Synopses & Reviews
From the legendary editor of some of the worlds greatest cooks—including Julia Child and James Beard—a passionate and practical book about the joys of cooking for one.
Here, in convincing fashion, Judith Jones demonstrates that cooking for yourself presents unparalleled possibilities for both pleasure and experimentation: you can utilize whatever ingredients appeal, using farmers markets and specialty shops to enrich your palate and improve your health; you can feel free to fail, since a meal for one doesnt have to be perfect; and you can use leftovers to innovate—in the course of a week, the remains of beef bourguignon might be reimagined as a ragù, pork tenderloin may become a stir-fry, a cup or two of wild rice produces both a refreshing pilaf and a rich pancake, and red snapper can be reinvented as a summery salad. Its a fulfilling and immensely economical process, one perfectly suited for our times—although, as Jones points out, cooking for one also means we can occasionally indulge ourselves in a favorite treat.
Throughout, Jones is both our instructor and our mentor, suggesting basic recipes—such as tomato sauce, preserved lemons, pesto, and homemade stock—that all cooks should have on hand; teaching us how to improvise using an ingenious strategy of building meals through the week; and supplying us with a lifetimes worth of tips and shortcuts. From Childs advice for buying fresh meat to Beards challenge to beginning crêpe-makers and Lidia Bastianichs tips for cooking perfectly sauced pasta, Joness book presents a wealth of acquired knowledge from our finest cooks.
The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a vibrant, wise celebration of food and enjoying our own company from one of our most treasured cooking experts.
Review
"A warm-hearted approach to the joys of slicing, dicing, mixing, and cooking for one....Consider Pleasures a visit from your best friend who is also a superb, savvy cook, encouraging you to be creative and treat yourself well." The Sacramento Bee
Review
"After the death of her beloved husband, Evan, lauded cookbook editor Jones...discovered that, despite her fears, cooking for herself alone did not require abandonment of the simple and comforting joy that a carefully considered and well-prepared meal can generate....Jones's established and substantial reputation in the food world will attract a large audience." Booklist
Review
"Lively, practical, and passionate." Sarah DiGregorio, The Village Voice
Review
"Nothing feels thrown together, and Jones makes a point of presenting dishes that look appetizing...[The Pleasures of Cooking for One is] worthwhile for those looking for variation in the weekly routine. And chances are, you'll feel great when you've finished." Amanda Gold, San Francisco Chronicle
Review
"Elegant....[Some of the recipes] are so brilliantly simple...that we can't wait for our next dinner for one." Tasting Table
Review
"[Judith Jones's] genteel manifesto for living well alone is a charming combination of common sense and luxury....Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn to cook, really cook, for one person." Library Journal
Review
"Delightful...Jones provides round after round of savory treats for solo diners." Vick Mickunas, Dayton Daily News
Review
"Jones not only wants you to cook nice meals for yourself when you're alone, but she wants you to make the most of your money, resources and time. In particular, Jones shares my love of leftovers, a mania that has my current swain somewhat terrified of my refrigerator (he seems to believe that all food has a built-in timer, and that it must be thrown out after what I think is a ridiculously short time period).... I found myself at the end of the day looking forward to cooking, making recipes that work for one, and then sitting down and savoring a good meal." It is a way back into the world, the kitchen. And whether you are cooking just for yourself, or for your loved ones, or for the folks at the local soup kitchen, it is one of the most elemental things we can do for ourselves and for one another." Charlotte Freeman, Bookslut (read the entire Bookslut review)
Synopsis
From the legendary editor of some of the world's greatest cooks — including Julia Child and James Beard — a delightful book about the joys of cooking for one.
In a book as passionate as it is practical, Judith Jones demonstrates that cooking for one presents unparalleled possibilities for both pleasure and experimentation: we can cook with whatever ingredients appeal to us, using farmers' markets and specialty shops to enrich our palates and improve our health; we can feel free to fail, since the meal doesn't have to be perfect (we have only ourselves to impress); and we can use leftovers to innovate — the remains of beef bourguignon are transformed into a ragu, pork tenderloin becomes a stir-fry, red snapper is reinvented as a summery salad.
Jones is both an instructor and a mentor, suggesting basic recipes for items — such as marinara sauce or homemade stock — that all cooks should have on hand, teaching us how to improvise through ingenious weekly menus, and supplying us with a lifetime's worth of tips and strategies.
The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a vibrant, wise celebration of food and our own company.
Synopsis
In a book as passionate as it is practical, Jones demonstrates that cooking for one presents unparalleled possibilities for both pleasure and experimentation.
Synopsis
From the legendary editor of some of the world's greatest cooks — including Julia Child and James Beard — a passionate and practical book about the joys of cooking for one.
Here, in convincing fashion, Judith Jones demonstrates that cooking for yourself presents unparalleled possibilities for both pleasure and experimentation: you can utilize whatever ingredients appeal, using farmers markets and specialty shops to enrich your palate and improve your health; you can feel free to fail, since a meal for one doesn't have to be perfect; and you can use leftovers to innovate — in the course of a week, the remains of beef bourguignon might be re-imagined as a ragù, pork tenderloin may become a stir-fry, a cup or two of wild rice produces both a refreshing pilaf and a rich pancake, and red snapper can be reinvented as a summery salad. Its a fulfilling and immensely economical process, one perfectly suited for our times — although, as Jones points out, cooking for one also means we can occasionally indulge ourselves in a favorite treat.
Throughout, Jones is both our instructor and our mentor, suggesting basic recipes — such as tomato sauce, preserved lemons, pesto, and homemade stock — that all cooks should have on hand; teaching us how to improvise using an ingenious strategy of building meals through the week; and supplying us with a lifetimes worth of tips and shortcuts. From Child's advice for buying fresh meat to Beard's challenge to beginning crêpe-makers and Lidia Bastianich's tips for cooking perfectly sauced pasta, Jones's book presents a wealth of acquired knowledge from our finest cooks.
The Pleasures of Cooking for One is a vibrant, wise celebration of food and enjoying our own company from one of our most treasured cooking experts.
Synopsis
100 delicious recipes to make meals for yourself (and sometimes a few friends too)and#160;with style, sophistication, and the occasional indulgence
About the Author
Judith Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She is the co-author with Evan Jones (her late husband) of three books: The Book of Bread; Knead It, Punch It, Bake It!; and The Book of New New England Cookery. She also collaborated with Angus Cameron on The L. L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook. She has contributed to Vogue, Saveur, Departures, and Gourmet magazines. In 2006, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.