World Culinary Arts

Rice: Vietnam’s Foundation Grain

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that Vietnam runs on rice. The humble grain is the country’s most important crop, and the major source of calories in the diet. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest rice exporter, after Thailand, a huge achievement for such a small country. Vast rice paddies blanket the nation, from the terraced highlands of the north to the fertile river valleys of the Mekong Delta. Rural people still work these verdant fields by hand, sowing, weeding and harvesting the grain according to nature’s schedule, in a cycle that defines their way of life.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Coconut in the Vietnamese Kitchen

Fresh coconut is one of the mainstays of the market. Young coconut, which hasn’t formed a hairy shell yet, is sweet and juicy, and vendors shave it on the spot for use in salads or for a quick snack. Note the clever knife, with its central slit, used to shave fruits and vegetables. It’s the Vietnamese version of a mandoline, and you can pick one up at the market.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Our culinary adventure in Vietnam ends in Ho Chi Minh City, still informally known as Saigon. Ingredients and cooks from all over the country converge on this hustling city, the country’s largest, and despite Saigon’s wealth of sophisticated restaurants, there may be no more enjoyable place to eat in town than at the Ben Thanh Market. At its no-fuss food counters, diners can feast on steamed rice rolls or bun cha, (Boon Cha) grilled pork with rice noodles.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Vietnam North to South: A Cook’s Diary

The slender, serpentine profile of Vietnam extends nearly 1,000 miles from north to south, but measures just thirty miles across at its narrowest. Bordered by China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west, this lengthy country can boast an astonishing range of landscapes and climates. In the chilly north, near the China border, tribal people inhabit spectacular mountains known as the Tonkinese Alps (TAWN-Kin-Ease). In the cool central highlands, coffee plantations thrive, while in the tropical south, banana trees lurk in the lush jungle valleys and miles of pristine beaches draw vacationers to the coast.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Vietnam: Introduction

Travel with Mai Pham, (pronounced "My fahm") a chef, cookbook author and Vietnamese food authority, through the street-food stalls of Hanoi and the floating markets of the Mekong.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
http://www.ciaprochef.com/wca/vietnam/

Singapore: The Gastronomic Melting Pot of Southeast Asia

Singapore: a city, an island, a modern Asian nation. This captivating country at the crossroads of Southeast Asia has multiple identities, countless mysteries and a culture woven from many threads. Now a bustling, orderly metropolis with one of the busiest ports in Asia, Singapore has long been a magnet for people seeking opportunity. The British added Singapore to their crown in 1819, when a young merchant named Thomas Stamford Raffles saw its potential as a trading post and established a British port there. With its prime position on the tip of the Malay Peninsula, on the main sea route between two oceans, Singapore thrived as a commercial outpost, luring Southern Chinese traders and laborers and, later, Indian immigrants. These new arrivals intermarried with the native Malay people, provoking a slow, natural fusion of cultures, religions, architectural style and cuisines. Today, the glamorous Raffles hotel preserves the memory of the visionary who saw Singapore’s potential, and the city’s famous hawker centers preserve the dishes that have emerged from this unique melting pot. KF Seetoh, the author of a popular guide to Singaporean street food and restaurants, gives us a little background on his country’s culinary culture.

Introduction to the Cuisine of the Caribbean

Join The Culinary Institute of America on a tour of the cuisines of the Caribbean. The islands of Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago offer a complex world of flavors, where fine dining can be found side by side with a staggering array of street eats and finger-licking beach treats.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
www.ciaprochef.com/WCA7

Close to Cuisine of the Caribbean

We leave the islands reluctantly, but with memories of Puerto Rico’s empanadillas de jueyes, Jamaica’s curried goat, and the tangy condiments that season Trinidad and Tobago’s bake and shark. We return home with taste memories and ideas that will serve as inspiration for a lifetime of good eating.
Get Recipes and watch the full series with closed captioning at:
www.ciaprochef.com/WCA7