The Little Saigon Cookbook: Vietnamese Cuisine and Culture in Southern California's Little Saigon

by Ann; Julie Fay Ashborn Le

  Tom Nuong Toi Xa Ot (Grilled Shrimp with Garlic, Lemongrass, and Chili Paste)

  Tom Rang Muoi (Salt and Pepper Fried Shrimp)

  Tom Suan Ram Man (Pork Riblets and Shrimp Sauteed in Salty Caramel Sauce)

  Tom Xao Mam Ruoc Toi Ot (Fried Shrimp with Shrimp Paste, Lemon grass, and Chili Paste)

  Traditional Fried Rice (Com Chien Tom Cai)

  Traditional Shredded Chicken and Cabbage Salad (Goi Ga)

  Traditional Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Pork, Shrimp, and Mint Leaves (Goi Cuon)

  Tra Gung (Ginger and Jasmine Tea)

  Trai Thom Buoi Voi Ot Mau Muoi (Fresh Pineapple and Pomelo with Chili Powder and Salt)

  Tuong Chanh Gung (Ginger Lime Soy Sauce)

  Tuong Dau Phong (Peanut Sauce)

  Turmeric

  Crepes, Crispy Coconut and

  and Fried Shrimp in Garlic Batter

  Hanoi-Style Fried Fish with Dill and

  Umami

  Vegetables and Tofu Sauteed in Oyster Sauce (Rau Cai Dau Hu Xao)

  Vegetarian dishes

  Braised Eggplant and Tofu in Caramel Sauce

  Cabbage Salad with Banana Blossoms

  Pan-Fried Tofu and Broccoli with Lemongrass and Chile

  Sautéed Bok Choy with Tofu and Hoisin Sauce

  Sautéed Mustard Greens with Oyster Sauce

  Sauteed Tofu with Oyster Sauce

  Vegetables and Tofu Sauteed in Oyster Sauce

  Vegetarian Sweet-and-Sour Soup

  Vietnamese Water Spinach Sauteed with Garlic

  Wide Rice Noodles Stir-Fried with Tofu and Vegetables

  Vegetarian Sweet-and-Sour Soup (Canh Chua Chay)

  Vermicelli, rice. See Rice vermicelli

  Vermicelli Noodle Soup with Ground Crab and Egg and Tomatoes (Bun Rieu)

  Vermicelli Squares with Scallion Oil (Banh Hoi)

  Vietnamese Flan or Crème Caramel (Banh Flan)

  Vietnamese food

  basic recipes

  cooking tools

  eating habits

  fish sauce

  food eaten

  preparation techniques

  umami

  Vietnamese New Year. See Tet (Vietnamese New Year)

  Vietnamese water spinach

  Sauteed with Garlic (Rau Muong Xao Toi)

  in Vegetables and Tofu Sauteed in Oyster Sauce

  Vit Kho Dua (Braised Duck with Coconut Juice)

  Warm “Shaking Beef” Salad with Watercress and Tomatoes (Bo Luc Lac)

  Watercress and Tomatoes, Warm “Shaking Beef” Salad with

  Water spinach. See Vietnamese water spinach

  Weddings

  Whole Salted Fish with Lemongrass and Chili Paste (Ca Chien Xa Ot)

  Wide Rice Noodles Stir-Fried with Tofu and Vegetables (Bun Xao Chay)

  Winter Melon and Shrimp Soup (Canh Bau Tom)

  Xup Mang Cua (Asparagus and Crab Soup)

  Yams

  About the Author

  Ann Le was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after her family fled Vietnam as boat people three days before the fall of Saigon in April 1975. The Le family then moved to Southern California, where they were among the first few Vietnamese immigrants to settle and work in Little Saigon. Ann grew up cooking and eating at home with her grandparents, as well as all over Little Saigon. And she has watched the community evolve into the culinary tourist destination it is today.

  She has traveled and eaten all over the world, spending months in Asia as well as living in Europe, New York, and San Francisco. Ann believes the finest cuisine belongs to the Vietnamese people, a cuisine with recipes that are never written down, but ingrained in memory. Inspired by the need to share the wealth of Vietnamese cuisine, and for fear of losing recipes passed only through oral history, Ann offers this proud history of a remarkable community and opens the kitchen door to authentic Vietnamese dishes.

  About the Photographer

  Julie Fay was raised in the Pacific Northwest and now resides in Los Angeles. Among her favorite photo subjects (retro motel signs, Paris, and her chihuahua), Vietnam and its culture is her specialty. Her photographs appear in the literary guidebook, To Asia With Love, and she recently completed a five-week photo assignment in Vietnam for Communion: Meditations on Eating in Vietnam.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Introduction

  Demystifying Vietnamese Food - A PRIMER ON INGREDIENTS, TECHNIQUES, AND EQUIPMENT

  WHAT WE EAT

  HOW WE EAT

  COOKING TOOLS

  PREPARATION TECHNIQUES

  THE BASICS

  RECIPES - A DRIVE DOWN BOLSA AVENUE

  Salads and Soups - THE VIETNAMESE MARKETS

  Simple Comfort Foods - THE ASIAN GARDEN MALL AND MOM-AND-POP RESTAURANTS

  Noodle Soups - PH , H TIÊU, AND MÌ HOUSES

  Vegetarian Dishes - THE BUDDHIST TEMPLES

  Seafood Dishes - THE FISH MARKETS

  Vietnamese Celebrations and Feasts - THE LAZY SUSAN

  Festive Holiday Foods - TET, THE VIETNAMESE NEW YEAR

  Desserts, Savory Treats, and Drinks - BAKERIES AND COFFEEHOUSES

  Appendix A: - INGREDIENTS IN VIETNAMESE CUISINE

  Appendix B: - RESOURCES AND LINKS

  Appendix C: - SAMPLE MENUS

  Appendix D: - METRIC CONVERSION TABLES

  Index

  About the Author

  About the Photographer