Customer Reviews

Cooking for Two: 2009,The Year's Best Recipes Cut Down to Size

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Great cookbook! I think this will be the new thing I give as a wedding/shower gift although all the kitchen product reviews make it a better engagement gift, to have it when you register! I have tried a few recipes so far out of this and have also read through many of them. I like how precise the directions are, although I will admit that being a less experienced cook I have had a couple messups (like not mincing onions small enough to cook in the time they suggest, or maybe my burner was too low?) but these were truly my own fault and could have been avoided. Either way, I learned! So far I have tried the Bi Bim Bop, Shrimp and Cheddar Grits (twice! yum!), Spaghetti with Parmesan, Breadcrumbs & Fried Egg as well as one side- the Garlicky Green Beans. All were good recipes that i would make again. They offer lots of clever short cuts, so many how-to's and I think the index by ingredient is genius for allowing you to plan a week's worth of foods using up certain ingredients (like cabbage, heavy cream, ricotta cheese) by seeing what else you can make with it. That may be a feature of other cookbooks but it was new to me. There are chapters that focus more on weeknight meals, where they try to make it quick and involve few dishes but I like that they also include more involved, labor-of-love recipes. One thing I am looking forward to trying is the 2 person lasagna made in a loaf pan, though there are lots of nice ideas like that. I also have the Best of America's Test Kitchen for 2009 and although it's great, I would have gotten just this book had I seen it first. (I'll will still use it for when I'm cooking for more people though!) Just started watching the show and subscribed to Cook's Illustrated, nothing like going overboard! But if it gets me to cook more I'll take it. Glad to hear in the Amazon video that it will be an annual cookbook!

This book is focused on an interesting concept: A lot of recipes are for 4 or more people. What about those two person households? One cannot always just halve ingredients to produce a 2 person rather than a 4 person recipe. This book hopes to address that issue. With my son likely to leave in the near future (he'll graduate from college soon), creating his own life path, it will be basically 2 person dishes for me to prepare in the future, so this book has some value for me.

And, in my view, it does a good job. A nice touch is the description by the authors (from America's Test Kitchen) of how they go about experimenting, sometimes trying several different approaches to get just the right taste.

There is one nice "upfront" feature, stocking a "cooking for two" kitchen. But it is the recipes that are at the heart of any cookbook. So, let's take a look at a sampling. The very first recipe is nice: "Pan-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables." Potatoes, carrots, and shallots with bone in chicken breasts and herbs such as thyme, red pepper flakes, a garlic clove. Add a bit of lemon juice. Pretty straightforward instructions. Another skillet meal is easy and delicious--"Stir-Fried Beef with Snap Peas and Red Pepper."

I find that poaching is a useful technique for keeping dishes moist. On page n31 is a nice recipe for "Poached Salmon with Herb and Caper Vinaigrette." I have my own recipe for poaching salmon, but this looks even better, so I look forward to trying it out. One of the main dish recipes is "Roast Rack of Lamb with Whiskey Sauce." The whiskey sauce sounds tasty--shallot, rosemary, garlic clove, flour, Scotch whiskey, chicken broth, parsley, butter, and lemon juice.

There are also pasta recipes and grill recipes and side dishes and desserts.

All in all, a good cookbook with an irresistible premise for me at this point in my life, as I am about to be cooking for two.

First, a little background. I'd always wanted to learn how to cook. Everyone else in my family is a fairly expert cook, but for various reasons I'd missed out on the childhood training the rest of my siblings got. So I was the microwaver in a family of chefs, and more than a little annoyed by that fact.

About six months ago, I decided I'd had enough of not knowing, and I dug my mother's old cookbooks out of storage. The problem was that all the recipes in those books (Julia Child's Beef Bourguinon, for example) took six hours to make and seemed to feed sixteen people (and even Beef Bourguinon gets tiresome after you've eaten it for a week straight).

That all changed when my girlfriend saw this book in the store and picked it up for me (and for us). It was *exactly* what I needed. At this point I've prepared slightly fewer than half of the recipes in this book at least once (probably five or so have become staples we make regularly, two to three times a month). The portions are just right for the pair of us (sometimes there's a little left over for the dog). Out of the fifty-odd recipes I've cooked from this book, only two of them -- the ones involving chipotle peppers -- have been real duds [even the dog wouldn't eat the tortilla casserole :( ]. The others have all been excellent -- from the pork loin with mango salsa (which was so good it made my girlfriend's sister promise to start stalking our kitchen) to the tuscan white bean soup (which I've started keeping all the ingredients for ready to hand, so I can whip it up whenever).

