Member Reviews

Noodle was a staple food of south east asian countries..... There are many recipes can be made with noodles .... This book with various noodle soup recipes is a great addition to cookbook collection........

Was this review helpful?

Thoroughly enjoyed the variety of dishes and techniques presented in this nicely produced book. I have spent many afternoons just browsing and enjoying the loving attention Albala gives to such a versatile food. The dishes presented here are laid out in a way that is accessible and inspiring -- I've succeeded in upping my noodle game!

Was this review helpful?

Noodle was a staple food of south east asian countries..... There are many recipes can be made with noodles .... This book with various noodle soup recipes is a great addition to cookbook collection........

Was this review helpful?

This book is definitely geared towards chefs and people with a high level of cooking skill, despite the author stating otherwise. Noodle soup is a recipe book, but it emphasizes making noodles from scratch, which is not always practical or possible for everyone. I don't have high enough knife skills to cut pasta on my own, nor can I afford a pasta maker so I was unable to try the recipes. All of the soups include meat, but I suppose they can be made vegetarian. I'm giving Noodle Soup three stars because the recipes look good, but they are not accessible to the average cook.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! I never gave any thought as to how many varieties of noodle soup there are on Earth! This book has over 100 from every day ones I'm familiar with, to the exotic (even a micron one!). And noodles- everything from Fermented Rice Noodles to batter noodles. Tips and techniques are also featured, as are ingredients and broths. Worth a look if you enjoy noodle soup. Photos are really yummy looking!

Was this review helpful?

This book is full of interesting information of my favorite foods, soup and noodles! I am so excited to have some great new recipes! The photos are beautiful. I really appreciate the details about the types of noodles and best soup bases. I can’t wait to try new types of broths and make more delicious soups. I’m hoping I can find some of these noodles to try they sound great.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who had only made one kind of soup before: chicken noodle soup, this book expanded my knowledge on the types of noodle soup and gave great insight in preparing the meal.

Was this review helpful?

This is more than a cookbook it is also a history of noodles and includes everything you ever wanted to know about noodles. And that is part of the problem the author includes way too much information and not enough recipes. Like the author this book will appeal to those who are obsessed with noodles it is not for the casual noodle lover. The author also includes some beautiful photographs. If you love noodles you will love this book

Was this review helpful?

The skies the limit with how to make noodle soup. Almost a recipe for every day of the year. Easy to follow recipe, great photos.

Was this review helpful?

I;ve always loved a good noodle soup, and frequently purchase udon and soba,but always do the same 3 things with it. I've been broadening my horizons a bit with this cookbook and have been loving every minute of it.

Was this review helpful?

I am BIG fan of noodles and I wanted to LOVE this. I love how the author takes the time to explain noodles, the different types, how one should eat noodles, the proper utensils with a certain type of noodle, yet I was looking more for a traditional cookbook which this is not. I wanted recipes, not a long explanation in every section. That said, the recipes provided were excellent, I just wish there was more.

Was this review helpful?

I love noodles. I am always looking for ways to spice up Ramen. But just let me say, I will never be making noodles from scratch. But if you wanted to do that, you can find instructions in this book for making noodles from scratch.

There were suggestions on picking out the best bowl and the best spoon. Several good pictures of noodle soup. I could have done without the picture of shrimp paste.

I did gain a few ideas that I can incorporate into my menus.

3 Stars
The book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Noodle soup is a cookery book showing how to make noodles and stocks, along with recipes to use.

There are 10 chapters starting with an Introduction, Utensils, Noodle Soup History and Tools. It then moves onto how to make the Stocks such as chicken or meat and many different types of Noodles be that wheat, starch, grains or pulled. The Noodle chapter also includes a praise for dried pasta and unusual ingredients such as cricket or tigernuts, both of which were unexpected.

The last four chapters cover Garnishes & seasonings, Global Classics, Reconstructions and Inventions. The noodle recipes come from across the world so lots of variety can be had with this book. Recipes are for one person, but easily increased for more people as required.

There is some lovely colour photography in the book, but not with each recipe. In regards to the recipes, including the noodle and stock ones, not all are laid out with the separate ingredients at the top and instructions underneath; many include the ingredients in the instructions which makes it harder to follow.

The measurements are in cups with no metric conversion table.

I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Ever wonder where noodle soup originated? Ken Albala wondered, and did enough research on the subject that no one else needs to do it. Albala presents all that research - actually everything you could ever want to know about noodle soup – in Noodle Soup: Recipes, Techniques, Obsession, which is an excellent cookbook with dozens of variations of noodle soup from everywhere around the world.

Although Albala has no problem using dried pasta in his noodle soups, he prefers homemade noodles when time permits, and in this cookbook, teaches us to make noodles from not only wheat flour, but also from other unique ingredients, including pig’s blood, Cheetos, potato chips, and acorns. He even explains how he made them from cricket flour once and strongly suggests that we don’t make that version. Personally, I plan to stick with the more pedestrian varieties like German Spaetzle, and Polish Kluski, as well as traditional homemade pasta that I run through my hand-crank pasta machine.

I love the international varieties of noodle soup that are included in this book, and am especially intrigued by the Fregola, which is a baked pasta from Sardinia; it is in my queue of pastas to make from this book. The book has several ways to make broth, including the trendy bone broth, and dozens of recipes for clear soups using broth and vegetables, poultry, and meats. As a big fan of caramelized onions and French onion soup, I did make the Onion Noodle Soup and it was fabulous with noodles, cheese, and onions.

The recipes in this book are not written in the traditional way – I guess it’s because Albala is a college professor and not a traditional food writer (although he has written other cookbooks). They are, however fairly easy to follow, and the prose in the book is well-written and fascinating. Albala’s sense of humor comes through which makes for fun reading. The one negative about this book is that there aren’t enough photographs of the dishes. In this modern day, there is no excuse for not including pictures of every dish. The photos that are included are excellent – there just needs to be more.

All told, Noodle Soup: Recipes, Techniques, Obsession would be a nice addition to a comprehensive recipe collection, and noodle soup lovers will welcome the recipes and new ideas, as well as the facts, history, and trivia.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

I could eat noodles for every meal without ever getting tired of them. Fortunately there are many many kinds of noodles and Ken Albala covers them well in this text. I enjoyed slowly reading through this book when I wanted some noodle inspiration. It was very interesting to see the different techniques and tools that are utilized across the world. An often overlooked food component noodles can be far more complex than they initially appear to be. This is a great primer on the subject of noodles and the recipes that are provided in this book are intriguing. I am interested to try quite a few of them! For noodle novices and lovers alike.

Was this review helpful?

Very well put-together book for preparing noodle soups of all kinds. From the history of noodle soups to the preparation of so many different noodles and vegetables, there is something for everyone here. The stocks are especially well presented and sound so delicious.

Was this review helpful?

Interesting cookbook on noodle soup. Very well researched and goes into the history and types of handmade noodles and techniques. Overall, it was an interesting read although it didn't inspire me to actually make noodle soup from scratch. Found it a dry read, difficult to maintain interest. The layout of the recipes could also be improved.

Would recommend for hardcore noodle soup eaters.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book wasn't at all what I was expected. It's a great history of noodles and the impact and importance of noodles to the culture of Asia, however I was looking for a cookbook. There are recipes, but the recipe I tried I found hard to follow. The focus was more on technique and history of noddles, rather than recipes to make them at home.

Was this review helpful?

Easy to read and I'm excited to try some of the suggestions!

Was this review helpful?