Customer Reviews

Cooking for One (Cook's Essentials)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good cookbook for making a special meal for yourself. Most the ingredients can be found at a good grocery store, although a few are more difficult. Some recipes--such as the Chicken with Tomatoes & Olives, or the the Peppered Steak in Beer--may even call for ingredients you have on hand, especially if you enjoy cooking.

I found these recipes only moderately complex. Often there are several ingredients in a dish, but rarely are there more than three or four steps in putting it together. Also, you aren't required to know a lot of special cooking techniques or terms. Most things are explained well, often with pictures. Once you had the right ingredients, I would think you could make almost all of these recipes in an hour or less (not counting marinating and/or chilling time). I thought the recipe for Skate with Lemon might be too much work when I noticed it had 10 ingredients, but it came together quickly and tasted delicious.

However, this isn't a cookbook to buy for everyday cooking for singles. Try Jane Doerfer's Going Solo in the Kitchen or--my favorite--Francis Price's Cooking For Two or Just for You if you need a cookbook to help you eat better regularly. Because the recipes in Cooking For One do have more expensive ingredients and take more time in shopping and preparation, it's better reserved for treating yourself right now and then. Also, the whole book has fewer than 40 recipes, which may explain it's low price tag.

Generally, I think this book is a good buy for an occasional treat--better than Solo Suppers, which is too elaborate for me. But it's not the right book for every solo cook, particularly not for those who don't really like cooking but are just looking for an alternative to the Big Mac.

This book is not for those who are looking for a quick and simple dinner after a hard day's work. It's best to use this book for special occasions - like birthday - if you spend it alone. Ok, maybe it's for regular days too if you are an experienced cook who can't live w/o great good. The color photos are beautiful but the ingredient lists may scare you. This is a thin book with not many recipes.

This is a very thorough book that contains several recipes I look forward to trying. Be advised, however, that the book is written with the British chef in mind - many vegetables are referred to by names your average US citizen is not familiar with (mange touts, pulses). Additionally, many ingredients are indicated by weight, which in combination with the complexity of some of the recipies, makes this a book better suited to the somewhat dedicated cook, rather than your average individual interested in eating properly without companionship.

The recipes are all very carefully planned and delicious.

Unfortunately, some of the ingredients are very hard to find.

It is good to have it handy when you have guest over, because the meals are not only delicous, but also very attractive looking and smell lovely.