Vietnamese Cuisine Arrives in American Kitchens

Successful Vietnamese immigrant publishes
Americanized" Vietnamese Cookbook

Washington, DC-Vietnamese immigrant and Georgetown dressmaker Diana My Tran has written a cookbook of Vietnamese cuisine adapted especially for an American audience. THE VIETNAMESE COOKBOOK, being released this week from Capital Books, Inc., is a collection of traditional Vietnamese recipes simplified to meet the demands of Americans busy schedules and supermarket resources.
My time for cooking is as limited as it ever was when I was a new immigrant," Tran says. Traditional Vietnamese food can take time and effort to prepare-time I usually dont have, so I have created my own easier versions of Vietnamese dishes, tailored to the busy American lifestyle."
Diana My Tran came to America in 1975, a pregnant twenty year-old with no knowledge of English. She and her husband were sent to live in Carlisle, PA, where Diana first began introducing Americans to the art of Vietnamese cooking. Cooking Vietnamese dishes at that time was a challenge, because there were no Asian food stores in the area. Most of the time I could not find the traditional ingredients and had to make substitutions, but the food turned out just fine," she says.
Keeping the original tastes and textures, Dianas recipes make use of ingredients easily found in local supermarkets. THE VIETNAMESE COOKBOOK shows step-by-step instructions for making the healthy delights of Vietnamese cuisine fast and simply.
   A popular dressmaker and fashion designer in Washington, DC, Tran is aware of the diet concerns of her clients and their wish to eat healthier.    Vietnamese food is my secret for staying in shape. It is lighter and lower in fat than Western food, with a much higher proportion of vegetables."                
Vietnamese cuisine is also a good choice for vegetarian lifestyles, as most of the recipes either do not include meat or can be made without animal products.
THE VIETNAMESE COOKBOOK is illustrated throughout with photos of Vietnam and its food, taken by renowned National Geographic photographer Steve Raymer.
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Review copies are available to the media. Please call Kristen Gustafson at 703/661-1515 to request a copy or to schedule an interview with Diana My Tran.