Best Cookbooks For Cooking For 2
Cooking For 1 or 2: The Best Small-Batch Cookbooks
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Standard recipes are typically formatted to serve four to six people, meaning mountains of leftovers if you aren't feeding a family or hosting dinner parties all the time. Instead of getting frustrated and losing motivation to cook, turn to one of these exciting titles geared toward small-batch cooking. Also note that we've grouped together both cookbooks aimed at the single cook as well as the coupled, as most recipes can be easily halved or doubled.
Slow Cooking For Two
Busy families aren't the only folks who can get good use out of a slow cooker, as Slow Cooking For Two: Basics Techniques Recipes ($20) by Cynthia Graubart proves. Included are classic slow-cooker recipes like soups and stews, as well as the unexpected, like nuts, wings, and items more typically prepared in an oven.
Date Night In
When in a long-term relationship, taking the time to properly date your significant other can fall by the wayside; Date Night In: More Than 120 Recipes to Nourish Your Relationship ($28) by Ashley Rodriguez makes it a lot easier. Organized into themed menus ranging from "breakfast for dinner" to "somewhere in Italy," this book not only provides enticing recipes grouped around a theme but also shopping lists and a prep timeline for each menu.
The Pleasures of Cooking For One
From Julia Child and James Beard's longtime editor, Judith Jones, comes a true gem: The Pleasures of Cooking For One ($29), which celebrates what's great about cooking for oneself (namely, you can cook whatever you fancy). Narratively delightful and also practical, it offers up smart strategies for repurposing leftovers as well as meal planning.
Dessert For Two
While most savory recipes are written to serve four to six, dessert recipes often yield as much as eight to 10 servings. The large volume might be great for entertaining, but in the day to day, not so much. Enter Dessert For Two ($25) by Christina Lane, a collection of dreamy desserts perfect for the coupled-off or single cook.
Mug Meals
Microwave meals don't start and end in the freezer aisle. The recipes in Mug Meals: Delicious Microwave Recipes ($17) by Dina Cheney are surprisingly sophisticated, like Chinese brown rice salad with edamame and chicken noodle soup.
The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook
Curious cooks can do no better than America's Test Kitchen's The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook ($30), which, like all titles from the publishing house, explains exactly why recipes work, teaching you along the way.
The Newlywed Cookbook
You don't have to be a newlywed (or be married) to appreciate The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes For Cooking With and For Each Other ($35) by Sarah Copeland, a beautifully photographed collection of recipes scaled down to two servings.
Soup For Two
Many soup recipes fare well as leftovers and can even be placed in the freezer, but more delicate options like those with noodles or seafood aren't so great on the second go. Soup For Two ($25) by Joanna Pruess fixes that problem with small-batch recipes.
Mug Cakes
Dessert cravings can hit hard and fast, which makes Mug Cakes: 100 Speedy Microwave Treats to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth ($23) by Leslie Bilderback a real savior.
One Pan, Two Plates
The concept for Carla Snyder's One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals For Two ($25) is brilliant — really, who likes washing a pile of dishes? — and the recipes are no less so.
