In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes from Our Year of Cooking in the Real World

Aimed mainly at single 20-somethings on a budget, this intimate cookbook chronicles a year in the lives of Cara and Phoebe, creators of the blog Big Girls, Small Kitchen. The book is organized by reasons to cook%E2%80%94cooking for one, potlucking, cocktail parties, dating, brunch, giving food as a gift (cookies and brownies), dinner parties, and using up leftovers. Each section is filled with many pages of personal stories and anecdotes, from Phoebe detailing how she crafted her peas with white wine and butter recipe the summer she was left alone with a dwindling supply of pantry items to Cara revealing an intimate moment between her and her boyfriend when he awakens to the smell of her banana chocolate chip bread. Most recipes, like yogurt carbonara, and dump and stir Mexican dip are quick, economical, and make use of on-hand staples. Some, like pork tenderloin with roasted fennel and artichoke paella are slightly more involved, but still accessible. There's an emphasis on party foods (crostini, dips, potluck salads and side dishes) and veggie dishes as well as helpful pointers for feeding a mixed crowd of vegetarians and carnivores. (July)