With *Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart*, Sydney chef Pauline Nguyen has written an unusual and very moving cookbook/memoir. Nguyen’s family came to Australia as refugees from Vietnam in the late 1970s, and here she recounts the story of forging her new life in Cabramatta. Growing up with emotionally distant restaurateur parents was clearly difficult, but Nguyen acknowledges the influence her mother and father have had on her life and career, and in many ways this book is a tribute to them. If you’re a devotee of Vietnamese cuisine and are keen to emulate some of the classic dishes in your own kitchen, this richly designed book will show you how. A delight.