Rating: 3/5
My expectations for this book might have been too high. Or maybe I'm just not as interested in pho as I thought I would be. Either way, I found myself a lot less engrossed in this book than Nguyen's previous one, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.
The Pho Cookbook is great for enthusiasts though. Nguyen gives some history on the dish, taking time for both the North and South Vietnamese styles. She even gives an explanation on the history and pronunciation of the name. The section covering the different ingredients is particularly helpful. There were a couple that were unexpected, but that might just be my unfamiliarity with what goes into the dish.
Probably the best part about the book is that Nguyen offers recipes for varying amounts of time and difficulty in preparing the dish. There are shortcuts for preparing the dish quickly during the week without sacrificing a lot of flavor. This ramps up to a full on preparation that would need a day on the weekend to complete successfully. Nguyen covers chicken, beef, and vegetarian options, which rounds things out nicely. She also provides information and recipes for accompaniments, some traditional some not. The pictures are beautiful and present the dish wonderfully.
Anyone with an interest in pho should pick up this book.
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