SERVE YOURSELF
Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One
by Joe Yonan
Ten Speed Press
March 2011
$22.00/paperback
ISBN-13: 978-1580085137

Contact: Kristin Casemore
800.841.2665 X 3088
kristin.casemore@tenspeed.com

From Joe Yonan, the award-winning food editor of The Washington Post comes SERVE YOURSELF: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One, a cookbook aimed at the food-loving single. Yonan brings together more than 100 inventive, easy-to-make, and globally inspired recipes celebrating solo eating. Dishes like Spicy Almond Soba Noodles with Edamame; Benedict Rancheros; and Sweet Potato Soup with Chorizo, Chickpeas, and Kale will add excitement to any repertoire and forever dispel the notion that single life means starving, settling for take-out, or facing a fridge full of monotonous leftovers. Yonan also includes shopping and storage tips for the single-chef household, along with creative ideas for making use of extra ingredients. SERVE YOURSELF makes cooking for one a deeply satisfying, approachable pleasure. And with such delectable meals, your solo status could be threatened if you’re forced to share with others!

About the Author

Joe Yonan was the travel editor and a food writer at the Boston Globe, and is currently the food editor at the Washington Post; his efforts there earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Award for best newspaper food section. He lives in Washington D.C.

Spicy Almond Soba Noodles with Edamame

2 ounces dried soba noodles
1/2 cup shelled edamame (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon sliced raw almonds
1 tablespoon almond butter (or substitute peanut or other nut butter)
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, or more to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons hot water, plus more as needed
Kosher or sea salt
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the soba noodles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or according to package directions, until they are barely tender. Use tongs to transfer the cooked noodles to an individual-serving bowl, reserving the cooking water in the pot. Return the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the noodles.

Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat, shaking the pan frequently, until lightly browned and smelling toasty, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to let them burn. Immediately transfer to a plate to cool. When they have cooled, coarsely chop them.

To make the dressing, combine the almond butter, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Add the hot water, stirring to mix well. If the dressing seems too thick, add more hot water, a teaspoon at a time, until it has reached the consistency you want.

Add salt to taste; add more vinegar if you want the sauce tangier, and more red pepper flakes if you’d like it spicier. Add the dressing to the noodles and edamame, along with the scallion, bell pepper, and chopped almonds. Toss to combine, adding more water if necessary, and eat.

Benedict Rancheros

1 jalapeño chile
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot lobe, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes in their juices
1/2 cup water, plus more as needed
2 eggs
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup cooked black beans, preferably homemade, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup black bean cooking liquid (or water if canned), plus more as needed
1 corn muffin or square of cornbread

Remove the stem from the jalapeño and cut in half lengthwise. Scrape out and reserve the seeds, then finely chop the flesh.

Pour the oil into a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the shallot, garlic, poblano, jalapeño flesh, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and water and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and let the mixture gently simmer until it has thickened to a saucelike consistency, 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, poach the eggs following the method described on page 30, keeping them warm by transferring them once they’re poached properly to a bowl of 120˚F water.

Taste the sauce and add more water, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. If it’s not spicy enough, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds until you reach the desired level of heat. Refrigerate or freeze half of the sauce for another use. Stir the cilantro into the remaining sauce, cover, and remove from the heat.

Pour the beans and their cooking liquid into another small, preferably nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Use a potato masher or a large fork to mash the beans, and let them cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add a little liquid if necessary to keep them spreadable, and remove from the heat.

Cut off the domed top of the corn muffin, then cut the muffin in half horizontally. Toast the muffin halves under the broiler or in a toaster oven until golden brown on the cut side.

Transfer the muffins to a plate, cut side up. Spread half the beans on top of each muffin; top with a poached egg and the ranchero sauce. Crumble the reserved muffin top over the sauce, and eat.

Note: This recipe makes twice as much sauce as you need. Before adding the cilantro, refrigerate half of it in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for several months, and use the extra sauce for more Benedict Rancheros another time, on quesadillas or nachos, or whisked with oil and vinegar for a salad dressing.

These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipe from SERVE YOURSELF by Joe Yonan (Ten Speed Press, Spring 2011, $22.00/paperback)