Review topics: ["options","style","gift","recipes","book","meals","ingredients","section","dishes","cook","food","cookbook","concept","desserts","choice","person","categories","feature","foods","approach"].
Reviews
All in one cooking!
"Nice concept for the person cooking for one, and not wanting to eat leftovers for days on end. Love the index listed by ingredient first and the recipes to follow. Allows you to use the ingredients you have on hand. The """"use your leftovers"""" ideas at the end of a recipe is a great way not to waste food. Beautifully photographed, plenty of options. Recipes are for the most part easy with no long ingredient list. Only con I see, is that if you don't have smaller pans/pots in your kitchen, you might have to purchase them. Nice gift idea for a young person heading out on his/her own."
— Foodlover22 (4/5)
What you see is what you get
"This is a really lovely cookbook for people making solo meals. It's not going to be particularly useful for those cooking for a family or someone who is vegan, but that's obvious from the cover. Things I like: -Charming organization: The categories are comfort, fresh, simple, special, and sweet. I find the somewhat subjective categorization and the accompanying conversational explanations charming. Perception of food is personal, and this captures that nicely. -Practical: I like the way the index is organized by ingredient as well as the thoughtful suggestions included with each recipe for other recipes that use more expensive and/or unusual ingredients to decrease food waste and mental labor. -Variety: Sometimes it's really obvious which flavors and ingredients are the author's favorite, but Wilkinson did a nice job creating a varied selection of options. Things I don't love: -The ethnic foods are definitely all made with white person flair, which. . . cheers to Wilkinson for staying in her lane but also there are definitely some missed flavor opportunities. -Quite a few of the recipes require sides like noodles which require cooking according to package instructions, so the whole """"one pot"""" part of the name is sort of subjective. I don't know that this is really a problem, but my overly literal brain objects. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— ChrisPReads (5/5)
Perfect for the Solo Cook
"When you’re single, you sometimes don’t spend as much time cooking for yourself or creating interesting meals. One Pot One Portion by Eleanor Wilkinson can help change that. Instead of focusing on couples, families or gatherings, this book is about the solo cook. Broken into what you’re “feeling” instead of meal types, the book asks you to check in and lets you decide what you want in that moment— comfort, fresh, simple, special or sweet. The other thing that’s nice about this book is the one pot approach. When I’m cooking for myself, I don’t like having a lot of mess and that’s definitely not what these recipes are about. I made Sausage Fennel and Chile Pasta from the comfort section, meals for days when you want to feel cozy. It was simple, quick and delicious. I also made Bacon and Potato Gratin from the special section, for days when you want to show yourself some extra love. This recipe took a little longer and required a few more special ingredients but it wasn’t difficult and was also delicious. The only thing that I found a bit challenging with this book is I tend to like to have left overs. For me when you go through the effort, you want more than one night’s dinner. I suppose you could get around this by doubling the recipes. That challenge aside, there are many interesting recipes that I look forward to trying out. There’s even the sweet section to help with single serving desserts or for times when you just want something sweet. With so many cookbooks focusing on families, with One Pot One Portion, it’s great to have some new and delicious meal choices available just for me. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— DMS10 (5/5)
Simplified recipes for everyday
"One Pot One Portion simplifies recipes in both execution and cleanup. The book is organized by what you feel like eating including: comfort, fresh, simple, special, sweet. It is also designed to just feed one person so leftovers are minimal. The recipes are interesting and ideas are given one how to use leftover ingredients in other recipes. I made the hash brown cottage pie and it came it really good. It was an easy weeknight meal. The recipes seem like you could easily double them if you actually want to serve more than one. One other interesting recipes include: chicken and shrimp paella, tuscan chicken and potato, and chicken biryani. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Veronica S. (5/5)
Perfect for the Solo Cook
