Solo Chef: Recipes, Tips, Advice and Encouragement for Single Cooks

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

Planning and preparing nutritious, appealing, low-cost meals for one
offer special challenges, not the least of which is the motivation to
actually do it. Knowing from experience that single cooks would probably
rather be doing something else, author Betty Jane Wylie aims to keep the
recipes in this insightful collection under 15 minutes in preparation
time. More than 120 recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus an
abundance of encouraging hints and tips, ensure that meals for one need
not be dull, repetitious, or wasteful of time or ingredients. Her
practical advice on achieving and maintaining an efficiently stocked
refrigerator and larder can minimize spoilage and shopping time and can
breathe new life into leftovers. While most of the recipes serve one,
Wylie recognizes that singles occasionally have to cook for others, such
as guests, custodial children, and lovers. She therefore includes a
chapter of easy-to-prepare “company” recipes, with hints for using
up the leftovers later. The index by principal ingredient is a good
place to start planning a meal. Measurements are given in both imperial
and metric, and the preparation methods reflect the author’s colorful
writing style. Cooking with this book should be fun as well as
healthful.