Cooking for Two: Perfect Meals for Pairs

by Jessica Strand, Caren Alpert (Photographer)

There's something wonderful about a quiet, intimate dinner with another person, whether it be a spouse, a date, or a friend. Whatever the occasion, culinary expert Jessica Strand offers the ideal solution. Each delicious recipe, from appetizers to desserts, is scaled to prepare two portionsno calculator or leftovers required. Mouthwatering dinners like Sake-Ginger Poached Black Bass with Garlicky Bok Choy or special Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Brown Butter Sauce have never been easier, tastier, or more enjoyable. An ideal gift for newlyweds, and with nearly 50 recipes to satisfy every duo (not to mention invaluable hints for sharing the kitchen), Cooking for Two makes every night special.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction

120 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2008

About the author

Jessica Strand, former events coordinator at the Strand Book Store, is the associate director of public programs at the New York Public Library. She lives in New York.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's likely that I will make only 2 or 3 recipes from this book, and will mostly enjoy the pictures and use it (hopefully) for inspiration for my own recipes. Too many specialty ingredients which, while available near me because I live in the SF Bay Area, would still require making additional trips to separate stores further from home (and would be more expensive). Too many recipes that I can't adjust to fit my own dietary restrictions. Most importantly, too many recipes that call for 15-25 ingredients. I have quite a collection of "Cooking for Two" cookbooks, none of them have had more than one or two recipes with ingredient lists this long.

There are, however, two desserts that look quite good, and I expect I'll try both of those at the very least.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the recipes were nice, but unrealistic for cooking for two people in terms of budgeting and ingredients. Like the premise, though.

[Kaylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book is beautiful and contains fantastic recipes, the "perfect meals" within need expensive ingredients and LOTS AND LOTS OF TIME. These meals are not for a fun night in, and not for a quick bite. Someday when I have money to spend, I will pick this book up again.