From the author of the popular Quick & Easy Thai come these 75 oh-so-delicious recipes for every level of cook. Though it shares certain culinary traditions with its Asian neighbors, Vietnamese cuisine is entirely distinct, focusing on a bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs for signature clear, bright flavors with contrasting notes of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Creamy chicken curry is paired with the zesty tang of lime juice and the heat from ground pepper and chilies. Crisp, fried fish is served with a puree of pineapple-chili sauce. Delicate, rice paperwrapped summer rolls merit a rich and savory soybean dipping sauce. From snacks and soups to grilled meats and seafood to the essential noodle dishes and desserts, Quick & Easy Vietnamese presents the full spectrum of Vietnamese cooking at its most simply delicious.

""This snappy workhorse of a cookbook reveals the blend of tropical ingredients, delicate seasonings and French colonial influences that distinguish Vietnamese cooking and offers recipes easy enough to integrate into one's standard recipe roster. McDermott (Quick & Easy Thai ) begins with a primer on elements of Vietnamese cuisine: ""Contrasts prevail,"" ""soup is a mainstay"" and ""[m]eat often stands alone, minimally seasoned."" She then revieweds the cuisine's central herbs (Asian basil, cilantro), starches (rice noodles, rice paper wrappers) and other foundations (chili-garlic sauce, coconut milk). Throughout, McDermott delivers the history and food information with a sureness indicative of the years she has spent in southeast Asia. Among the book's many notable dishes are Shaking Beef with Purple Onions and Watercress; Chicken Simmered in Caramel Sauce; Cha Ca Fish with Fresh Dill, Hanoi Style; and, for dessert, Sweet Coconut Ribbons, and Crme Caramel, which, McDermott explains, was adopted by the Vietnamese, who had long enjoyed their own version of steamed custard before the French arrived. Stunning color photographs by Caren Alpert illustrate the distinctiveness of Vietnamese cuisine. "" -Publisher's Weekly