Recipes from My Home Kitchen: Asian and American Comfort Food from the Winner of MasterChef Season 3 on FOX: ACookbook
Product ID: 1574360
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Easy Vietnamese comfort food recipes from the winner of MasterChef Season 3. In her kitchen, Christine Ha possesses a rare ingredient that most professionally-trained chefs never learn to use: the ability to cook by sense. After tragically losing her sight in her twenties, this remarkable home cook, who specializes in the mouthwatering, wildly popular Vietnamese comfort foods of her childhood, as well as beloved American standards that she came to love growing up in Texas, re-learned how to cook. Using her heightened senses, she turns out dishes that are remarkably delicious, accessible, luscious, and crave-worthy. Millions of viewers tuned in to watch Christine sweep the thrilling MasterChef Season 3 finale, and here they can find more of her deftly crafted recipes. They'll discover food that speaks to the best of both the Vietnamese diaspora and American classics, personable tips on how to re-create delicious professional recipes in a home kitchen, and an inspirational personal narrative bolstered by Ha's background as a gifted writer. Recipes from My Home Kitchen will braid together Christine's story with her food for a result that is one of the most compelling culinary tales of her generation. Review: A recipe book that I can trust to give great taste, a true MasterChef! - 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. Review: a terrific debut for a deserving young chef - 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.
C**R
A recipe book that I can trust to give great taste, a true MasterChef!
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.
F**)
a terrific debut for a deserving young chef
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.
A**N
"OVER 75 DELICIOUS ASIAN AND AMERICAN COMFORT FOOD RECIPES WITH PHOTOS AND HELPFUL TIPS!"
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!
J**S
Fun Book
Had some tabs on some of the pages but all in all nice clean good shape.
M**S
The recipes look delicious, but the text isn't easy to read
It's ironic that a cookbook by a blind chef should be so hard to read. Much of the print is either a light blue or a grey and I, at least, need good light and a magnifying glass to read it. Not so convenient when you're trying to make a dish. I have to scan the page and enlarge it to use in the kitchen. It's really amazing to me that the readability of the text was overlooked in creating this amazing cookbook with so many interesting stories and recipes.
C**E
Love Masterchef - especially watching what Christine would come up with
This book has a nice mix of Vietnamese recipes and traditional American recipes. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. I just wish there were pictures with every recipe. I also wish they phonetically tell you how to pronounce the Vietnamese names! There are quite a few ingredients in the Asian dishes (typical of that cuisine) and the American dishes are pretty straight forward and use ingredients that every cook would be familiar with. I love the stories that Christine weave throughout the book. It gives a nice quality to the book. A personal note, if you will. I am very excited to cook EVERY recipe in this book - especially the Vietnamese ones. I am a pretty good cook and have been trying new recipes for years, but I find that a lot of Asian recipes are intimidating - but the way Christine has presented these (very user friendly)- I am ready to dive in! Good job Christine - Best of luck!!!!!
A**R
Easy and Delicious Recipes
I own a lot of cook books, and some I like more than others. This is my newest cook book and I have currently made 2 recipes. Both had simple instructions to follow, and both were exceptionally delicious. For those of you who think that this is a cook book full of asian recipes, let me clear that up - there are a variety of dishes from around the world. The two recipes I have made were baked ziti and chicken curry. I have been making baked ziti for 15 years, and this was by far the most flavorful and delicious baked ziti I have ever made. As for the chicken curry, I have never before made any curry, and was a little hesitant, but this recipe was also delicious. Christine's writing style is friendly, easy to follow, and offers many alternatives and options for the recipes. I highly recommend this cook book, I am sure it will be a quick favorite for you just as it has become a favorite of mine.
K**G
New or old Cook
If you have a friend or family member who like to cook, this is a great cook book for them. Even if they are new into cooking, this is still a great gift for them. You do not have to be Vietnamese to use this book at all.
C**O
ok
consigliato spedizione perfette materiale ottimo venditore perfetto in tutto bravi bravi brvai bravi continuate cosi tornero sicuramente a comprare da voi.
O**S
Love it!
I bought this as my first cook book because Christine inspires me so much! Many great recipes! I now make the best Teriyaki sauce, easy and better than store premade ones! The shaking beef gotta be my favorite recipes! Soooo good! And who doesn't love asparagus and prosciutto as a starter? Still many recipes to tries but so far I'm loving all of them!
N**G
Person und Küche inspirierend
Amerikanisierte Vietnam-Küche. Viele Rezepte lassen das Wasser im Mund zusammenlaufen. Man muss die Rezepte nicht sklavisch mit Zutaten und Abmesungen nachkochen, es ist Raum für eigene Ideen. Beim Umgang mit dem Buch snd gute Englischkenntnisse und eine Kenntnis der amerikanischen Gewichtseinheiten nützlich. Außer mit den Kochrezepten beeindruckt die Autorin mit ihrer Persönlichkeit. Sie wurde als Erwachsene blind, ergab sich nicht ihrem Schicksal und überzeugte mit ihren Auftritten bei Kochwettbewerben, als Foodbloggerin und als Autorin. Ganz bestimmt ein Vorbild in jeder Hinsicht.
L**E
Such an inspirational book
After watching Christine win Masterchef and seeing some of the incredible dishes that she produced it was hard to resist buying this cook book. This recipe book has a much different feel to any i have read before - it has a great story that fits in with all of the dishes in the book. Christine is such an inspirational cook due to the fact that she has quite a substantial disability for a chef - not being able to see. For any home cook that is looking to learn some great new recipes and be inspired along the way - this is the book for you.
K**G
Great selection of asian receipes!
I love the great wide range of dishes.
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