Cooking for One Person Recipes: Beef Stew

The Pleasures of Cooking for One

by: Judith Jones

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 05/30/2012)
List Price: $27.95

The book is about cooking for oneself many nights of the week for possibly an extended period of time. This is a reality that anyone could find themselves in at one time or another. The essence of this book is how does one pare down and prepare interesting "Old Fashioned" dishes that one has made for most of one's life without wasting an abundance of food or caving into the frozen food section of the local supermarket. To that end I think it succeeds admirably. it's written with style, wit and panache by a lady who has edited some of the most skilled and well known food writers of the last 50 years. The menu items are just about perfect for my taste and decidedly not trendy or cutting edge; just simple little classics like Boeuf Bourguignon, a fish filet in parchment, broiled chicken, fennel-apple-walnut salad, leek and potato soup.... the list goes on and on. You can almost imagine Julia Child (God rest her) fixing herself exactly these meals on the rare night when she wasn't being feted at one venue or another. This is a lovely little book, filled with "small plate" recipes and basic pantry/tool needs to have on hand. The writing is deft and enjoyable even if you don't know a sauce pan from a soup pot. If you find yourself single and like to cook, buy this book!