IWAS WATCHING public television the other night and came across a wonderful interview in progress. Judith Jones spoke of her new book, “The Pleasures of Cooking for One”. She is senior editor and vice president of Alfred A. Knopf. Along with other collaborations she has been the co-author of 3 books with her late husband, Evan. Her interesting life is covered in her memoir, “The Tenth Muse”, which I have just begun to read. In it is a remarkable photo of her standing between Julia Child and James Beard. As a junior editor, she was instrumental in the publishing of Julia’s marvelous volumes. Acknowledging the development of this new phase of American cooking was her focus. And, as well with ties in NYC, she is a Vermonter.

You might say, “Oh, there she goes, talking about yet another cookbook!” But, it is different. Small, quite elegant, with beautiful binding and pages that can be restored if a drop of ingredients might find its way on the surface, it has yet another message. It is directed toward those of us that find personal pleasure in creating in the kitchen, not only for family and friends, but for ourselves. The recipes are not complicated. They focus on single portions, with sequences of different dinners created from “leftovers”. It suggests to those of us that eat alone, that we make this a special time, where memories can join us at the table.

Here are a couple of examples, that come under the subtitle of “Improvising with vegetables, Salads and sauces”, Note the small portions; Judith made this while cooking with Julia Child, when she was asked to create “a nice little potato dish” while Julia was “fixing” the meat.

A Potato dish for Julia 2 medium new potatoes 1 small garlic clove Salt

4 teaspoons butter

Peel the potatoes, and slice them very thin. Peel and mince the garlic, the, with the flat of your chef’s knife, mash it with a little salt until it is a paste. Work a little of the butter into it. Heat 2 teaspoons of the butter in your small frying pan (it shows a cast-iron one in the illustration) over medium-low heat, and lay in half the potato slices, overlapping slightly to fill the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper them lightly, and smear the garlic paste on top. Add the remaining layer of potatoes and cook gently, setting a small cover askew on top of the pan. After about 8 minutes, turn the potatoes, with should be brown on the bottom, by setting a small, study plate on top of the pan and flipping the potatoes over onto it. They won’t hold together in perfect shape, but don’t worry. After heating the remaining butter in the pan, just slide the potatoes back in and arrange them as neatly as you can. Let them cook, semicover, for about 5 minutes, and uncovered for a couple more minutes, at which point they should be done and nicely browned, both top and bottom. Turn them onto a warm dinner plate, and let them mingle with whatever juicy meat you are having for dinner.

Panna Cotta with

Maple Syrup

This recipe was developed by Judith, “It makes enough for two, so either share it or treat yourself to a second helping later in the week”

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup, (dark) plus a little more for optional garnish

1/2 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup unflavored gelatin

Garnish: blueberries, strawberries, or a combination (optional)

Mix the sugar, maple syrup, milk and cream together in a small saucepan, and heat, stirring. As soon as bubbles appear around the edges, remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle in the gelatin, stirring vigorously, and continue to stir for 3-4 minutes. Let cool completely, giving an occasional stir. Now pour the cooled custard into two custard cups or glass dishes, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. You can unmold the panna cotta and drizzle a little more maple syrup around it, garnishing, if you like, with some berries. Or you can enjoy the panna cotta straight from the cup.

The book is filled with small hints as well. It is a joy. I feel I have a new friend on my shelf. pgg.