(713)748-5552
Amazonsnacks@yahoo.com
9999 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036, USA
| Asin |
1623360943 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | |
| Weight | |
| Manufacturer |
MAECENAS IACULIS
Vestibulum curae torquent diam diam commodo parturient penatibus nunc dui adipiscing convallis bulum parturient suspendisse parturient a.Parturient in parturient scelerisque nibh lectus quam a natoque adipiscing a vestibulum hendrerit et pharetra fames nunc natoque dui.
ADIPISCING CONVALLIS BULUM
- Vestibulum penatibus nunc dui adipiscing convallis bulum parturient suspendisse.
- Abitur parturient praesent lectus quam a natoque adipiscing a vestibulum hendre.
- Diam parturient dictumst parturient scelerisque nibh lectus.
Scelerisque adipiscing bibendum sem vestibulum et in a a a purus lectus faucibus lobortis tincidunt purus lectus nisl class eros.Condimentum a et ullamcorper dictumst mus et tristique elementum nam inceptos hac parturient scelerisque vestibulum amet elit ut volutpat.
Kristy –
She’s my favorite winner of the show and I have so much respect for hwr, her determination, it’s awe inspiring and motivational. Add on top of of that she seems so sweet and kind hearted, and can cook amazingly!
I’m not a chef, just appreciate food and cooking shows, and I still bought this book wanting to support her. But the recipes look really tasty and achievable to even a novice like me, I’m excited to try a few.
Tayhlia –
Love Christine from Masterchef, was so excited to get her book. A little disappointing at how many pictures and how much background stories are in the book as opposed to recipes but even so, still worth it. Love the recipes in here.
Amazon Customer –
I love it! I’m a big fan! Thank you Christine!
Kathy Rauchett –
Not 1 recipe in this cook book is complicated its perfect for the home cook
Carol G –
I love the cookbook and I really like her, BUT, what is this new fad of writing cookbooks in light print???? It makes it very difficult to read. I simply DO NOT understand why the publishers are doing this. This was probably not her idea, but the publishers have to stop doing this!!! It’s the only reason I gave it 4 stars. The cookbook itself has many great recipes and, although I haven’t tried any yet, I know there are many that I do want to try. In a novel, do they print every other chapter in light print??? NO. Why do this in cookbooks. It is a pet peeve of mine as you can probably tell.
Courtland J. Carpenter –
One thing I picked up right away from watching Christine Ha, and rooting for her to win the third Season of MasterChef, I wanted “her” cookbook! I knew from the way the judges reacted, and how she tasted everything at many stages in the preparation process that the food would be great. It had been long enough now after the third season, so I thought I’d check the “Zon”, to see if the book was out. Sure enough it was, and wow a stunning achievement for a cook book. Every recipe in the book has a paragraph or two, telling a story about her history with the dish. A list of ingredients is provided, and a very concise, but complete explanation on how to combine the ingredients. There are occasional tips to improve or substitute for the dish. The book also has a running theme called “My Last Meal”, where she discusses her favorites in some detail.
The book also forms a picture bit by bit of Christine’s life, the inspirational food cooked by her late mother whom she lost at age 14, sadly leaving no written record of her recipes. Christine herself is blind, and I didn’t learn till I bought the book it happened in her 20’s after she’d graduated from college. Further, that she was not a cook who’d learned at her mothers apron strings, which I’d imagined on the show, but had gone off to college with as she tells it, three recipes. “Scrambled eggs with toast, frozen pizza, and instant ramen”. It was after college having to make for herself that she started to work with recipes, learned about cooking, found it fun, and then cooked for family gatherings.
A crisis in her life, almost convinced her to give up on cooking (an eye condition that caused her blindness), but through training and therapy to function as an unsighted person, she learned to cook all over again. This time, the lack of one sense, gave her an extraordinary means of creating delicious food. Gordon Ramsey, is known to be a big proponent of cooks having a sharp palate, being able to recognize tastes, how different spices and base foods can be blended in a pleasing manner. I think he judged Christine to be quite superior in that regard. It’s debatable, whether she’d have become this great, had she not lost her vision, but as they say “when one door closes….”
The recipes in the book are varied, some are very simple, yet quite good, and others medium to complex. Everything I’ve made so far I’ve liked, and often have been a theme on something I’ve made before, but her taste adjustments could make it taste better. I made the clam chowder, but substituted canned clams for live, and it was still great. The bacon, which I never would have thought of, did the dish wonders. I learned a new technique in burger making, in the mushroom and onion burger recipe. That is, keeping the mixture loose creates a better, more tender burger, and while this is commonly known, I guess I hadn’t read enough of the old boring recipe books I have, to know that!
