cookbook club

Cooking for Two

by Rebecca Crouse, a reader in Gordonville, PA.

A cookbook that provides tongue-pleasing and soul-warming recipes is rare to find, but Jessica Strand does this, as well as sharing insightful relationship tips for cooking together in her latest release Cooking for Two.
   Cooking for Two claims to be “perfect meals for pairs” and while her Black Bean Turkey Chili, Sake and Ginger Poached Black Bass, and Chunky Chicken Potpie do comprise a perfect meal, expect to have leftovers or invite additional friends to join in the fare. (Although you may regret the supplementary guests once you’ve combined the chili with Strand’s recipe for corn muffins and whipped butter.)
   While Cooking for Two potentially sounds simple, many of Strand’s recipes will send the average cook on multiple grocery stops, require the use of a food dictionary, as well as a short day at work or else dinner leading straight to bedtime. But isn’t that what food and cooking a perfect meal is all about? An experience and a culinary journey?
   So if romantic transcendence is what you seek, Cooking for Two provides recipes towards achieving the vital component of food in a romantic rendezvous. A pair of friends? Stimulating conversation is inevitable when working together preparing Vegetable Curry or Poached Eggs with Prosciutto. For either set, be sure to allow time to enjoy a Mexican Chocolate Sorbet, Individual Plum, Apricot and Blueberry Crisps, and Croissant Bread Pudding. Just as it is with fireworks, the finale of this cookbook truly leaves an impression.