An elegant dinner for two doesn’t have to require hours and hours of prep time. From spicy lobster fra diavolo to sweet and sour pork chops, these 17 recipes—all easy to scale down for two people—strike a balance between easy and impressive.
Maiale in Agrodolce (Sweet and Sour Glazed Pork Chops)
Inspired by a story that first appeared in our June/July 2010 issue, chef Tom Colicchio created this beautiful dish of halibut with chanterelle mushrooms and pleasingly bitter fresh chamomile.
Roasting beets and puréeing them with a little balsamic vinegar makes a sweet, earthy spread that’s a perfect base for slices of smoked salmon and peppery watercress.
This simple yet sophisticated, airy yet intense concoction has been a hit with home cooks in America at least since the New York Times published its first recipe for the dessert in 1955. Get the recipe for Chocolate Mousse »
Fried fish with a brown butter sauce and almonds is a French classic, and one of the most popular dishes at the beloved New Orleans restaurant Galatoire’s.
Chef Gabrielle Hamilton of New York City’s Prune restaurant gave us her recipe for this delicious pasta, which is tossed in brown butter and pine nuts, then topped with sunny-side-up eggs.
