Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors

by Andrea Nguyen

Delicious, fresh Vietnamese food is achievable any night of the week with this cookbook's 80 accessible, easy recipes.IACP AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • The Washington Post • Eater • Food52 • Epicurious • Christian Science Monitor • Library JournalDrawing on decades of experience, as well as the cooking hacks her mom adopted after fleeing from Vietnam to America, award-winning author Andrea Nguyen shows you how to use easy-to-find ingredients to create true Vietnamese flavors at home—fast. With Nguyen as your guide, there’s no need to take a trip to a specialty grocer for favorites such as banh mi, rice paper rolls, and pho, as well as recipes for Honey-Glazed Pork Riblets, Chile Garlic Chicken Wings, Vibrant Turmeric Coconut Rice, and No-Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream. Nguyen’s tips and tricks for creating Viet food from ingredients at national supermarkets are indispensable, liberating home cooks and making everyday cooking easier.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Food and Drink, Asia

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2019

About the author

A bank examiner gone astray, Andrea Nguyen is living out her childhood dream of being a writer, editor, teacher, and consultant. Her impactful books—Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, Asian Dumplings, Asian Tofu, The Banh Mi Handbook, and The Pho Cookbook—have been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and National Public Radio for their excellence. She edited Unforgettable, a biography cookbook about culinary icon Paula Wolfert.

Andrea has contributed to many publications, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Lucky Peach, Saveur, and Cooking Light, where she is a monthly columnist. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in finance and communication management from the University of Southern California and studied at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Reviews

[Trish W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for the interested and aspiring cook to begin investigating Viet cuisine. Nguyen does a very good job using simple language to explain the traditions, methods, and ingredients used in the vibrant food of this culture. She started this book by visiting chain supermarkets in various cities to see exactly what was available to the average home cook. She then devised very reasonable alternatives to traditional ingredients that would be difficult or impossible to find without access to a decent Asian grocer. One can buy spices and condiments on the internet, but sourcing fresh produce is a different story.

I have decades of cooking under my belt (so to speak, ha!) and have always been very thankful to have been born and raised in the South, where food is a big part of who we are and has been influenced for 300 yrs by many cultures known for their cuisine. This includes the wonderful Viet people, many of whom settled in my city back in the 1970's. Because of this we're blessed with several Asian grocery stores so I can also indulge my own Chinese heritage. I'm what a lot of folks would call a cookbook nerd and actually read cookbooks from cover to cover like novels ;-) I'm looking forward to trying several of Andrea Nguyen's interesting recipes and expanding my culinary horizons - probably along with my aforementioned belt :-)

[Miss Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A good introduction and overview of Vietnamese cooking with lots of practical tips and recommendations for products to use to achieve authentic taste and flavors.

The chief drawback was a lack of photographs. (Only one of every three or so has one.)

My personal favorite:

Beef Stew with Star Anise and Lemongras
No-Churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream
Perfect Rice

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pictures of recipes? Most have pictures.
Commentary on recipes? Yes.
Nutrition facts? No
Recipe Style? Vietnamese cooking.
Any keepers? A couple.

I'm not sold on the simplicity of some of these recipes, but many looked really good. Not a good choice for those shy of long ingredient lists.

[Gini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much originality here. Guess I was expecting simple but authentic recipes. Or something. Not cobbled, Americanized stuff. Oh well.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm not one to review cookbooks on here, but i love this cookbook! really delicious recipes, beautiful job of framing why and how andrea nguyen found the best ingredient substitutes for things not easily found outside of asian markets, and some super helpful tips. this is such a pleasure for me to flip through, i have seriously been talking this book up a storm to my friends.

[Honest Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

like 3.25

It’s like 3.25 but not strong enough to round up. They are approach able and easy but also incredibly American Vietnamese in someways. They are approachable for sure and I will make the mushroom pate

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written cookbook and I really enjoyed how the author makes these recipes accessible for people who may not have the best Asian or Vietnamese marketplaces in their area.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pandemic has been a cooking bonanza for us. We had joined a Food 52 cookbook group last fall, and never really got deeply into it, but once we were on lock down at home, it unleashed us to try tons of new things. In April it was hard to get anything, but now we are able to get quite a few things and it seems more important than ever to support our local Asian grocery, which we have shopped at for over 20 years, and has really had a good supply of things even when the grocery store has run low. This month is Vietnamese food,cooking from this magnifiscent new cookbook from Andrea Nguyen.

