Los Angeles: A patchwork megalopolis defined by its unlikely cultural collisions; the city that raised and shaped Roy Choi, the boundary-breaking chef who decided to leave behind fine dining to feed the city he loved—and, with the creation of the Korean taco, reinvented street food along the way.
Abounding with both the food and the stories that gave rise to Choi's inspired cooking, L.A. Son takes us through the neighborhoods and streets most tourists never see, from the hidden casinos where gamblers slurp fragrant bowls of pho to Downtown's Jewelry District, where a ten-year-old Choi wolfed down Jewish deli classics between diamond deliveries; from the kitchen of his parents' Korean restaurant and his mother's pungent kimchi to the boulevards of East L.A. and the best taquerias in the country, to, at last, the curbside view from one of his emblematic Kogi taco trucks, where people from all walks of life line up for a revolutionary meal.
Filled with over 85 inspired recipes that meld the overlapping traditions and flavors of L.A.—including Korean fried chicken, tempura potato pancakes, homemade chorizo, and Kimchi and Pork Belly Stuffed Pupusas—L.A. Son embodies the sense of invention, resourcefulness, and hybrid attitude of the city from which it takes its name, as it tells the transporting, unlikely story of how a Korean American kid went from lowriding in the streets of L.A. to becoming an acclaimed chef.

L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food

Biographies & Memoirs

Nguyen, Tien

Choi, Roy

Phan, Natasha

Arts & Literature

Anthony Bourdain/Ecco

The official cookbook of 100 recipes from the cult favorite and top chef lauded fish sauce brand, Red Boat Fish Sauce&nbsp;&nbsp; You wouldn't expect a condiment made of&nbsp; anchovies to gain cult status--but that's exactly what Red Boat Fish Sauce did, earning praise from food titans like David Chang, Andrea Nguyen, and Ruth Reichl. But what's even more incredible is the story behind its success and founder, Cuong Pham. After a year-long journey to America from Vietnam after the war, he found himself working for Steve Jobs at Apple in 1984. But, all the while, he missed the tastes of his childhood--what the grocery store had just wasn't it--and set out to find what he and his family remembered so acutely. With this collection of 100 recipes, learn how to punch up flavor in Vietnamese classics like Bún ChA&nbsp;and Sugarcane Shrimp--but also in favorites like Chicken Wings and Pork Roast. With behind-the-scenes stories in every chapter spanning from breakfast, dinner, snacks, desserts, and holiday celebrations, this book encompasses a true American story and is the perfect guide to using this incredible pantry staple.

The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook: Beloved Recipes from the Family Behind the Purest Fish Sauce

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Pham, Cuong

Tran, Diep

Cooking by Ingredient

Harvest

The founder of the national empires Umami Burger and 800 Degrees Pizza shows how to detonate flavor in beloved dishes using ordinary ingredients high in umami Why does everyone love burgers and pizza? When Adam Fleischman investigated, he discovered what they—and many other ultra-flavorful dishes—have in common: umami. A renegade self-taught cook, Fleischman deployed this savory “fifth dimension of taste” to ratchet up flavor using ingredients naturally rich in umami, such as Parmesan, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and anchovy paste. In so doing, he created ultimate versions of icons, including Umami Burger with Port and Stilton, Sweet and Savory Brisket, and Parmesan Fondue. All the recipes are made from the same “umami pantry” ably explicated in the front of the book.

Flavor Bombs: The Umami Ingredients That Make Taste Explode

Fleischman, Adam

Main Courses & Side Dishes

In Sohn-mat, which translates to "hand taste" and refers to intuitive cooking, Chef Monica Lee showcases recipes for soon tofu, the iconic Korean soup made with soft tofu, from her beloved LA Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu. Sohn-mat is a master class in how to make this exceptional tofu soup at home, as well recipes for all of the other dishes you need to complete the meal, from banchan, to kimchi, to large-format dishes like bibimbap. Beyond its loyal customers, Beverly Soon Tofu was highly acclaimed. The restaurant was written about by Jonathan Gold and Ruth Reichl, and profiled by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown. Blending the technical expertise of a chef with the practical know-how of a home cook, Sohn-mat offers what no other Korean book on the market does: a level of sophistication that is still geared toward the home kitchen. Sohn-mat is for fans of Beverly Soon Tofu and those interested in learning about Korean food and cultivating their own intuitive cooking skills.

Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking

Lee, Monica

Hardie Grant North America

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Books by Nguyen, Tien