An: To Eat: Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Family Kitchen

by Helene An, Jacqueline An

For the first time in 40 years, renowned master chef Helene An of Crustacean Beverly Hills and the An Family restaurant dynasty is sharing the delicious dishes that got her inducted into the Smithsonian Institute for her culinary contributions to America, and the incredible stories behind them.
Along with her favorite recipes (which brilliantly marries traditional Vietnamese fare with French and farm-fresh Californian), An chronicles her personal transformation from pampered "princess" in French Colonial Vietnam, to refugee to restaurateur. It's a fascinating peek at a lost world...From Indochina's lush fields to family kitchen gardens in California, An tells of her harrowing journey and how it has influenced her cuisine.
Why is it called The Secret Kitchen? As An built her restaurant empire, she wanted to protect her family's legacy and keep corporate spies at bay, so she constructed a completely separate kitchen within each of her restaurant kitchens - only family members were allowed access. After a lifetime of perfecting her signature dishes, she has decided it's time to share her experiences and favorite recipes with everyone. Now every home cook is welcome to try her cuisine!

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Nonfiction

296 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[Dray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative conveys the striking changes the Vietnamese people and food culture have witnessed and lived in the past 50 years. I have yet to find a Vietnamese cookbook that is oriented to vegetarian cooking. I'm sure it exists but...

[RYAN PHAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vietnamese Cucina Ricci

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good recipes in here, but mostly self congratulating stories about her restaurants.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not surprisingly, given that this book tackles modern Vietnamese cooking, I loved this book. I guess it could have been surprising if it had been badly written, or if you knew nothing about me. But it's not, and there's a good chance that you already do (or maybe you don't, I always hope for new readers on a regular basis). It's an entertaining look back at the "career" of famed restaurant Crustacean in Beverley Hills, one of, if not the, first restaurants offering up that style of cuisine in the U.S. It follows the An family (interestingly, their last name, at least with the accent mark above it, means "to eat" in Vietnamese) from their escape from Vietnam as they made their way to the U.S., and over time, their adventures in cooking and dining, gradually arriving at their now acclaimed status. Their story is well drawn, and inserted between a myriad of recipes both from their restaurant(s) and home cooking, and includes tips and tricks for those less familiar with Vietnamese cuisine. And, there are some great sounding recipes, several of which I've given a shot at, and, hey, they work!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

343:2023
This one makes me grateful for the library. Saw this on a cookbook feature display. I previously knew nothing about the House of An restaurants but will go to whichever one I can get to first when I'm in the area (all California). Beautiful pictures and makes Vietnamese cuisine feel very accessible. Additionally the An family story of riches to rags to riches, prosperity to turmoil, and back again through hard work, and capitalizing on a few lucky decisions. Super interesting and impressive.

[Doan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed her stories. The recipes were different from what I usually do and I am looking forward to trying them. Where is the garlic noodle recipe, though?