French Cooking for Two

In her new cookbook, Michèle Roberts casts her net further afield with handpicked recipes adapted from an array of historical and personal sources. Containing over 170 recipes, many of them introduced with the author’s distinctive flair for witty and charming anecdotes, French Cooking for Two is about friendship as much as it is about preparing a French dinner for two.

Friendship has its own distinctive seasons, constantly changing and evolving, just as the years revolve. Cooking for a friend, you can show your affection in a direct, practical way. Composing a menu to suit or intrigue a particular beloved person, you are demonstrating how well you understand and appreciate them.

Divided into three overlapping seasons, the book follows the 1929 classic La bonne cuisine by Madame Saint-Ange. In each section you will find dishes and suggestions appropriate to the season as well as ideas for particular seasonal moments, from favourites by writer Colette, to regional classics. The recipes are designed to be straightforward to follow so you can concentrate on your guest rather than dashing between stove and table. This is a book to stimulate your appetite to invite a dear friend round as soon as possible and cook for them.

Reviews of French Cooking for One

‘An enduring delight for readers and cooks alike.’ – Nigella Lawson; ‘So many micro feasts, and every one of them nourishment for body and soul.’ – Rachel Cooke, author of Kitchen Person;'Michèle Roberts’ enchanting book French Cooking for One proves la cuisine française can be enjoyed alone, when there is nothing to interrupt the joy of preparing good ingredients and turning them into enticing dishes. Her anecdotes and notes of wisdom that accompany the recipes make her the perfect companion in the kitchen.' – Carolyn Boyd, author of Amuse Bouche