Cooking for one
June 05, 2011
Here's the thing - who really knows how to cook for one? I don't mean in the microwave. I mean, really... COOK... just for one?
I know I'm dismal at it. Having grown up in a big family, I only ever learned to cook for six or seven and then, as time went on, for twenty or thirty. Well, I never cooked for that many but we had that many and more at family gatherings. The point is, cooking for more than one is easy. Cooking for one is hard.
That's why I was all excited to receive this great new cookbook, Cooking for one by Mark Erickson and Lisa Erickson - both from The Culinary Institute of America. [affiliate link for the book...]
I absolutely love the inside blurb (my thoughts in brackets): "Do you believe any of the following?
- Cooking for one mean you are doomed to endless meals of scrambled eggs or grilled cheese sandwiches. [um... yeah. and so what? I like'em both- but,I get the point, yes, I do, I get it.]
- It's cheaper to eat out that it is to cook for yourself.
- It will take too long to make a meal when ou come home tired from a long day at work. [oh, boy... this used to be me!]
- You'll spend a lot of money on food you'll only end up throwing away. [this still is me]
- Some dishes are strictly out-of-bounds for the single cook. [um...as opposed to the married cook? the editor messed up there, didn't she or he? cooking for one doesn't always mean you're not married!]
Moving on to the inside of the book, I have to make a confession - I haven't cooked anything from the book yet. But, I plan to. And, it won't be just for one. It will be for two. However, the exciting thing about that, for me, is that I can double the recipes without trouble. Yes, me...the math challenged cook. I can make two, out of one... but, don't ask me to do more than that!
My first venture out of this amazing book - seriously, it's more than a cookbook, it's a book about food and eating and cooking because you like to eat, not because...you have to eat - is going to be the eggplant, zucchini, and oven-dried tomato pizza. Mmmmgoood! If this doesn't get Tom drooling, I don't know what will!
Stay tuned for more cooking and talking about cooking and... a new Food Blog which my daughter, the cook (Mom to the adorable Frankie) will be helping me with. Ah, if only I could afford to hire her to cook for me!
Get a copy of the Cooking for one cookbook - it's good for everyone, not just folks who aren't cooking up a storm for a big family. I'll let you know how the pizza comes out.
Oh... I also feel compelled to mention that my niece is studying to be a chef ... so, maybe I'll get HER to help us with our food blog, too!
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