I LOVE FOOD AND YOU LOVE FOOD, RIGHT? Let’s love food together and start from the beginning. . . .
I’ve always loved food. I get excited by ingredients, and I love seeing what new and creative dishes I can make out of them. As a child I always chose to watch cooking shows over cartoons (PBS’s Yan Can Cook, anyone?). I liked watching the host chop up onions, brown meats, and measure out ingredients. I learned kitchen tips and tricks, and I would file them away in my head for use at a later time (and I was so excited when a tip or trick actually worked like it was supposed to).
While growing up, I loved being in the kitchen with my mom, even when I got tasked with washing the potatoes or rinsing the rice. I was thrilled when she let me do something “cool” like stir the pot or sauté garlic and onions. The older I got, the more responsibilities I was given in the kitchen, and I loved it all! I believe that being constantly surrounded by the excitement of preparing food is where I picked up my desire to share that excitement with everyone.
Homemade meals were a thing in our household. Since the very beginning, my mom instilled in me the idea that the best meals are “homemade meals.” She wouldn’t let my brother and I go to school with just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She made it a point to make lunches that would blow our friends’ lunches out of the water. Homemade sushi in our lunch boxes? Yup, it happened.
Not only did we have rock star lunches, we would have a home-cooked meal every single night of the week. Looking back, I don’t know how my mom and dad were able to work full-time jobs and then come home and prepare amazing dinners for two starving kids. I don’t even have kids, and many nights I want to come home and just lie in bed and watch endless amounts of Netflix with Chinese takeout next to me—although my husband might not approve of that. Anyway, the point is my parents didn’t find any of this to be a chore, because in the end their efforts provided us with a delicious home-cooked meal and love.
Showing someone how much you love him or her through food is the best expression of love I know.
Many of the memories I have are tied to food in one way or another. That correlation between food, love, and memories is at the root of why I started my food blog Table for Two. I titled my blog Table for Two not for the serving sizes of my recipes but because this title aptly describes the lifestyle that my husband and I enjoy. However, shortly after I started blogging, a number of readers sent me e-mails asking how to cut down a particular recipe for just one or two people, or if I could post more recipes for two. Well, I thought, why not write an entire book on dinner entrées for two?
My cooking mantra has always been quick, easy, and delicious any night of the week. I truly believe this cookbook can help you achieve this too. All the recipes here are pared down for two, and should produce little or no leftovers. The beauty of these recipes is that the ingredient lists aren’t complicated; most will probably be in your pantry or freezer! If the ingredients for a recipe require a run to the grocery store, try to prepare a menu plan for the week before going to the store so that you can grab everything in one trip. Making a homemade dinner every night is easier when everything you need is already in your kitchen.
I want to share with everyone my love for food, and I want to show that cooking a delicious home-cooked meal doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy. My hope with this cookbook is that you’ll get into the kitchen, make some new recipes that will become your favorites, and be inspired to share your love of food with everyone around you!
