More often than not people who have company feel sorry for solo eaters even though in our tech filled lives being with someone does not always mean that the others are there.

They might be physically present but their mind is somewhere else.

In light of this, I thought that Judith Jones decision to write The Pleasures of Cooking for One (Knopf, September 09) is quite refreshing.

As the publisher's introduction notes, when you cook for one, there's no need to worry about ingredients, spiciness, looks, flavors, success or failure.

No one but yourself will have to deal with the end result.

The book Companion Blog gives you a taste of what the lady is about, even though many pieces seem to have been written by her assistant, Ken Schneider. His name comes up repeatedly in the foot notes ('tags' in blogger parlance).

You can still smell her passion for food and cooking.

How it brings people together and reflects various cultures

Cooking is not all competition and showmanship, it is about shared pleasurable moments.