434576 Fri Aug 24 10:08:34 -0700 2007 9 31 Home Cooking 0 2877733 I love Vietnamese food and decided to try my hand at it. Any recs for cook books I can use? My recent purchase is the 'Complete Vietnamese cookbook',Ghillie Basan. Fri Aug 24 10:08:34 -0700 2007 121635 moreMirchi 1 2877794 I've used Nicole Routhier's _The Foods of Vietnam_. Fri Aug 24 10:20:32 -0700 2007 2877733 90936 Kenji 1 2878304 My newest favorite of the moment is Andrea Nguyen's Into The Vietnamese Kitchen. I also treasure my books by Corrinne Trang and Mai Pham. If you google up andrea nguyen you can take a look at her website and blog. She also had two articles in the latest Saveur, one on Avocados and one on Vietnamese cooking. Fri Aug 24 12:15:21 -0700 2007 2877733 10285 Candy 2 2878336 Epicurious has Mai Pham's reciepe for Grilled Five-Spice Chicken on it's website. It's a staple at my house -- even my kids love it! Fri Aug 24 12:22:28 -0700 2007 2878304 89734 kavikat 2 2878649 I got one of the Mai Pham books for my mother one year. It's a good one for those who goes to the Vietnamese grocery stores and want to know what all the names mean - my mother, being Vietnamese herself, actually does the opposite and finds it useful when she only wants to stop at the neighbourhood all-purpose grocery mart. The recipes in the book also looks quite good, but I won't attest to any of them since none have been made in my household. Fri Aug 24 13:32:46 -0700 2007 2878304 17410 Ali 3 2879082 I have her book, "Pleasure of the Vietnamese Table" and have really enjoyed it. Pho is one of my favorite foods in the world and I learned how to make excellent stock for my own with this book (although at $5 a bowl at the restaurant it's a lot easier and less expensive to pick up). I really appreciated learning about the traditional way to eat pho and it's cultural significance. I very much enjoy the overview of traditional prep and herbs and spices. Wonderful descriptions and easy to follow. Fri Aug 24 15:40:23 -0700 2007 2878649 11267 kittychow 4 2881747 I love this cookbook, as it helped me figure out the Vietnamese groceries here. She makes good recommendations on what brands to buy and how to prepare them. Most of the dishes I've had at restaurants are in this book, and explained very well. Sat Aug 25 19:36:38 -0700 2007 2879082 24126 amyzan 2 2878738 I second your recommendation of Andrea Nguyen's book. It's now the sixth or seventh addition to my growing collection of Vietnamese cookbooks and probably my favourite. For me, the chapter on Viet-style charcuterie was alone worth the cover price. And, props to an author who clearly elucidates the differences between traditional/native cookery practices and those which are more modern/expedient and/or "expat" in nature. http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/cookbook/about.htm E.M. Fri Aug 24 13:49:31 -0700 2007 2878304 11340 Erik M 3 2878774 Hi Erik, I am glad you provided the link to the blog and the tale of my enjoyment of her book. That makes #7 for me and I think a favorite. I really like that there is a pronounciation guide. It makes it easier to ask for what you are looking for. I think if someone has had no experience withViet cooking then this bookis the place to start. Fri Aug 24 13:58:55 -0700 2007 2878738 10285 Candy 1 2915474 Thanks all, you been a very resourceful group - I think I'm going try and get my hands on the books mentioned in the thread below to begin with. Thu Sep 06 06:27:09 -0700 2007 2877733 121635 moreMirchi