'What We Eat When We Eat Alone'

The illustrations in Deborah Madison's new book were done by her husband, Patrick McFarlin, whose icebreaker question was the catalyst for the work. Photograph from Gibbs Smith Blog

The Los Angeles Times reviews Deborah Madison's new book:

What We Eat When We Eat Alone (Gibbs Smith, $25) is not a book of recipes for smaller portions of the dishes people eat every day. It's full of stories about the way people approach food when they are alone, whether they shop or poke around the fridge; whether they cook or simply assemble what they find; whether they eat odd dishes no one else would touch or take the time for an appealing full meal. Some people make a humble meal of crackers broken into milk; cookbook writer Clifford Wright sometimes makes duck breast—which he says he can't afford to serve to guests.

Crackers in milk? Seriously? When I eat alone, it's most often a sandwich or a simple pasta—things that can be prepared and cleaned up after quickly. What do you make when you dine solo?

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