More importantly, though, at least to me, this cookbook has actually given me what I needed to learn how to cook all those dishes. The recipes get fairly "fancy" (rack of lamb, risottos, chicken kiev, recipes with italian words in them) but the directions are methodical, detailed, and *simple* -- the prep time ranges from a half hour to an hour for almost everything in here (at least once you learn what you're doing -- figure twice that as you learn), and everything's spelled out in a way that even a complete cooking novice can follow the directions and turn out something excellent. This book taught me how to brown a pork chop, how to make a risotto from scratch, how to make a stir-fry from fresh peppers and beef. It also has extensive notes in it on the best kind of kitchen *supplies* to get, which was also essential knowledge for me as I built my kitchen (I can confirm: they say to buy yourselves a forschner fibrox paring & 8-inch chef's knife, and they're right, folks).

All in all, this book was probably the best gift I've received in the past year, and I'd recommend it very, very strongly to anyone who can't cook yet but wants to fix that problem, or to any couple who want to get started cooking together. Plus, if you give it to your significant other, odds are you'll be eating fancy for the next few months, and that way you both win -- ask my girlfriend!

I was excited to get this cook book because my husband and I always seem to have a surplus of leftovers in our fridge. Right away I saw a recipe that looked really good and we had all the ingredients on hand. The finished product was excellent. BUT, the cookbook is not organized in what I would consider a logical fashion. The recipe directions where on two pages, front and back requiring much flipping from one page back to the other. This holds true thoughout the book. Also, the directions were unnecessarily complex. I am a VERY senior citizen and have been cooking and baking for more than 60 years, so I could see right away that things could have been accomplished in a much more logical and less complicated way. I have rewritten the directions onto a 3x5 card and placed it in the cookbook for next time. We will continue to try the recipes in this book and I think it will be a useful addition to our cookbook collection.

This is a very creative cookbook which will greatly simplify your life if you are cooking for two. No more doing all that math to divide things, or having way too much food. [Sometimes I still use "2" servings for 4 nights, or double the veggies, depending on the recipe.]

Like all of the America's Test Kitchen books, there is a lot of explanation about each recipe. I don't always have time to read the (on average) 1-2 pages explaining each recipe, but when I do, it's always really interesting and informative. They basically tell you about how the recipe could have gone wrong and how they fixed it :) Their explanation is printed before the recipe, so if you just want to cook instead of reading, it's simple to follow the recipe.

One thing to consider when deciding whether this book is good for you: are you willing to buy tiny pans to make the desserts in this book? For desserts, you can't really just use the wrong size pan. Personally, I had no problem buying smaller baking pans as I'm constantly splitting regular recipes by two or three anyway, but I don't know if everyone would be willing or able to make those extra purchases. I think it comes down to your kitchen space, your budget, and whether you are planning on splitting dessert regular recipes in the future - because there aren't enough recipes in this book to justify owning a pan for it, but if you are willing to split things all the time, then the pans will be really really handy.

To make ALL of the desserts in this cookbook, you'll need (I'm including links to my own pans; ATK doesn't recommend specific brands):

-Two 6" cake pans (Fat Daddio's 6" Anodized Aluminum Round Cake Pans @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001334UNQ/ref=oss_product). You'll need these two cake pans to make the Fluffy Yellow Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

-One 6" pie plate (Mine is an inch bigger than recommended; Marinex 7-Inch Fluted Small Round Pie Pan @ http://www.amazon.com/Marinex-7-Inch-Fluted-Small-Round/dp/B0016LOCB0/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286239475&sr=8-1-fkmr2). You'll need this pie pan to make the Raspberry-Nectarine Pie.

-Two 6-ounce ramekins (Mine are an ounce bigger than recommended; 7 oz Le Creuset Stoneware Ramekins @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003F24CZY/ref=oss_product). You'll need these two ramekins to make the Flan.

-Two 12-ounce ramekins (I don't own these, but both recipes say that they can also be prepared in an 8.5" x 5.5" baking dish). You'll need these two ramekins (or baking dishes) to make the Blueberry Crumble, Pear Crisp, and New Orleans Bourbon Bread Pudding.

-8.5 x 5.5" baking Dish (I don't own these, but just improvised with my small cast iron pans). You'll need this for the Cherry and Plum Clafoutis (puddings).

-7.25 x 5.25" baking pan (Le Creuset Stoneware 7-by-5-Inch Rectangular Baking Dish @ http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware--5-Inch-Rectangular-Baking/dp/B000RK57ME/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1286240395&sr=8-19 is one option). You'll need this pan to make the Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake.

-Two 4.5" springform pans (Kaiser 4-1/2-Inch Noblesse Nonstick Mini Springform Pans @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00196LH7E/ref=oss_product). You'll need these two pans to make the Rustic Peach Cake, Almond Cake, and New York Cheesecake.

-Two 1-cup Bundt pans (I have a 6" Nordic Ware bundt pan so will triple this recipe when I make it). You'll need these two pans to make the Rich Chocolate Bundt Cake.

If you don't buy any special pans, you can still make the Easy Strawberry Shortcakes, Free-Form Apple Tartlets, and Apple Dumplings.

