When I saw the title Noodle Soup, I snapped up this cook book in a hot second. I love to cook and my family loves noodles. What also caught my attention was the mention of crickets in the table of contents. My son is doing a marketing presentation on crickets as a sustainable food source and this caught my eye.

It’s my belief that a good stock is the secret to a great soup. The section on stocks is detailed and described in an easy and accessible way. You don’t have 3 stalks of celery? Don’t worry about it, use what you have. There are a few easy techniques that I wasn’t familiar with and will add when cooking stocks from now on.

Fresh vs dried. It’s all covered and to make your own is explained in easy detailed instructions. I especially liked the Global Classics section. Featured are many different countries and how they incorporate noodles. Mr. Albala is passionate about noodles and it shows in his experimentation with alcohol infused noodles, script, colors, and many other interesting ideas.

As much as I like to cook, I like table ware. There is a section on utensils. Did you know different countries use a unique style of chopsticks? Very interesting. Bowls make a difference too. Etiquette is also covered on how to use those chopsticks with a spoon. Tips on making me feel less awkward in a Korean restaurant is a bonus.

I will use this cook book as a reference and an addition to my collection.

Thank you Ken Albala, Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

With colder temperatures, fall produce, and the need for delicious food for daily and holiday eating, I delved into 'Noodle Soup'. This is a wide ranging book, with recipes, techniques and commentary. I tested several of the recipes and found them to be a wonderful addition to my range of home-cooked foods. I really learned so much about noodles, ramen, flavor, techniques and how to make the best darned noodle soup there is. This book gave me confidence that I could not just make soup or noodles, but that I could make the best soup and noodles that my family had ever tasted. 5 Yums from me!

I am a one of those people who (and I quote from the final words in this book) “like to cook, enjoy sharing food” and “care seriously what they eat in terms of health, environment, and gastronomic pleasure” But precisely because I care seriously about food, I find I am ambivalent about this book. I would recommend it without hesitation as an interesting and superbly researched book on noodle soup, but would not recommend it as a source of useful recipes.

The first section was a great read. I really enjoyed the easy writing style which made the history of the evolution of noodles and noodle soup so accessible. I felt as if I was sitting in a room with a superb teacher – being entertained and educated at the same time. Information on bowls and utensils, etiquette (to slurp or not to slurp?) and the history of noodle ingredients and cooking methods was fascinating. The section on tools for rolling, cutting and stamping noodles covered an interesting range of equipment used in various countries and the author’s recommendation for home use.

The chapter on stock was excellent, with recipes for a wide range of authentic stocks and including interesting historical information. Then a chapter on making the noodles, including the use of a variety of grains, followed by a section on garnishes, viz. the vegetables and proteins that can be added to a noodle soup

But once I moved onto recipes that included brightly coloured noodles made from dehydrated vegetables to create a noodle that looks like “ a Dr Who scarf” and potato chip noodles or a Cheetos noodle soup, I started to lose interest. I would have much preferred more on traditional recipes from around the world, than the reconstructions that included French fry noodle soup and breakfast buttered-toast noodle soup. I understand that the aim is to try to make the reader experiment with different ingredients and combinations but as a serious cook, I cannot see myself serving my family or friends any of the reconstructions or the inventions using garishly coloured noodles in weird patterns.

The book has delicious recipes that are easy to prepare. However, this book is not an ordinary cook book. This book contains history and cultural background explained and applied to the recipes which is amazing!

Like ingredients thrown in a pot to boil a tasty broth, this was a tasty mashup of history, journal, and recipes. As a ramen fanatic, I loved reading the background of humans' relationship with noodles over the ages. I also enjoyed the recipes across the world, though the formatting felt more conversational than usefully instructive. One thing's for sure: this book made me hungry!

Noodle Soup is my go-to comfort food. Udon is my favorite. I was very excited to see this cookbook.

For a cookbook, there is a lot of time spent on exploring the worldwide history of noodles. Recipes are from North Dakota , Tibet, Peru, Morocco, Italy, Singapore, basically everywhere. Techniques are exhaustively explained. Photographs are provided. This is a Noodle Soup Textbook. Only, replete with humor.

I liked the photos and explanation of adding dehydrated vegetables to noodle dough. I loved the advice about cricket flour noodles. I loved that there is a recipe for Uyghur Laghman. This is definitely not a vegetarian cookbook, but there are some meatless recipes.

This is a very funny, encyclopedic, practical, well written book. I loved it! Would make a great gift for food historians, cooks, and foodies.

Sorry cannot review as unable to download in current format. Thankyou for approval though. I will look out for title when published