Going Solo in the Kitchen: A Practical and Persuasive Cookbook for Anyone Living Alone-with More Than 350 Easy, Delicious Recipes and Strategies for Food Shopping, Storing, and Recycling

I originally bought this cookbook last December because the only non-generic recipes to satisfy me out of the original cooking for one book by Molly Perham my mom bought for me were the rice recipes. There were too strange ingredients in most of the others. I was at a point where I was considering eating TV dinners twice a week and eating more at my parents' due to the sheer lack of choices I had.This book was able to successfully ameliorate my recipe shortage problem. Most of the recipes I use have either widely available ingredients or ones that can be left out and substituted easily. As Doerfer says in the intro, the vast majority of recipes are designed to be made in under 30 minutes, so you don't feel you're spending so much time in the kitchen. This book's also very good at suggesting ways to make minor variations in one's meals. I'm not very creative, but even I saw how varying the herbs in my salads and lunch sandwiches could greatly enhance my options.Another plus to this cookbook is how Doerfer encourages people to incorporate more vegetables into one's diet. Speaking as one who's got a (very)limited budget, I'm probably still not consuming as much as I should be, but I've come a long way into throwing some carrots in my salads among other things every now and then.Still, there are a couple of problems with book. First, I find it odd that Doerfer admits lots of people wouldn't buy a whole chicken, yet goes on to list several recipes that use individual chicken parts which aren't sold individually at many stores. I had to substitute where I thought it was possible. It would have been helpful if the breast equivalent of 1 leg and 1 thigh for the Basque-style chicken recipes for instance had been listed.Another thing that's probably a personal problem is I'm not such a fan of having leftovers of meats anymore than maybe once a month, yet there are a number of recipes that list amounts of say pork, far larger than anything I would eat(over 1 1/2 lbs)Also, my refrigerator's very small, so something listing some ideas on vegetables to prioritize buying beyond lettuce and tomato could have enhanced this cookbook's usefulness even more.Overall though, I found this to be a satisfying cookbook that's showed me how to vary my cooking skills. I still haven't got a chance to oven-steam fish or try some of the vegetable meals but I'm sure I'll get around to those!

I never learned about food - the variety, proper preparation, or enjoyment of - when I was growing up...frozen chicken nuggets and canned corn were staples in my house. Both my parents worked, and on the rare occasion we had nice meals I was never encouraged properly to help out and learn. I have zero kitchen instincts.I bought this book hoping that, as a young, single, BUSY person, I could learn to appreciate cooking from it, at the same time learning not to waste so much food. But this is basically a recipe book with a few pages of advice about cooking equipment and shopping (most of which I found useless; my suburban grocery store managers aren't interested in being my friend). While there was some good advice about storing certain types of food effectively, it was entirely bereft of any kind of meal planning, another task that simply consumes too much time for me to learn well. If I had written this, I would have grouped recipes by common ingredient lists, accompanyment and re-use ideas, not by the main component like a typical cookbook. Even if it is mostly a cookbook, it's not conveniently bound for such a purpose.On the plus side, I do appreciate the simplicity and flavor of most of the recipes. Admittedly I haven't tried most of them, because I still can't figure out how to effectively plan grocery runs.

i bought this book several years ago when i was a novice cook. it is now falling apart i have used it so much. it is still my "go to" cookbook even now that i am not single. the shopping/storage strategies were common sense ideas that i found very helpful when i was first starting out. there is nothing complicated about this book, simple straightforward recipes. there are recipes for downsized versions of the classic family food (meatloaf, pot roast, roast chicken, etc) as well as some options that are vegetarian friendly. there are even bread recipes and a yogurt cheese recipe (i have yet to try my hand at making cheese)! the book also gives variations to the recipe so that you may change it up or use what is on hand. and thank goodness!!!! what to do with the dreaded leftovers!!!! that was the real biggie for me! i guess that my one thing would be that it still be sold in hardcover..

This is my second purchase of this cookbook. My first copy was used so often it fell apart. I really enjoy this book and have also purchased it for college grads and my single friends. There have been a few recipes that I would not try again, but the majority I make over and over again. I like using fresh ingredients daily and the recipes help me to save money by not buying for a recipe for 4 or more people.

I haven't finished going through the whole book yet as I have a tendency to be a "cookbook reader" rather than a real "trier" of recipes but it looks very good. I like the variations for the recipes and the suggestions for using leftovers where it isn't practical for doing a pork roast for one for example. There are no pictures if you are looking for a pretty book and there are no nutritional breakdowns.. This is a more down to earth practical cookbook with old favorites (such as macaroni and cheese) reduced down for one. I think I am going to begin to be a "trier" rather than just a looker especially in the vegetable chapter now that I have just myself to please.

This book taught me how to cook for myself. I bought this book during a time where I was eating out all the time or attempting to make dinner. When I made dinner I would have too many leftovers and waste food.This book is practical cooking for the single person. Over the past year of having this I’ve maximized my freezer to store fun ingredients to stir into my roasts, soups, couscous, or rice. I am no longer afraid to buy boned chicken.This book is the perfect accompaniment to a healthy busy lifestyle. Enjoy learning all the ways to use your leftovers!

Very useful as so many cookery books cater for 4 or more people and recipes do not always turn out as good if you try to reduce the ingredients. This book just caters for one. Recipes are easy to follow and turn out really well. Very pleased.

I do prefer my recipe books to have a picture of the recipe I'm trying to reproduce - this one doesn't. However, I've kept the book so that I can take time to read it through and maybe pickup on some tips.

I bought this for a friend who is just learning to cook for himself, and having read other people's reviews decided it would be a good starter book. Nowhere however did I see that it's actually an American book so all of the measurements are in cups and other USA equivalents which is not easy to translate when you're starting out. It also features lots of American ingredients and has a lot of recipes which I would never suggest for a beginner. If you are quite competant in the kitchen and don't mind having to adapt recipes to metric then I'm sure it woulod be qite good. I sent it back.

I didn't find this good at all. It was a very confusing book, with lots of contradicting advice.. Also delivery was late after waiting in for 2 days.. Not impressed.