meat is probably for shock value, and it turns me off completely. I wouldn't want to own this book.

I'm Vietnamese, and I don't think Corinne Trang knows much about Vietnamese cooking. She probably likes Vietnamese food & decided to learn how to cook certain dishes from someone and compile the recipes into this book. Her recipe for "Banh Cuon" is flavorless, and I don't think the "banh cuon" needs to be re-steamed once one has put the cooked pork filling on the "banh uot" and rolled it up. She should have noted that "banh cuon" could be served at room temperature. Better Vietnamese cookbooks are "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham or "The Foods of Vietnam" by Nicole Routhier. I also like "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam" by Bach Ngo, but this book is out of print, unfortunately. I was ecstatic when I found the recipe for "Banh La" in "The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam". "Banh La" is what Vietnamese people make at home and what's sold by Vietnamese food vendors in Vietnam. One recipe I do like in Corinne Trang's book is the one for "Banh Mi" (Saigon Baguette). Beyond that, I don't like anything else in her book.

Whatever your level of knowledge about the culinary arts, if you are interested in any cuisine, then you should go for what's authentic (this book). The kitchen has never been a place for the faint of heart. If you are a novice, then start with the simpler recipes as practice. Your enthusiasm will give you courage for the more involved recipes (which aren't all that that difficult in the first place).
***Do not judge this book by its lack of pictures like others before. I noticed that not one complainer ever talked about trying the recipes - thats why they have a complaint. In addition to pretty pictures, I'd bet all of their other books have pretty covers too. The whole point of this book is not just to cook a meal, but to gain a sense of the rich culture and history that accompany Vietnamese cuisine. One cannot appreciate any cuisine without appreciating its culture first. No photo of a dish can do that.
For a well rounded experience, buy this book.

I am looking for a good vietnamese cookbook to impress my husband. Since I'm jewish I don't know anything about this style of cooking, but am ready to learn. However, he tells me that the only people who eat dog meat in vietnam are drunken men who do not invite their wives to go eat with them. Whatever may be the case, I don't think I'll be buying this cookbook.

The book is well written, clear, and easy to follow. Some have complained that it lacks pictures but I say that if you want to look at pictures you need a photo album, not a cookbook. If you want to prepare great authentic Vietnamese dishes, this is an excellent book.

The Best in the World winners of The World Cookbook Fair Awards 2000 were announced in Perigueux, France on November 11, 2000. From thousands of entries, "Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food from a Family Table," by Corinne Trang won Best Asian Cookbook in the World and was a Finalist for Best Cookbook in the World. This serious and detailed introduction to the seductive pleasures of regional Vietnamese cooking is also a very personal culinary biography, written from the heart. A truly excellent book for one of the great cuisines of the world.

This book has some pictures, but all of the pictures are none dish-related. they are useless black and white pictures of dried mushrooms, uncooked dried noodles, etc... There is NO pictures of any dish! I'm very disappointed. And I am returning the book.

I guess I expected more from a book. The book lacks pictures, and the recipes weren't that great. Maybe I should write one with my own grandmother's recipes.

I collect Vietnamese cookbooks and so found this cookbook very valuable:

1 - the recipes are relatively authentic; 2 - very easy to understand

This and Pham's _Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking_ should be the references bought though Routhier's _Foods of Viet Nam_ is considered a standard.

Pham's recipes are more westernized but background information is good and recipes are sound.

I have yet to track down independent publications from Australia but I would say this comes closest to the recipes garnered from personal interviews with Vietnamese home cooks.

Vietnamese cooking allows variation making room for available ingredients and influences (it is the best of fusion). So if the Trang recipe does not resemble the very traditional recipes of family it still contains the basic outline.

You will encounter recipes usually not covered such as pork pate and other delicacies.

I was also impressed that Trang decided to discuss exotic meats including dog. Usually Vietnamese and Asian cookbooks in general avoid the topic completely but Trang decided to confront the issue (bravo). Trang is quite correct that eating of certain exotic meats is restricted to males (aphrodisiacs) and interviews with Vietnamese cooks confirm this.

An essential reference for Vietnamese cookbooks but keep in mind that the home recipes are still varied and that this it is not an exhaustive source book.

Another thing to keep in mind that this book does not cover in great detail techniques regarding preparation of meats (asumption is made that you already know to slice against the grain for beef)

The most glaring flaw of meat preparation and options is demonstrated in the pho ba recipe which does mention the use of tendon but not its preparation. It skips tripe as well. Discusses condiments as sidebar but does not tell you what condiments to use with pho (hoisin, chili paste, nouc mam, lemon wedges).

A good recipe source but not definitive in technique. I would have on hand a book devoted to Asian preparation practice in conjunction with this book.

Overall, the best available American books for a Vietnamese collection are this book, Pham's _Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking_ and Nicole Routhier's _Foods of Viet Name_ or _The Best of Nicole Routhier_.

Recommended but not definitive.