VIETNAM: Spirits of the Earth, Frances FitzGerald, Photographs by Mary Cross

Over 100 color photographs reflect Vietnam's beautiful and varied landscape and culture. From the pale green rice fields, to floating houseboat villages, to the jagged rock formations of Ha Long Bay this book introduces each region of the country with grace and historical fact. The photographs allow an unobtrusive look at the different cultures and customs of Vietnam and document the richness of the Vietnamese landscape and customs. The accompanying text documents many aspects of contemporary life and include village festivals, the rites of ancestor worship, the cults of women goddesses and the revival of Buddhism. This is a Vietnam healed from the war, a Vietnam in which traditional culture is once again alive in the villages that form its heart.

PLEASURES OF THE VIETNAMESE TABLE: Recipes and Reminiscences from Vietnam's Best Market Kitchens,Street Cafes, and Home Cooks, Mai Pham

From Vietnamese markets, noodle shops, and home kitchens, chef and restaurateur Pham assembles delicious recipes, all capturing the fresh, exotic flavors of this vibrant land. Here she focuses on the wonderful food sold at markets and street corner stalls, starting with Pho, the famous rice noodle and beef soup, and moving on to salads and savory snacks, rice and noodle dishes, such as Hue Chicken Salad, Sizzling Saigon Crepes and Seafood Stew with Lemon grass and Dill. Pham points out that street food is highly regarded in Vietnam and that the cooks who offer these delicacies are regarded as master chefs, since many "have spent a lifetime perfecting one, or at most a few, specialty recipes dishes typically packed with flavors."