One of the neatest things about having a cooking blog is when publishers send you cookbooks. I never promise to post reviews but I do try to post about those I most enjoy. I will say that I have not yet tried any of the recipes from The Two of Us . . . and Friends but I’m pretty good at “reading recipes” these days and I can say that I will be trying a few of these once the Thanksgiving holiday is past. I also have a nephew whose wife loves to cook and I’m going to pass this on to them after I gather a few gems, as it’s aimed at young people learning to entertain and cook.
The book is nicely organized, with recipes and menus grouped into sections of cooking for “The Two of You,” “Party of Four,” “The Joy of Six,” and “Eight and Up.” She’s got tips scattered throughout and her stories are warm and personable.
A sample menu from the “Party of Four” section:
- Garlic Soup with Croutons
- Red and Orange Beef Short Ribs
- Potatoes Roasted with Olives
- Braised Red Peppers
- Frisee and Baby Greens with Fig Dressing
- Cheese
- Brown Sugar Pudding with Raspberries
Accompanying this are a few side notes about different ingredients, hints on doubling the recipes, and a short bit on making place mats from postcards. That’s pretty typical of a section.
If you’re looking for a gift idea for a young couple check this out. It’s well organized, well-written, and entertaining.
The organization of the book appeals to me, but the titles of the recipes turn me off. “Brown Sugar Pudding with Raspberries” for example, in the absence of the recipe itself, elicits a mental image of pancake syrup with cornstarch as a thickener and raspberries on top. Yuck!
I’m sure the recipes are much better than this, but the titles don’t make me want to run out and by the book.