Going Solo in the Kitchen: A Practical and Persuasive Cookbook for Anyone Living Alone-With More Than 350 Easy, Delicious Recipes and Strategies

by Jane Doerfer

Book Overview

At last, a supremely practical cookbook designed expressly for single people! With more than 350 superb yet simple recipes for all occasions--and loaded with time-and-money-saving strategies for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375703934
• ISBN13: 9780375703935
• Release Date: August 1998
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT for single cooks

I've had this cookbook for seven years now and I go back to it time and time again. I don't live alone anymore, as I am now married, but I find most of the recipes adequately serve two. I've also doubled recipes to serve guests. The tips for shopping, storing and recycling food are excellent and dramatically cut the amount of waste I had coming out of my kitchen -- and grocery budget. When I first got this book, I wasn't a kitchen wiz, but even though I am much more experienced, I still find these recipes pleasing and quite tasty. While most recipes call for fresh ingredients, I've substituted canned and still had excellent results. As my stained and sticky copy will attest, this cookbook is a must have!!

You don't need any other 'solo cooking' books!

This book reads easily, almost like a novel! I found myself actually reading the non-recipe content as opposed to what I usually do, which is just looking for good recipes. I'm a picky eater (and a bit of a culinary snob), but I found many recipes that look great --and easy! I'm a busy guy and this has improved my palate and my life. I look forward to cooking for myself because of the great recipes, the anecdotes, and the useful information on how to shop for one in the grocery store! The other great thing is that you'll never make a recipe twice with all the variations offered at the end of a recipe. I would recommend this to any solo cook!

"How to Cook Everything" for Singles

I bought this book about a month ago so I could have a general reference cookbook for single-sized portions. I have found it exactly that; I just made the roasted cornish game hen tonight, and was very impressed. The other recipes in the book sound excellent, and solve a lot of the portion issues I get with other books. That being said, a few caveats. I bought the book a reasonably experienced cook; this is an excellent reference, but not the best one to learn how to cook from. Also, the recipes are on the simple side; I use another cookbook, Solo Suppers, for more 'fancy' type dishes that better utilize the ingredients available in my neighborhood. But if you wanted that pot roast or roast chicken or spaghetti and found dividng the recipe by four didn't quite work, this is the perfect book.

New and experienced solo cooks rejoice!

Even without a single recipe--and there are more than 350 of them if you didn't notice--this book is a wonderfully enjoyable tutorial for solo shopping in family-sized stores, managing food until it's prepared and served, varying the ingredients to match your tastes (or pantry) and finally, suggestions for leftovers right there at the end of the recipe, where they belong--sort of a thesaurus cooking concept. I love that.Jane is nutritionally aware and savvy, with a good background in both gardening and using the stuff that comes out of one and into the kitchen to taste advantage.But wait! There's another important dimension to this book: Jane Doerfer was not *always* a solo cook, nor was she wearing the latest in apron and kitchen gadget-fashions when she typed the manuscript (shameless plug for Le Crueuset, aside). Instead, I suspect she found herself "suddenly solo" and needing to make the best of it--which she clearly does.This book is a good mix of earthy "touchable" and "do-able" meals and ingredients and what I might call evening bistro fare. I also found it uplifting, inspiring, and an excellent reminder of the many silver linings to be found beneath the cloud of finding yourself unexpectedly dining alone--a cloud which drives so many souls to accepting food passed through a rolled-down car-window even though they may know better.The recipes and ideas are great and they work. The book was so well focused to my interest that I read the entire thing in a couple of sittings, taking pantry-stock notes, and folding page corners as I went along.The hardcover is already out-of-print I see. If you are a solo cook, buy this book now, while it's still available, in stock, and in print and you will join me in thanking Jane for troubling herself to write these things down.

Excellent resource for single cooks!

How refreshing to enjoy a realistic approach to cooking for one! Ingredients used throughout the cookbook are those that the average person has on hand, unlike most cookbooks on the market. In the rare event that a special ingredient is called for, an explanation is provided on how to shop for the ingredient and how to store it for maximum shelf life. Realistic freezer space is also considered, which gives this book an edge over others.I greatly appreciate the modifications at the end of many recipes indicating what other ingredients may be substituted effectively (eg: to use chicken instead of shrimp, do this...). To me, learning a cooking technique has become more valuable after reading this book than simply memorizing a recipe. Offered suggestions for modifications illustrates the intention of each recipe (the specific process used, if you will). People say that cooking is not a mystery; it is simply a skill acquired through learning a few cooking methods and adjusting them creatively. This book helped me learn the basics so I can Finally begin to do my own exploring.I have searched for years for a practical cookbook such as this. Since I began experimenting with recipes found in this text, my friends absolutely rave about my cooking! And for me, I have found myself declining invitations for fast food or pizza in favor of trying a new recipe in my own kitchen using a few leftovers from the previous day. I'm eating healthier, losing weight, and saving money. What could be better? Thank you for this book! Bravo!