The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam by Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman

Notes about this book

  • TinyCitiKitchen on August 16, 2023

    It's hard for someone surrounded by today's food options to understand what this book means to me. When Ngo opened her New Haven restaurant in 1981 (and the fascinating review grabbed my attention), I hadn't a clue what Vietnamese food might be. It was only a couple of years since Szechuan food had hit NYC and taught me there might be more to Asian food than the Cantonese of my childhood. Well, I couldn't get to the restaurant, but I could get the book. I was excited by what I read and decided I was going to give it a try. I'd never heard of lemongrass or fish sauce (& couldn't imagine the flavors), and had never been clear about whether cellophane noodles were "real food", and I had to make special trips downtown to hunt them out (unlike now, when my local shop has it all), for the next few months, my more adventurous friends were treated to new experiences. This book was my gateway to experimenting with food. I will always be grateful

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  • ISBN 10 0812053095
  • ISBN 13 9780812053098
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Dec 01 1979
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 272
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Barrons Educational Series Inc

Publishers Text

"The best book on the subject I've seen." -- Jay Jacobs, Gourmet Magazine Colorful, distinctive, exhilarating, Vietnamese food will delight everyone in search of new tastes and textures. Craig Claiborne places it among the four finest cuisines in the world. And for years, the French have flocked to Vietnamese restaurants in Paris, where this strikingly different cuisine surpasses Chinese in popularity. With its reliance on uncooked vegetables, fresh salads, and delicate seafood dishes, combined in a dazzling aromatic balance of sparkling flavors, no wonder Vietnamese cooking won the title of "The Nouvelle Cuisine of the Orient."

This superb collection of 150 recipes reflects all three of Vietnam's gastronomic regions: the Red River Delta in the north with its emphasis on light, airy stir-fried foods; the central Highlands, ancestral home of kings, with its spicy dishes decoratively arranged to please royal tastes; and the Mekong River Delta in the south with its abundant variety of vegetables and fruits, deliciously influenced by traditional French cooking.

Now Western cooks can discover the secrets of Vietnamese cuisine, an exciting variety of tastes that form unforgettable meals. Surprisingly easy to prepare, these dishes require no special equipment or skill, and most use ingredients that are readily available. The results are spectacular.

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