East, West and Everything in Between Sizzles in Chef's Dynamic Cooking by Lisa Messinger - Cooks' Books on Creators.com

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East, West and Everything in Between Sizzles in Chef's Dynamic Cooking

"Wild, Wild East: Recipes & Stories from Vietnam" by Bobby Chinn (Barron's, $29.99)

It makes sense that Bobby Chinn thinks of Vietnamese food without borders. He doesn't consider it to be one regional ingredient or cultural technique or another, but rather describes it more universally as, "fresh, clean flavors, light and healthy and incredibly diverse."

After all, top Hanoi-based restaurant chef Chinn is half Chinese, half Egyptian, born in New Zealand, raised in England, learned to cook in France and has lived in San Francisco and New York. All the influences make his cuisine unique and his first cookbook, "Wild, Wild East," a treasure chest of both traditional and innovative fare.

Vietnam's rich culinary past will spring to life (as will centuries'-old cooking techniques) with Chinn's stories and recipes for well-loved dishes, such as pho noodle soup, homemade pickles and coconut sticky rice.

However, it's Chinn's eclectic present that really turns up the interest. Oyster Brulee, for instance, is "a lighter take on Oysters Rockefeller inspired by my days at Fleur de Lys and is one of my favorite ways to cook oysters." The sake-filled, crushed ginger-infused dish that makes luscious use of extra-creamy mashed potatoes is sure to become a quick favorite, in fact, of most who attempt it.

Just as Restaurant Bobby Chinn has become a favorite of many in Hanoi as well. Chinn writes about how he got the bad feng shui out of the previous establishment and made his spot full of great feng shui. His cookbook seems to be filled with similar wonderful blessings, too.

STIR-FRIED FLAVORED CABBAGE

1 small green cabbage (about 1 pound)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon very finely chopped shallot

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 small tomato, cut into 8 wedges

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Yields 4 servings.

Halve the cabbage, separate the leaves and tear them into small bite-sized pieces.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the cabbage and cook until just tender. (Be careful not to overcook as the cabbage will be cooked again in the next step.) Drain the leaves, plunge them into cold water and set aside to drain fully.

Put a wok or saute pan over medium heat and, when hot, add vegetable oil. Stir-fry the garlic and shallot until translucent and tender. Add the blanched cabbage, fish sauce and salt and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, until fragrant.

Add the tomato and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring so that the flesh breaks down a bit. Throw in the scallion and stir-fry briskly until wilted.

Carefully transfer everything to a serving plate and garnish with the cilantro.

GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS

15 chicken wings

3 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped

4 tablespoons oyster sauce

4 tablespoons chili sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 cucumber, cut into ribbons using a potato peeler, for garnish

3 carrots, cut into ribbons using a potato peeler, for garnish

Yields 4 servings.

Place chicken wings in a bowl with the lemon grass. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for about 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Whisk the oyster and chili sauces together with 2 tablespoons water and the honey, then set aside. Preheat a grill.

Score the wings with a knife to ensure they cook evenly and help create more smoke. Place them on the grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side until just cooked.

Brush with some oyster sauce mixture. It is important not to put the sauce on until the wings are completely cooked, or the high sugar content will cause them to burn and get bitter.

Place the cucumber and carrot ribbons on a plate and top with the chicken wings. Serve with a drizzle of the remaining sauce.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.