My dear friend Ruth’s nephew has a great idea for a do-it-yourself cookbook using my Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software (that his aunt is always raving about).

His suggestion is to make a family cookbook for single cooks. It would be geared for solo individuals who cook for themselves. You know, the bachelors, students, and senior singles — anyone who cooks essentially for one.

It’s a great idea. A family cookbook for single cooks could feature favorite family recipes scaled down to smaller portions for the individual diner. The user of Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software could copy the existing family cookbook, and then revise the recipes proportionately so they make sense to the single cook.

A family cookbook for single cooks would enable single cooks to add variety to their diets. Surely, many people on their own are tired of the microwaveable frozen dinners, boxed pasta meals, take-out food, and sundry other easy-to-make-and-put-on-pounds choices in the grocery stories today.

A family cookbook for single cooks could also empower the solo diner to experiment with new dishes, adding additional pleasure to their cooking-for-one experience. They might even be inspired to add to their family cookbook for single cooks and create a revised, expanded edition.

Cooking isn’t hard. It is an investment in time. A family cookbook for single cooks just might help redefine the fine art of solo cooking for those on their own. It can also help strengthen family ties by showing single cooks that family members do care and want to contribute to their well being in a useful, positive way. (Kind of like making sure the swan can swim.)

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda