Had a lovely coincidence of timing today. First, at my in-laws I made a new wok ring so that we could use the small wok on the new stove (we needed a taller one). Second, Charles Phan's Vietnamese Home Cooking came in at the library (I've had a hold on it). Third, my next-door neighbor forgot to cancel her Capay Organic produce box before she left town, and it included 2 lbs of bok choy.
So, Vietnamese stir-fry it is!
First, the new wok ring:
Here it is with a wok on top:
My FIL and I made it out of scrap 3/16" steel rod; I bent and cut it, and he welded it. We had a lot of trouble because we couldn't remember how we made the first one (in fact, he couldn't remember that we had made the first one). I'd do it differently if I did another one, and don't ask me to make you one -- it took over 7 hours. However, it works beautifully; supports the wok firmly while giving plenty of air to the flame.
Now, onto Charles Phan. Despite his serial restaurantiership, the cookbook is surprisingly true to its title: this really is all about Vietnamese food anyone could make at home. The recipes are simple and straightforwards, and odd techniques and ingredients are explained in detail elsewhere in the book. There are lots of pictures, in that full-bleed full-color matte style I've come to associate with Phaidon. Many of the pictures are artistic, but many others make it very clear how do make things, and the Vietnamese glossary includes pictures of almost all ingredients.
The two recipes I made (bok choy with baby shitakes, and mix-and-match-noodles) seemed very lightly seasoned in comparison to Thai food I'm used to. But I stuck with the instructions, and darned if the end results weren't beautifully balanced and subtle. Here's the noodles, cooking:
The cookbook is split up by cooking technique: Soup/Steaming/Braising/Stir-Frying/Grilling/Frying. Overall, I'd recommend it strongly for anyone interested in Vietnamese food. I'd even recommend it as a first/only Vietnamese cookbook for anyone who has used a wok before. I'm considering buying it, provided that enough recipes escape both my and DW's food preferences.