I didn’t realize how easy it was to make a good soup, the complete explanation of how to blanch, and peel the tomatoes, and how long to cook everything, helped me make a tomato soup to die for! Some of the recipes called for things like fish sauce, white pepper and Maggi sauce, which I had a hard time finding. I was able to substitute in some cases, to give the recipe my own touch. For instance, the tomatoes soup, I had no fish sauce for the base flavoring, so I used Hondashi, a Japanese base for sushi rice, and miso soup. Sometimes made from Benito flakes, a kind of tuna, I had both the flakes, and the instant. I used the instant, and it worked fine.
Some of Christine’s stir fry dishes inspired me to make my own rendition of Konkatsu, a Japanese pork cutlet with rice bowl. Christine’s heritage is Vietnamese, but there are some similarities in Asian dishes. I make a good recipe for breaded fried chicken breast, that I often top a salad with. Using an all-purpose flour, I add chipotle pepper, cummin seed, curry powder, garlic salt, paprika, and Old Bay seasoning to the flour, and mix it up good. Then I roll a hammer-flattened chicken breast in the mixture to coat, then roll that in a raw beaten egg, and finally in standard breadcrumbs, or in Panko crumbs. Then, I heat some oil to 350 on the stove, and grill both sides turning with tongs; I try and keep it to four turns. Lastly, I put the breaded fried chicken breast on paper towels to soak up the oil. This can be served by itself or on top a salad with your favorite dressing. My brother is my main critic, and he said it could be served in a five-star restaurant, since he complains about every little thing he doesn’t like, I can give him some trust here! Back to my own inspiration, I used this technique, and some others in Christine’s noodle section, to enhance my Konkatsu, from the blending of two different soy sauces, to my own touch of caramelizing the onions first with sautéed mushrooms, the dish became rich and flavorful. My brother complained the pork was a bit tough, so I’ll have to learn better how to tenderize next time, but everything else was great.
To Christine, I say thank you for the wonderful and very readable cookbook; I welcomed a chance to enjoy your recipes. I think you are going to sell well, so now that you’re not in a hurry to capitalize on your victory, take your time and compile another set of recipes. There are so many theme cookbooks out there, despite comments from other reviewers, don’t fall into that trap. I liked the blending of Asian, mid-American, and American Southwest recipes. The theme for your books should be “special tastes”, as you use your gift to make great tasting food. Good luck and keep up the good work.
Flight Risk (The Gypsy Moth) –
I was one of the ones glued to the TV during Season 3 of “Masterchef” – and mostly because of the intriguing allure of one young contestant, Christine Ha. I was as blown away as everyone else when she came out that first time, aided by a white cane and a helper; and my thoughts were the same as Gordon Ramsay’s: what about hot stoves and sharp knives? (Ms Ha unfortunately lost her sight as a young adult.)
Was I ever wrong. Ms Ha set about proving to the world that she has what it takes to deliver world-class dishes – in the same amount of time as chefs with the advantage of sight. I watched her as she went about whacking together great food in an unhurried, confident manner, using all her other senses to produce toothsome, wonderful food that the three judges – Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Graham Elliott – almost universally went into raptures over. Ms Ha beat out not only thousands of initial applicants, but the final core group of 50 really good home chefs, to become the winner of Season 3 – a monumental accomplishment for anyone, much less a chef working with what would seem to be a huge disability.
As Gordon Ramsay points out, however, it almost seemed as though Ms Ha’s lack of sight was an advantage, as she was able to zero in on elements that other chefs obviously missed – taste, temperature, and composition. Her plates were exquisitely composed; she rarely screwed up at all noticeably; and she wowed the judges routinely.
I had to wait quite a while for her cookbook to be available, but I received it yesterday, and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes. Presented in an easy-to-read format and without a lot of extraneous filler, she gives us delectable-looking dishes like Candied Bacon (easy and oh-so-attractive), Ketchup Fried Rice (sounds pretty basic, but looks yummy), Sour Prawn Soup (my next recipe to try), and Buttermilk Fried Chicken (you want to eat the page). Most recipes that have a likeness to a Vietnamese recipe carry the Vietnamese name for it as well as the American name; there is a glossary of terms, also, at the end of the book. Some mention has been made of why fairly common recipes like some of the Italian ones (Spaghetti and Meatballs) were included, but I think any recipe that received the reaction that came from the three star judges that these did certainly earned a spot in Ms Ha’s book; and it is, anyway, a FIRST cookbook. If she is anything like as dynamic a person as she appears to be, I’m betting there will be more, and anyway, she strives for simplicity and for attainable recipes and ingredients that anyone can find and do.
Ms Ha attributes her success, mainly, to her mother, whom she lost when Christine was only 14,sadly. Her real success, however, comes from her indomitable spirit in overcoming serious obstacles to shine her star out above the pack. How wonderful it was to see her in action, producing such wonderful food. How great it was to see her win. I hope we continue to see her prove Gordon Ramsay and the others right for years and years to come.
