Review by Library Journal Review
From the founder of the popular video cooking channel on YouTube Helen's Recipes, this cookbook is big on flavor--along with foundational knowledge about the ingredients and techniques indigenous to Vietnamese cooking. With a copious cupboard of pantry staples defined (as well as tips for how to veganize ubiquitous ingredients requisite for the Vietnamese flavor profiles that tend to rely on fish), the book gives even the most hesitant cook the tools to take on everything from pickled vegetables and bánh to soups and stir-fry recipes. The cookbook is beautifully illustrated, with visual sumptuousness that delivers the flair and flavor of the recipes. Le (Simply Pho) incorporates some of her own story in the introduction and recipe headnotes, thereby giving readers insight into the why behind her veganism and her return to Vietnamese cooking, lending it the personal appeal of good food writing as well. VERDICT A welcome contribution to the increasing number of global vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, with options that won't leave meat-eaters longing for that fish sauce flavor.--Emily Bowles
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