"When you’re single, you sometimes don’t spend as much time cooking for yourself or creating interesting meals. One Pot One Portion by Eleanor Wilkinson can help change that. Instead of focusing on couples, families or gatherings, this book is about the solo cook. Broken into what you’re “feeling” instead of meal types, the book asks you to check in and lets you decide what you want in that moment— comfort, fresh, simple, special or sweet. The other thing that’s nice about this book is the one pot approach. When I’m cooking for myself, I don’t like having a lot of mess and that’s definitely not what these recipes are about. I made Sausage Fennel and Chile Pasta from the comfort section, meals for days when you want to feel cozy. It was simple, quick and delicious. I also made Bacon and Potato Gratin from the special section, for days when you want to show yourself some extra love. This recipe took a little longer and required a few more special ingredients but it wasn’t difficult and was also delicious. The only thing that I found a bit challenging with this book is I tend to like to have left overs. For me when you go through the effort, you want more than one night’s dinner. I suppose you could get around this by doubling the recipes. That challenge aside, there are many interesting recipes that I look forward to trying out. There’s even the sweet section to help with single serving desserts or for times when you just want something sweet. With so many cookbooks focusing on families, with One Pot One Portion, it’s great to have some new and delicious meal choices available just for me. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Dmsnyc10 (5/5)
Perfect meals for one + limited dishes
"Sometimes you want a homecooked meal, even when you are just by yourself. This book is perfect for making delicious, accessible meals for one without making a massive mess in your kitchen. As the title implies, the recipes in the book are for single portions that are prepared in a single vessel. Even though I typically cook for my family of five, I love this book and it was so helpful when I had a solo weekend at home. I am always drawn to comfort foods when they are in a cookbook and this book has an entire chapter devoted to them. My first go around with the book was Mac + Cheese with Crispy Onions. Everything came together in a pot and with items that I already had in my pantry and refrigerator. The mac and cheese was VERY cheesy and the crispy onions were a great touch. Next, I made Brothy Pasta with Beans + Greens. This came together very quickly and I was able to put a bunch of greens in it for a warming, satisfying meal. For this recipe, I opted to double the recipe to use an entire can of beans. The soup was great right away and the meal reheated well. The book anticipates that you may have leftover ingredients from your single-serving meals. For example, the Brothy Pasta with Beans + Greens highlighted what to do with the remaining beans from the recipe by pointing you to another recipe in the book. This consistent feature for the recipes are really helpful and avoid food waste without forcing you to make large batches of food. There are multiple other great options that I am flagging for the future, including curries, soups, and sweets. This would be a great gift for the foodie in your life who is cooking for one and doesn’t want to work through the same leftovers for a week. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Alex H. (5/5)
Great concept and inspiration
"I love the concept of this book. Unfortunately, because the author is British, there are some ingredient differences I've noticed. I wouldn't recommend this cookbook for beginner cooks who have no experience cooking. Some of the ingredients are slightly different in America and thus have a different cooking time, come in different quanities or need more or less liquid. I didn't have much trouble since I'm a pretty seasoned cook but could see why it may trip up someone who isn't good intuitively. I made the risotto carbonara and it was very tasty! I did have to adjust the cooking time, liquid content and amount of pancetta. Some of the quanities in this book seem off. This was a unique recipe that was tasty but didn't involve any hard to find ingredients. I also made the kale, salmon, sweet potato salad which was really good tastewise. Unfortunately the text of everything kind of blended together and the timing of everything was off based on my oven. A great concept but a few things I'd change if I made it again. I really liked how every page there were ideas on how to use leftovers for the recipes. If a recipe called for a half an avocado, there was a """"use your leftovers"""" suggestion. That's helpful when making meal plans. I'd recommend this recipe for single folks, folks only cooking for themselves (I used these for lunch ideas for just myself) that have some prior cooking experience. I liked a lot that there are limited dishes and good portion sizes. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— SGarner0407 (4/5)
No more TV dinners!