This is not such an issue for the dinner dishes, where you probably have a few small baking dishes on hand. For the dinner dishes, they recommend an 8" square dish, an 8.5 x 5.5" ceramic round baking dish, a 7.25 x 5.25" small baking pan, and a 9 or 8" loaf pan (most folks have that on hand). Dinner dishes are more easily adapted to whatever pans you have on hand.

And the food? It's (mostly) really really good. We loved the Chicken with Orzo, Asparagus and Parmesan, Pasta Caprese, Chicken Mole, Pan-Seared Shrimp with Chipotle sauce, and Seafood Risotto. They have all sorts of side recipes to help you use up extra ingredients; the Ricotta Spread was okay. They also have a whole chapter called "On the Lighter Side" with all sorts of low-fat ingredients; that's not my bag, but I think it rounds out the cookbook well. We didn't like the Pasta Salad with Summer Vegetables or Provencal Vegetable Soup from that chapter, but that's probably because we are used to high fat food (in small portions). They have a whole chapter called "One big roast, three great meals," in which you prepare one dish and that gives you the meat you'll need for the other two dishes. They have four sets of those for twelve dinners total. There's a whole chapter on grilling stuff, and another on side dishes. We loved the pan-roasted asparagus, pan-roasted asparagus with toasted garlic and parmesan, garlicky green beans, lemony green beans with toasted almonds, maple-mustard green beans, summer vegetable gratin (holy cow amazing), roasted cauliflower. Desserts I've tried include: Easy Strawberry shortcake (delicious), blueberry crumble (really really good), plum clafouti (not a hit because it's a pudding and we're not big pudding folks), raspberry nectarine pie (good), and rustic peach cake (mixed reviews from our household).

I am really picky about what I keep in my house - I have to get a lot of use out of it or it's gone, as I like my space to be simple - and this is a life-time cookbook that I will always have. Nuff said :)

The greatest strength I see in cookbooks from the Christopher Kimball empire is that process is laid out methodically. The explanations sometimes help me remember the process because I can make sense of it -- usually.

Names (product names, that is) are named and called out for fulsome praise or approbation. That's mildly entertaining, but this is where things tend to slide into troubled territory for me. Their kitchen is, I believe, on the East Coast. The number of tasters is relatively small. Much as I appreciate their fussiness, time and again the brand names and even the flavorings (think spices or heat, for example) just don't work for my thoroughly Western palate.

Still, I appreciate the effort to scale some of 2009's discoveries by this outfit. The narrative is sometimes helpful and, as long as I keep in mind the absolute necessity of adjusting flavors sometimes quite a lot, I enjoy using the cookbook. It's a good reference, even though I'm likelier to cook from something like Healthy Cooking for Two (or Just You): Low-Fat Recipes with Half the Fuss and Double the Taste.

I love this cookbook! I love the explanation of the work that went into re-designing the recipes for two, but I love the results even more! There hasn't been a recipe we haven't thoroughly enjoyed, and the recipes have been easy to follow, no hard-to-find ingredients, just great dinners!

Thank you so much to America's Test Kitchen. This is one of my top five favorite cookbooks of all time. I really enjoyed all the information provided by the test kitchen. This book is great for two people or even one. Some dishes do take some time to prepare. It would be a great time to spend with the person that you love. You two can enjoy cooking a home cooked meal together. You will save money because you wont have to throw out food. Everything is great in this book from Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken mole and Potato gratin. The last chapter which is my favorite is dessert. You can make New York cheesecake, strawberry shortcake and pie. The pictures are so lovely and a lot of information in the book. This is a must have for couples, singles and a great gift.

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Cook's Illustrated cookbook. I'm a huge fan, but I grew tired of the recipe repeats. I'd resigned myself to hold out for the annuals.

However, I must admit I've had my eye on this book for a while. I absolutely love CI - but when you're single, you think twice about making a new recipe with four servings (especially in these economic times.) Simply halving a recipe is iffy - sometimes it works out, sometimes not. I'm so glad CI has provided an option for a smaller recipe yield.

Although the recipes are smaller, this book doesn't skimp on the CI background info and science we've come to expect with their recipes. You'll also see plenty of product recommendations (food and equipment) as well. My favorite part of the book is the "Use It Up" tips. They help eliminate wasted food. The best chapter is desserts. How hard is it to make a from-scratch dessert for two? I'm glad CI tackled the problem.

I love this cookbook. I have never known how to cook for less than an army. This book is perfect. The recipes are not just cut in half of a normal recipe, but scaled down so that they taste wonderful. The recipes that I have tried have all been excellent.I really like the scaled down desserts. I quit baking, because I didn't want it sitting around our empty nest. The recipes make just enough.

Another thing I like is that has ideas for leftover ingredients; if you don't use the whole container of ricotta, there are recipes and recommendations.

This is a great book for empty nesters like us, or my college kids.