The Banh Mi Handbook

May 19, 2014
Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born San Francisco–based food writer who has penned books on such Asian ingredients as tofu and dumplings, here offers a bite-sized exploration of banh mi, the cold cut sandwiches that are a street food favorite in Ho Chi Minh City. Over the course of nine chapters and 50 recipes, the sandwich is broken out into its basic components. Bread, of course, is half the battle, and Nguyen provides both a guide of what to look for when buying the perfect loaf, as well as a fast-rising recipe to create a baguette-like roll. Indeed, if there is a French sensibility to some of what is offered, it is due to the fact that, as explained in the introduction, France ruled Vietnam from 1883 to 1954. So, there is a classic mayonnaise, with Dijon mustard, in the sauces chapter and pork liver pate among the cold cuts. There are also tangy sauces like sriacha aioli and curiosities like silky sausage, which turns out to be a rather romantic name for a Viet bologna made of ground chicken or pork. There are plenty of hot sandwich fillings as well, some of which borrow from American comfort foods; notably, the lemongrass Sloppy Joe, seasoned with star anise, ginger, and fish sauce.

May 15, 2014

Nguyen's previous cookbooks--Asian Tofu; Asian Dumplings; Into the Vietnamese Kitchen--won accolades from the James Beard Foundation, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and notable cooking publications. Here, she demonstrates an infectious passion for the banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich with mid-century origins that's become a mainstay of trendy food trucks and Asian sub shops. Her treatment of its principal components--bread, sauces, pickles, cold cuts, pates--is detailed and varied, and she's careful to explain the purpose of ingredients and techniques (like the crushed vitamin C tablet in her homemade rolls). VERDICT Best for meat eaters, this book empowers readers to make hundreds of standout sandwich combinations.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Anyone living in a large city or near a community of expatriate Vietnamese has seen a proliferation of little storefronts offering banh mi. These light but flavor-packed sandwiches appeal to wider and wider audiences as people discover their exceptional spices, rich fillings, and delightful balance of tastes and textures. Nguyen shows how to make banh mi in the home kitchen and reveals the secrets that make banh mi competitors with Western-oriented subs, hoagies, or grinders. Developed in Vietnam during its French colonial period, banh mi marry southeast Asian staples and French bread. Banh mi may be constructed from any sort of crusty bread, but for those who demand freshness, Nguyen shows how to bake suitable sandwich rolls in home kitchens. She also gives recipes for unique and delicious Vietnamese pt's and Chinese barbecued pork that so often stuff the breads. All manner of pickled vegetables provide appropriate crunch for banh mi.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)