Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I want to first state that I am not Vietnamese so I cannot vouch for authenticity.

The Foods of Vietnam by Nicole Routhier has been good to me. I have the 1989 version, but I'm sure the 1999 version is just as good. According to Amazon.com, the later version has a few more pages.

There is a short section where she makes recommendations for menus (simple, elegant, buffet, etc.), which is helpful, as well as how to order at a restaurant.

There are recipes for 9 sauces, as well as how to make the fried shallots. I've only tried the standard ones - nuoc leo (peanut sauce) and nuoc cham (fish sauce) + variation (added shredded carrots and daikon).

I've made the summer rolls (don't really need a recipe for that tho-...), spring roll, shrimp paste on sugar cane, pho bac, crepe, and various mix n match of shrimp, meat, and salads.

The only negative is that each dish doesn't have a picture. Most of them do, but not all. If I am baffled, I refer to Vietnamese Food & Cooking by Ghillie Basan, a cheapie discounted $6 cookbook from Borders with lots of pictures, a longer introduction explaining ingredients, and includes Cambodian dishes. Both books cover festivals and other cultural influences that have shaped Vietnamese cooking.

Routhier's cookbook also lists the Vietnamese name and the English translation. I really like it when cookbooks list both so I can identify them when I am at a restaurant.

I think it's worth checking out at the library/online to see if you like it. Good luck.

Thanks so much! I will get both.