An: To Eat

"Chef Helene An's . . . contribution to the California culinary landscape places her firmly in the ranks of Alice Waters and Wolfgang Puck." —Eddie Lin, Los Angeles Times food writer

In Vietnamese, "an" means "to eat" —a happy coincidence, since the An family has built an award-winning restaurant empire, including the renowned celebrity favorite Crustacean Beverly Hills.

Helene An, executive chef and matriarch of the House of An, is hailed as the "mother of fusion" and was inducted into the Smithsonian Institute for her signature style that brings together Vietnamese, French, and California-fresh influences. Now her daughter Jacqueline tells the family story and shares her mother's delicious and previously "secret" recipes, including "Mama's" Beef Pho, Drunken Crab, and Oven-Roasted Lemongrass Chicken.

Helene's transformation from pampered "princess" in French colonial Vietnam, to refugee then restaurateur, and her journey from Indochina's lush fields to family kitchen gardens in California is beautifully chronicled in this book. The result is a fascinating peek at a lost world, and the evolution of an extraordinary cuisine. The one hundred recipes in An: To Eat feature clean flavors, simple techniques, and unique twists that could only have come from Helene's personal story.

"An: To Eat isn't just a good cookbook, it's a hell of a story." —Epicurious

"It's so wonderful: The An story, the An family, and especially the An food. Vietnamese royal cuisine meets L.A. flair." —Alan Richman, sixteen-time James Beard Foundation winner for food writing and GQ food correspondent