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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream by Lyn Nguyen, Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning
2 reviews
mandkips's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Classism, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Death of parent
mezzano's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
Mango and Peppercorn is a delightful cookbook for people like me, who prefer memoirs and stories over lists of recipes and directions. When I learned that this cookbook was a memoir about three women whose lives intersected due to a real life found family situation, I knew I had to read it. As a fan of Vietnamese cuisine, I was also excited to finally learn how to make some of my favorite authentic dishes responsibly. While I'm not a huge subscriber to "American Dream"-esque stories, this half-cookbook half-memoir is a charming story about an immigrant, her child, and a close friend who is essentially family.
Something I enjoyed was how fast paced the book was. There are so many recipe websites which go on for ages with unrelated stories glued before recipe lists. This book's anecdotes are always closely related to the recipes they build to, and help you really feel an attachment to the cultures that is celebrated within its pages. It was really touching to watch one of the authors grow up throughout the memoir, and how that affected the other two authors, who were co-parents to her. The recipes were varied and diverse, and some even had adjustments for people who wouldn't want to try certain traditional ingredients. I also appreciated how simple the directions were and how clearly organized they were for the reader. If you were to flip through the memoir for recipes, they would be incredibly easy to spot. Other design details I really appreciated were the book's beautiful cover and decals throughout the pages.
At times the fast pace of the story leads to choppy transitions, but this is incredibly minor. This cookbook only has a few recipes, but each one is significant and meaningful to the people who made them. I would take a few recipes with heart over a long list any day.
Make sure to preorder or buy this book from a local bookstore when it comes out on March 16th! Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Something I enjoyed was how fast paced the book was. There are so many recipe websites which go on for ages with unrelated stories glued before recipe lists. This book's anecdotes are always closely related to the recipes they build to, and help you really feel an attachment to the cultures that is celebrated within its pages. It was really touching to watch one of the authors grow up throughout the memoir, and how that affected the other two authors, who were co-parents to her. The recipes were varied and diverse, and some even had adjustments for people who wouldn't want to try certain traditional ingredients. I also appreciated how simple the directions were and how clearly organized they were for the reader. If you were to flip through the memoir for recipes, they would be incredibly easy to spot. Other design details I really appreciated were the book's beautiful cover and decals throughout the pages.
At times the fast pace of the story leads to choppy transitions, but this is incredibly minor. This cookbook only has a few recipes, but each one is significant and meaningful to the people who made them. I would take a few recipes with heart over a long list any day.
Make sure to preorder or buy this book from a local bookstore when it comes out on March 16th! Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Death of parent
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