Vietnamese Home Cooking: Quick, Easy, Delicious Recipes to Make At Home by Robert Carmack, Didier Corlous,and Nguyen Thanh Van (Periplus US$19.95)

When you want an easy meal, chances are you don't think of whipping up something that sounds hard, like ton kho nuoc dua -- Vietnamese Braised Pork with Young Coconut.

Maybe you should.

The authors of Vietnamese Home Cooking: Quick, Easy, Delicious Recipes to Make at Home contend dishes like Sizzling Coconut Crepes or Fried Glass Noodles with Fish could easily replace another tired meal of baked chicken or meatloaf.

If you have eaten at Vietnamese restaurants or while traveling in Vietnam, you will find this a welcome challenge.

If not, make this your official notification to try the perfectly balanced, pungent/mild cuisine with influences from both France and China.

That appealing balance is part and parcel of staples like spring rolls, which many might not realize are relatively simple to prepare using store-bought rice paper, or a satisfying soup that involves nothing more than chicken broth, jasmine rice, shallots, Chinese chives, and commercially prepared fish sauce -- a stale of Thai and Vietnamese cooking.

You can jump right in, or first read the interesting introductions to Vietnamese ingredients, techniques, and equipment. Cooks can get by with basics like a wok or add healthful helpers like a steamboat/hot pot.

That Asian "fondue" is a doughnut-shaped vessel for cooking food in broth right at the table.

As Vietnamese-food fans know, tabletop cooking on a brazier can be fun.

The authors are worthy guides.

Didier Corlous is executive chef at Hanoi's prestigious Sofitel Metropole,and previously oversaw a culinary staff of almost 200 at Sofitel Cambodia in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's largest hotel. Nguyen Thanh Van is a stilled chef who has worked with Corlou for years.

Robert Carmack writes extensively about Southeast Asian cuisine, including the excellent Thai Home Cooking and holds the Grand Diploma from La Varenne cooking school in France.

Their recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. Vibrant color photography accompanies the recipes in the form of finished dishes and, in some cases, helpful steps along the way.