We have two of her other three or so cookbooks, and have made a few things out of the Bahn Mi cookbook, including the rolls, but not much. This book is packed with recipes that have two goals. One is that you find the ingredients in a regular grocery store (we are skipping that step) and two is that they are pared down so that they can be made easily on a weeknight. So far we have made about 20 dishes from this, and have another 15 to 20 that we plan to make--even putting unusual ingredients on our shopping list in order to make them. Everything has been out of this world delicious and flavor packed, and best of all we have gotten well into the habit of making things that were long forgotten, like just how easy it is to make rice paper spring rolls and how delicious the flavor combination of lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar are. This is a book to buy, you will not be sorry. Read the introduction if you are new to Asian cooking, and you will be well equipped to make spectacular meals.

[Reading Fool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This cookbook was well thought-out, making it simple for the novice cook to explore Vietnamese cuisine. I appreciated the introductory pages in which Nguyen explains Asian ingredients - noodles, spices, vegetables, etc. Trying something new (and shopping for it) can sometimes be overwhelming!
I have tried a few recipes: Shrimp in Coconut Caramel Sauce, Shaking Beef, and Versatile Vegetable Soup. All were delicious and my family really enjoyed it. The instructions were easy to understand and I felt really comfortable and confident while cooking. The photos in the book are lovely and I wish there were more.
The next thing I'm going to make is Vietnamese coffee. Can't wait.
I need to check out earlier cookbooks by Andrea Nguyen.

[Emily Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this cookbook. You won’t find restaurant food like pho and banh mi - the author has other books for these! More home recipes focusing on Vietnamese flavors and techniques, which were seamless to add into my kitchen.

[Shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very good introduction to Vietnamese cooking, and I feel that I really do have to praise it for its accessibility to those of us new to the genre.

Growing up in rural Texas I didn't get a whole lot of opportunity to try Vietnamese food, much less anyone to teach me how to make it. I've bought other cookbooks for various Asian cuisines that I found really weren't friendly to beginners. This cookbook, however, has a ton of fast and easy recipes that even people who are new to the flavor profiles being used can feel confident. I also really appreciate all of the advice about ingredients.

I've been on a ketogenic diet for years, and I've been trying to branch out my toolkit of flavor profiles. This cookbook is not a low carb cookbook, but with simple sweetener swaps (and omitting rice, obviously) a lot of these recipes can very easily become low carb.

My one piece of criticism, and what dropped this book from 5 stars down to 4, is that I really wanted pictures of each dish. I found myself googling the dish names to see if I could see what it was supposed to look like.

[Maggie714 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrea Nguyen does a great job at making Vietnamese food accessible from small towns to those with easy Asian grocery stores. The first recipe I made was the Shaking Beef recipe, my family enjoyed it. I loved that I could prepare all the parts ahead of time and then at the last minute book the protein and get dinner on the table effortlessly.

The writer's style is friendly and relatable, I enjoyed hearing about her family and how they worked to use new ingredients in traditional ways.

The only change I would make is giving more suggestions for those who do have an Asian grocery down the street. I liked how the condiment section was laid out. I'd love one that was more extensive (not that the book was missing information, I just think it is so helpful to have the brands. I spent 20 minutes trying to find a dark soy sauce from a recipe from another book. There were about 20 different choices... I love a good cheat sheet!

Thanks for a great book, it is nice to add more Vietnamese food to our home menus.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipies for True, Fresh Flavors by Andrea Nguyen (Ten Speed Press 2019) (641.59597).

Vietnamese food has been my absolute favorite cuisine ever since I stumbled across a superb Vietnamese restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina in the late 1980's. I have craved this cooking ever since, but I have never found another restaurant that could duplicate the tastes and aromas from those days. I have found plenty of places to enjoy pho and bahn mi, but I have been on the lookout for thirty years for a recipe book that approximates my memory of these meals.

While Andrea Nguyen has written a lovingly crafted cookbook, this is not the instructional manual that I have sought all these years. The recipes are lovely, and I'm sure that they are quite tasty, but the dishes I crave are not included in this volume.

I'll keep looking. My rating: 7/10, finished 8/19/19.

[Judith Leipold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in search of a good Vietnamese cook book. Went to the library and checked out 3 before deciding which ones to buy. Actually, these three were the ones I considered buying based on advertisements and reviews before checking the library. By far, this was my number one choice. I thought the author really gave the non-Vietnamese shopper good information on brands, and alternate options. There were some really great traditional recipes that had a strong flavor for natives as well as options for reducing the "heat" of some. Overall, have tried and tested about 40% of the recipes. All were very successful. I ended up purchasing only this book. The others were good but not overall great. They focused on a restaurant, or the chefs, or the ingredients, but lacked quality recipes. AN checked off all the boxes that I needed to prepare a Vietnamese banquet as well as learning about ingredients and flavors. LOVE Vietnamese cookery!

