Cooking for One

Book excerpt: Discover the joy of cooking for yourself with more than 160 perfectly portioned, easy-to-execute recipes, flexible ingredient lists to accommodate your pantry, and ideas for improvising to your taste. Taking care to prepare a meal for yourself is a different experience than cooking for others. It can be a fun, casual, and (of course) delicious affair, but there are challenges, from avoiding a fridge full of half-used ingredients to ending up with leftovers that become boring after the third reheat. Cooking for One helps you make cooking for yourself special without becoming a chore with unfussy yet utterly appealing meals that rely on ingredients you already have on hand, like Garam Masala Pork Chop with Couscous and Spinach and Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore. Don't have exactly the right ingredients? Never fear--with a "Kitchen Improv" box on every page, we offer ideas for altering the dish so it works for you. And for those weeks you didn't make it to the supermarket, we use a "Pantry Recipe" icon to clearly mark recipes that rely entirely on our checklist for a well-stocked pantry. We show you when it's worth making two servings (but never more) with our "Makes Leftovers" icon, and suggest how to transform those leftovers into a whole new meal. (We love our Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak with Celery Root and Lime Yogurt Sauce served over arugula as a hearty salad the next day.) Ingredients themselves often lead you to another exciting meal--when you're left with half an eggplant from Simple Ratatouille, we direct you to Broiled Eggplant with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette as the perfect way to use it up. And if the thought of a sink full of dishes keeps you out of the kitchen, there are plenty of appealing one-pan dinners like Sheet Pan Sausages with Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli Rabe, and Mustard-Chive Butter or Couscous with Shrimp, Cilantro, and Garlic Chips that are here to save the day.