Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One
CBC Books | | Posted: November 27, 2018 10:01 PM | Last Updated: December 4, 2018
Anita Lo
The life of a chef can be a lonely one, with odd hours and late-night meals. But as a result, Anita Lo believes that cooking and dining for one can, and should, be blissful and empowering. In Solo, she gives us a guide to self-love through the best means possible — delicious food — in 101 accessible, contemporary and sophisticated recipes that serve one.
Drawn from her childhood, her years spent cooking around the world, and her extensive travels, these are globally inspired dishes from Lo's own repertoire that cater to the home table. Think Steamed Seabass with Shiitakes; Smoky Eggplant and Scallion Frittata; Duck Bolognese; Chicken Pho; Slow Cooker Shortrib with Caramelized Endive; Broccoli Stem Slaw; Chicken Tagine with Couscous; and Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie — even a New England clambake for one. (From Knopf)
Drawn from her childhood, her years spent cooking around the world, and her extensive travels, these are globally inspired dishes from Lo's own repertoire that cater to the home table. Think Steamed Seabass with Shiitakes; Smoky Eggplant and Scallion Frittata; Duck Bolognese; Chicken Pho; Slow Cooker Shortrib with Caramelized Endive; Broccoli Stem Slaw; Chicken Tagine with Couscous; and Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie — even a New England clambake for one. (From Knopf)
From the book
I put the "Lo" in alone. I've been dumped almost as many times as I've been in relationships — and I can count those on less than two hands. Spread over my 50 year life-span, that's a lot of solo meals! So if you take that — coupled with my many years working as a professional chef — it seems that I'm particularly well-suited to write this book. Those chefs who say they can't cook for less than 40 people? Not me — I can do math. It is my Asian birthright.
I'm also fanatical about waste. Waste is what makes cooking for one, at least efficiently, so difficult. My parents were Chinese and my father survived the Cultural Revolution. Food, at least at some point during their lives, was scarce; as a result, I was taught never to waste one bit. In cooking school at the Ritz Escoffier in Paris we were taught to utilize every scrap, and at Bouley — my first cooking job — the sous chef used to look through our garbage cans to make sure we weren't wasteful. It is an economic issue, but also an ecological and social one. When I cook for myself, much of my food involves using the sometimes overlooked but just-as delicious parts of meat and vegetables. For example, I grew up eating broccoli stems as well as the florettes. Instead of discarding cabbage hearts, my mother gave them to me to snack on raw while we were cooking. We didn't use radish leaves, but they're virtually identical to turnip greens, so I generally cook those along with the root itself, which helps you include more dark green vegetables in your diet. And all those parts in the bag that comes inside of a chicken? If used properly, those parts are pure flavour – and another meal. Plus, cooking this way is important if you're working with fresh ingredients or off a budget.
I'm also fanatical about waste. Waste is what makes cooking for one, at least efficiently, so difficult. My parents were Chinese and my father survived the Cultural Revolution. Food, at least at some point during their lives, was scarce; as a result, I was taught never to waste one bit. In cooking school at the Ritz Escoffier in Paris we were taught to utilize every scrap, and at Bouley — my first cooking job — the sous chef used to look through our garbage cans to make sure we weren't wasteful. It is an economic issue, but also an ecological and social one. When I cook for myself, much of my food involves using the sometimes overlooked but just-as delicious parts of meat and vegetables. For example, I grew up eating broccoli stems as well as the florettes. Instead of discarding cabbage hearts, my mother gave them to me to snack on raw while we were cooking. We didn't use radish leaves, but they're virtually identical to turnip greens, so I generally cook those along with the root itself, which helps you include more dark green vegetables in your diet. And all those parts in the bag that comes inside of a chicken? If used properly, those parts are pure flavour – and another meal. Plus, cooking this way is important if you're working with fresh ingredients or off a budget.
From Solo by Anita Lo ©2018. Published by Knopf.