[Fen Koeswanto (ProseandPlate) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this cookbook because of the title: VIETNAMESE FOOD ANY DAY. I figure the dishes would be easy enough to create. And I was not wrong. There are some recipes that easy enough to make for beginners, and some are challenging enough to advance home-cooks. Instructions are well-written and ingredients are easy to find in your local grocery's Asian isle. For those who are not a big fan of meat, there are many vegetarian options that you can try.

Recipes that I tried and enjoyed: Spicy Sweet Pomegranate Tofu, Beef with star anise and lemongrass, Crispy Caramelized Pork Crumbles, Rice Noodle Salad, Eggplant with Smoky Green Onion Oil, Roasted Cauliflower Wing.

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I joined the cookbook club at Simply Recipes (https://shop.simplyrecipes.com/collec...) during this pandemic. The first book offered was this marvelous, lush cookbook by Andrea Nguyen, who has taken the complex recipes from her birthplace and adapted them for American supermarkets and kitchens. The first recipe that we'll be cooking together is Crispy Lemongrass Salmon, and I am looking forward to seeing the cooking demonstrations and photos from other club members. I have never considered cooking any Vietnamese recipes before, but this book shows that they can be mastered and enjoyed with just a little effort and much easier than I believed.

Love this book!

[Karan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty accessible VietNamese cookbook. The ingredients are given with brand names, which is helpful, and there are some recipes for condiments you can make yourself and keep on hand. All the basics - recipes you'll recognize - are covered, along with some you may not know, and suggestions for flavor changes. I was thrilled to find a recipe for Mien Ga, which I can't pronounce properly no matter how I try, but I will order it off every menu I find it on. It's chicken noodle soup, but not your mother's chicken noodle soup, and I've loved it since the first time I tried it, which I remember very well.
I can't wait for enough time off to get some ingredients and do some cooking.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn’t a how to make authentic Vietnamese cookbook. However, it is a really good book if you want Vietnamese flavors with what you can actually get at a local grocery store. My family has enjoyed a lot of the recipes and I haven’t come across recipes where I have to special order ingredients or am unable to acquire them. So a win. I have attended cooking classes in Vietnam and know without their local ingredients making it authentically is near impossible in the US.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is filled with recipes for food I have only been able to eat out, and then not often in my locale. The photographs are clearly illustrative and mouthwatering. There are clear and complete explanations of the unfamiliar (to me) ingredients and where to obtain the. I am so pleased that my library system has this book. I will borrow it again, and likely purchase one for my own kitchen.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one inspiring cookbook! Ms. Nguyen presents recipes that hit all the right flavor notes; she explains how to make them using ingredients one can generally find in an ordinary large supermarket. Just brilliant! I can’t wait to try her recipes - as soon as I get a copy of the book that I can cook with, rather than endangering the copy belonging to the public library.

[Jessica Sabol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nguyen is a true American voice. Her book will teach you how to cook Vietnamese food in the US and is approachable with great substitution options and easy ideas for the home cook. She teaches you how to take your ingredients and make them Vietnamese. I am a devotee now that I have read this. Great recipes too 👍👍

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chicken-shrimp-fish section has quite a few recipes that sound fantastic, and so do some of the rice and noodle dishes. It could use more pictures, but it flows very logically and does indeed use mainstream grocery store ingredients.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE the way this cookbook is written. The instructions are easy to understand, and have helpful tips about what can be made ahead, as well as how far ahead! The Instant Pot instructions are also really useful. Highly recommend this one!

[Danielle Booey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m feeling very intimidated by proteins today. I think I might have really liked this cookbook if I wasn’t currently in that headspace. Still got a couple of recipes that I want to try so it’s a solid three star.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice recipes and, for the most part, more accessible ingredient lists.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastically modern look at something we often think of as a "traditional" cuisine. I am seriously excited to try these recipes; the soup chapter in particular shines.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yummy! Simple recipes and beautiful pictures.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good mix of vietnamese recipes. Not enough photos.

[Jo Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of our cookbook book club picks. Unfortunately none of the recipes were standouts and there was a lack of photographs in book.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this cookbook.