Daisy Sawyer –
Made a few of the recipes, all easy to follow and very tasty
Sibir –
I don’t exaggerate when I say that Christine Ha is my hero. A disabled Vietnamese-American woman raised in Texas, she shares those roots with me, which is why I resonated so strongly with her journey in Masterchef, from her debut to her triumph that moved me to tears when I first watched it on TV (and I’m not typically an emotional person). For her sincerity, sheer grit, and inspiring work ethic, she deserves the world, namely her own cookbook. Celebrity cookbooks have a bad rep, but this is one worth getting.
What I love most about it is her shameless, unabashed fondness for the cultures she was raised in: her Vietnamese heritage and her southern American upbringing. The passion really shows in her stories and her recipes. The love and admiration she has for her late mother is very moving and touching. It’s almost physically impossible not to love Christine for her personality and culinary talent.
The aesthetic of the cookbook consists of small print and spare color and graphics. Not the most exciting eye-popping layout I’ve seen in a cookbook, but there’s a certain unassuming elegance and simplicity to it, like the way Christine presented most of her dishes in Masterchef. It fits.
I’m very pleased and not at all surprised to see that she featured the knockout dish that earned her the white apron on Masterchef: braised claypot catfish (cá kho tộ). It’s my favorite Vietnamese dish of all time. I was fiercely proud of Christine for choosing this lesser known, unassuming dish to wow the Masterchef judges. It’s sweet yet savory, tender and melts in your mouth. I wish more Vietnamese restaurants can bring this dish to mainstream awareness.
There’s a baffling choice in here that sticks out a sore thumb, however: the crawfish recipe featured is the standard Cajun one. Huge, HUGE missed opportunity to showcase Vietnamese Cajun crawfish. You can’t live in the greater Houston area and not have heard of the awesome fusion of Vietnamese Cajun cuisine. I believe we Vietnamese immigrants who settled in the South have taken the original Cajun recipe for crawfish and perfected it. Cooking crawfish with citrus and lemongrass gives it a unique pizazz that’s miles better than bombarding it with salt and seasoning. I’m not sure why Christine opted to use the standard Cajun recipe when I’m more than sure she must have heard of and enjoyed Vietnamese Cajun crawfish.
It really pains me to rate this any less than 5 stars. It’s more like a 4.5. I had to dock off half a star for lack of a recipe for Vietnamese Cajun crawfish. I still highly recommend this for fans of Christine Ha who want to share her passion and repertoire of favorite dishes in their own kitchen.
Author/Reviewer Geri Ahearn –
Christine HA, the winner of MasterChef, Season 3 on Fox delivers much more than a cookbook. What a delightful surprise to receive yesterday morning, and I enjoyed very much to read this page-turner in preparation for my selections. Chaper 1 are the SNACKS AND STARTERS; Chapter 2 is A BOWL OF COMFORT; Chapter 3 is FROM MY MAMA’s KITCHEN; Chapter 4 is WESTERN CLASSICS; Chapter 5 is FOOD FOR CASUAL GATHERINGS; Chapter 6 is ON THE SIDE; Chapter 7 is SOMETHING SWEET; and Chapter 8 is A STOCK, SAUCES, VINAIGRETTES,AND SEASONINGS. Christine HA uses her heightened senses of taste, touch, smell, and sound and is the first-time evercontestant in a cooking competition. After tragically losing her sight in her twenties, she became the extraordinary winner of MasterChef. In this collection, she includes delicious recipes for both Asian and American dishes.One of my selections will be the BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN, but there are several I’m anxious to try. The HUMBLE APPLE PIE is my daughter’s next selection, and I can’t wait to try the PORK BELLY SLIDERS, and the GINGER-COCONUT TUILES. With this mouth-watering recipe, she also includes a simple syrup recipe for this dessert. Included in this exciting cookbook are colorful photos, not for every recipe, but there are several stunning photos of prepared, cooked recipes. In addition, the author includes inspiring stories about her upbringing, and sharing her mother’s recipes. My daughter has already selected the CANDIED BACON, a recipe we never tasted, and easy-to-prepare. Some of her recipes include:PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE; SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS; PERFECT SPAGHETTI SAUCE; BAKED ZITI; CHICKEN POT PIE; PULLED PORK SANDWICHES; MEAT LOAF; MUSHROOM AND ONION BURGERS; and more. Some of the SIDE DISHES include: PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS SPEARS; ROASTED BEET SALAD; COWBOY CORN ON THE COB; and more. For Tonight, I will try the BROCCOLI-RICE CASSEROLE, and will leave Updates with all recipes we make. A Note of interest: There are colorful photos of prepared, cooked recipes almost on every other page. Also, some pages contain more than 1 stunning photo, not including the special pics of Christine. All photos in this book are inviting and inspiring! I can’t wait to make the BROWNED BUTTER ICE CREAM, and the PEACH SWEET TEA. My daughter has also selected the COCONUT-LIME SORBET. The desserts look incredible, and the photos of the desserts make your mouth water. Christine HA also defines the names of certain dishes, and explains in detail helpful tips per recipe. Thank you Christine for this inspiring Masterpiece of a cookbook! A great addition to my cookbook collection. Highly recommended!