Two’s Company: The best of cooking for couples, friends and roommates

Not everyone wants or needs to cook for a group, especially not every day, but most cookbooks seem to assume that’s the case, resulting in too much effort and lots of leftovers. This cookbook, instead, offers beautiful dishes that are a pleasure both to make and eat sized perfectly for two. Because the overall quantity of the dish is small, recipes that would be daunting to prepare for a bigger crowd are certainly manageable; it’s no trouble at all to chop one small shallot or zucchini or wash less than two cups of baby potatoes. You can also splurge a little on more exotic ingredients like jumbo prawns, more often. The book has recipes for weeknight, weekend, and special meals, desserts, appetizers, and snacks. The Antipasti tart, for example, was simply made with ready-bought puff pastry and antipasti mix, but resulted in a delicious pizza that we served both as an appetizer and again for another breakfast. These recipes are not meant to necessarily be quick or easy –some take more time, some less — but they are not difficult either; they allow you to explore and appreciate food without being overwhelmed by large quantities or unneeded excess.