Judith Jones on “The Pleasures of Cooking for One”
I’m a huge fan of Judith Jones (Julia Childs’ longtime editor) and adore her cookbook, The Pleasures of Cooking for One. When my kids were little and my husband was working, I got in the habit of cooking myself a real dinner for one. I still do when I find myself alone, it is a very sweet and self-honoring thing to do. Don’t forget the vino Love, GP.
A New England Bouillabaisse
“This mock bouillabaisse is so scrumptious that you would never know it had anything ‘left over’ in it. You do have to stop and pick up a dozen or so fresh mussels and a few clams the day you’re making it, but otherwise everything else is at hand, and you can put this together in half an hour. I am assuming, of course, that you have a good fish stock in your freezer; if not, plan to make this after you’ve had a lobster or a supper of steamed mussels and have some of that intense lobster or mussel broth left. Otherwise use clam juice, diluted by half with water because it is quite strong.”
Boeuf Bourguignon
“Make this rich stew on a leisurely weekend [or on a leisurely Valentine’s Day]. You’ll probably get a good three meals out of it, if you follow some of the suggestions below. When buying stew meat at a supermarket, you don’t always know what you are getting, so ask the butcher. If it’s a lean meat, it will need less time cooking (in fact, it will be ruined if you cook it too long), but the fattier cuts can benefit from at least another half hour.”
Fennel, Apple, and Walnut Salad
“Here’s a sparkling salad that makes superb use of that one-third or so of a plump fennel bulb that you couldn’t consume in one sitting.”
Stuffed Baked Potato
“There is something about a baked potato that is so comforting that many of us eating alone enjoy making a meal of it. You can enhance it with whatever seems appealing…” writes Judith Jones.