"This is a book that has been long needed! So many are living solo now, or trying to provide a meal to an elderly shut-in. The thought of having to eat the same thing on repeat is a real disincentive to the single diner, but this book provides delicious options that will provide just enough for one meal, and not result in a kitchen full of dirty dishes to create it. The recipes appeal to modern tastes, and the book is laid out for whatever you’re craving: comfort, fresh, simple or special occasion. The book also provides alternate recipes for using an ingredient where you might have more than you needed. The chicken broccoli alfredo recipe is divine, and the tortellini and sausage soup is simple enough to make after work, but very satisfying. The special occasion dishes are just that – special. Maybe requiring a little more effort or some specialty ingredients, but a single portion of fresh baked focaccia bread or a pasta dish with lobster, lemon and cream will make any occasion special! And the small batch dessert section will appeal even to those who regularly cook for more than one, but would appreciate some portion control when it comes to sweets. Many of the recipes in this book can successfully be scaled for additional portions, so this book really answers a number of needs for a variety of cooks."
— RENEE T. (4/5)
A gift for yourself (or your favorite solo cook)
"Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own. I was so happy to receive this book, just ahead of the Super Bowl -- I excitedly spent a solo evening cooking exactly what I wanted from this book! I made the Smash Burger Flatbread and the Apple Tarte Tatin -- everything I already had in my pantry/fridge/freezer, bought at Trader Joe's, and could fit in the 8-inch and smaller pans that I already had. These were generous portions for one person (sure, I could have split the Tarte Tatin in half!) and had all the ceremony of a full-size meal. As the author writes in the intro passage """"Food as Self Care"""", puff pastry and caramel can seem unnecessary when you're cooking for just yourself, but it's a gift to eat exactly what you want. I hadn't heard of Eleanor Wilkinson before receiving this book, but as a single person who enjoys cooking, I'm very grateful to learn of her cooking style. I'd heartily recommend this book to new college students or young people learning to cook on their own, to empty-nesters and single people. It's an omnivorous book (many recipes contain meat -- chicken pieces, sausages, ground beef, fish, bacon -- and eggs and dairy) but it doesn't require special equipment or ingredients. I really appreciate the minimal introductory pages, and easy-to-understand, adaptable approach, as well as the emphasis on using the leftovers, ex. the egg yolk or chicken breast or sausages from the pack you buy to make one recipe. I think some recipes are also generous enough to serve two, such as the Tarragon Chicken with Leeks and Potatoes, or one main stretched with a side salad. This book could slot comfortably into many people's lifestyles and kitchens, as it does not ask for big pantry overhauls, new ingredients or cookware, extensive preparation, or a reevaluation of one's normal cooking practices. As an American, I see a few British dishes that I'm not familiar with (ex. fish pie isn't really a thing here, and Toad in a Hole to me is a fried egg cooked inside toast, but in this book it's a loaded savory Dutch baby/Yorkshire pudding) but I think they are pretty easy to understand regardless."
— Amanda M. (5/5)
Cooking for one
"This cookbook is filled with delicious recipes for one person. When I read a cookbook, I always write down recipes I want to try. I wrote down nearly every recipe, which I’ve never done before. I finally had to make a note of the ones I want to make first and they include: Risotto Carbonara, Smash Burger Flatbread, Truffled Mushroom Pappardelle, Chocolate Pot, Chocolate + Hazelnut Filo Rolls, Cinnamon Bun, Honey Nut Filo Parcels, and Self-Saucing Chocolate Mug Cake. The author sees food as self-care and wants you to be able to make meals that bring you joy. She divided the recipes into Comfort, Fresh, Simple, Special, and Sweet depending on what you are in the mood for when you are ready to cook. She also includes a recipe pairing for each recipe that uses similar fresh ingredients so that you don’t end up with leftover/wasted ingredients. In addition, she has an ingredient index so you can look for alternative recipes that use the same ingredients. The recipes are approachable, and the book would make a great gift for anyone. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— TCC5 (5/5)
