The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook: Review and Favorite Recipes
Sometimes thinking of meals to cook each night is hard…like really hard. Often times, you find a recipe you like, but it serves 4-8 and it’s just you, and maybe a partner or roommate. Leftovers are nice for lunch, but when you have leftovers on leftovers sitting in the fridge for days, it can feel like a waste of food. That’s why I love this cookbook. I love it so much that I have gifted it to 3 different couples already. This cookbook takes classic, simple, no fuss, no weird ingredient meals, and portions them perfectly for 2 people. Even their desserts are made specifically for 2. So, don’t be surprised if you invite me to your wedding and this is the gift I bring.
So what is this cookbook and why is it so special? This is The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. The Orlando Sentinel calls it “The go-to gift for newlyweds, small families, or empty nesters.” With 650 recipes, this cookbook has something for everyone. The front jacket claims that it is full of “foolproof recipes” created “from the ground up to serve just two.” No more halving recipes or becoming a mathematician in the kitchen just to create a smaller batch; America’s Test Kitchen has taken all the guesswork out of these recipes so that everything you want to make “will come out right every time (and will also minimize food waste).” Double win. I haven’t even broken the surface of all the recipes this book has to offer, but every one I’ve tried has worked and has tasted delicious. This isn’t a cookbook that you’ll buy but never use. You will find yourself reaching for this practical cookbook all the time. I promise. If you’re not sure where to start, you could really just flip it open and point to a page and something delicious will be on it, but I’ve listed some of my personal favorite recipes below.
Let’s start with Pizza (pg. 93-94). Everyone loves a good pizza. My husband and I looove pizza so we usually double this recipe and the sauce recipe as it only makes 1 pan-sized pizza. I also add some fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme to the sauce as well as a couple more cloves of garlic than called for. Super quick, super easy - just make sure you remember to make the dough 1-2 hours before dinner so it has time to rise.
Another favorite is their Tortellini Florentine Soup (pg. 33). They use pancetta as the meat, but you can make this meatless, or we like to add spicy Italian sausage sometimes too (which is one of the variations they offer). One of the things I love about this cookbook is that they offer variations and different spin-offs to their dishes. Not only does it completely change a dish, but it also gives inspiration to how you can change the dish to your personal preferences and tastes as well.
Moving on to chicken, they have so many different recipes, but some of our go-to dishes when we can’t decide what to cook are the Sautéed Chicken Breasts with White Wine and Herb Pan Sauce (pg. 103) and the Chicken Parmesan (pg. 108). Both dishes are so easy and so flavorful. Knowing how to make a good homemade sauce is one of the keys to having a full-flavored meal. Another dish that is included in the Chicken section, but we don’t always use chicken for, is the Chicken and Chorizo Paella (pg. 124). If you’ve never made paella, you need to make this. I like to use the chorizo and shrimp, but it really works with whatever protein you like.
Please let me know if you have this cookbook and what your favorite recipes from it are! Also, if you have any other cookbook recommendations, I’d love to hear them and why you love them!