My Favorite Cookbook....

Cooking for yourself when you live by yourself can be a challenge. There is no one to impress and it can be difficult to convince yourself to make something delicious. I don't consider myself very proficient in the kitchen and the problem is compounded by the fact when I actually decide to make something yummy most recipes serve four, eight, or sixteen people. There's no way I can ever eat that many leftovers and reducing a recipe can leave me with a dilemma or two - I'm pretty good at math but figuring out how to deal with adding 1/8th of an egg to a dish is mighty baffling.

This summer I was at a book festival and I found a fantastic cookbook that makes recipes for ONE person. I had never heard of such a thing. I bought that book, and have been sad ever since that I missed the author's presentation of her recipes for the general public. Had I known what I know now, I would have stalked that lady, made her sign my book, and probably creepily given her a hug. The recipes are great, but my favorite part of the book is the introduction, where she discusses the joy in cooking and eating by yourself. It doesn't matter if it works out! You can add or remove any ingredients that you want, whether you just don't have them or you just don't like them! Also, drink a glass of wine while you are cooking!

I doubt if I can post any recipes without getting sued for a copyright infringement, but there is a stir fry recipe that was so good I got myself a wok and stir fry has turned into my go-to for a quick and easy dinner. It's even curbed my cravings for ordering Chinese food - I've only done that once or twice since September. I made steak au poivre with a side of steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes a few weeks ago and sat there staring at it thinking, "Who made this? And WHY IS IT SO DELICIOUS? Also, who knew that you could throw some pepper on a steak, cook it in some wine and be allowed to give it a fancy French name?" She also makes the point throughout the book that buying locally grown fresh vegetables and ethically raised meat is better for everybody involved. That is something I'm growing to appreciate the more I learn about it. This cookbook has definitely changed the way I look at cooking for myself and has made me more creative in the kitchen. It is called Serves One: Simple Meals to Savor When You're on Your Own by Toni Lydecker. I'm not the only one around here who approves:

"You'd better be share that with me, lady, or I'll eat a plastic bag in protest."