Comments on: Cooking for One http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/ Sharing thoughts on food Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:20:20 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: ladygarfunkel http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-26 ladygarfunkel Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:43:26 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-26 Hi Hall! I think eating alone is a chance to indulge in guilty-pleasure foods, ones that you'd be embarassed to admit loving. I like to make Velveeta mac'n'cheese and I like to add canned clams to it. It sound gross, but it's really good. Of course I would only eat such a thing when I'm by myself. Hi Hall! I think eating alone is a chance to indulge in guilty-pleasure foods, ones that you’d be embarassed to admit loving. I like to make Velveeta mac’n'cheese and I like to add canned clams to it. It sound gross, but it’s really good. Of course I would only eat such a thing when I’m by myself.

]]> By: Beth http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-20 Beth Tue, 20 May 2008 00:22:04 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-20 When my kids were both gone to college, I reveled in the freedom to fix the foods I liked that they didn't and to buy expensive foods that I wouldn't buy while they were here, because they would be gone in a flash and I would be lucky to get any. And if I wanted to eat the same thing for breakfast every day, there was no one to say, "That again? So eating alone was a private celebration. But it did get a little old, and when I am tired and hungry, it's much harder to summon the energy to fix something nice just for myself. One thing I always enjoy fixing alone is a salad. I make it in the bowl I am going to eat it from (no leftovers), and I have accumulated a variety of ingredients that make it a complete delicious meal. Besides the usual greens and salad vegetables, I add pecans or other nuts, dried cherries, feta cheese (which my kids couldn't stand), some granola (idea courtesy of Destiny's "Trust Me" salad), apple, avocado (if available), a spoonful of tabouli or humus (whatever is around), pickled beets, dilly beans, jicama.... and I'm always looking for new ideas. A glass of wine, some sourdough, and it's a feast. And I can read while I eat, which is not very companionable thing with others present. When my kids were both gone to college, I reveled in the freedom to fix the foods I liked that they didn’t and to buy expensive foods that I wouldn’t buy while they were here, because they would be gone in a flash and I would be lucky to get any. And if I wanted to eat the same thing for breakfast every day, there was no one to say, “That again? So eating alone was a private celebration. But it did get a little old, and when I am tired and hungry, it’s much harder to summon the energy to fix something nice just for myself.

One thing I always enjoy fixing alone is a salad. I make it in the bowl I am going to eat it from (no leftovers), and I have accumulated a variety of ingredients that make it a complete delicious meal. Besides the usual greens and salad vegetables, I add pecans or other nuts, dried cherries, feta cheese (which my kids couldn’t stand), some granola (idea courtesy of Destiny’s “Trust Me” salad), apple, avocado (if available), a spoonful of tabouli or humus (whatever is around), pickled beets, dilly beans, jicama…. and I’m always looking for new ideas. A glass of wine, some sourdough, and it’s a feast.

And I can read while I eat, which is not very companionable thing with others present.

]]> By: e destiny http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-19 e destiny Mon, 19 May 2008 19:06:43 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-19 oops mundanity oops mundanity

]]> By: e destiny http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-18 e destiny Mon, 19 May 2008 19:06:21 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-18 i just could care less about cooking for myself. eating by myself is also unpleasant to a degree but then i remind myself how lucky i am to be eating at all. you know the interesting thing is that after i have been to our farmers' market, i enjoy cooking for myself quite a bit more becasue the experience takes on a richness of sights and smells and tastes. so maybe it is that the group experience over rules the mondanity (looked it up) of shelf food while the sheer beauty of fresh small farm food is inspiration enough. i just could care less about cooking for myself. eating by myself is also unpleasant to a degree but then i remind myself how lucky i am to be eating at all.
you know the interesting thing is that after i have been to our farmers’ market, i enjoy cooking for myself quite a bit more becasue the experience
takes on a richness of sights and smells and tastes. so maybe it is that the group experience over rules the mondanity (looked it up) of shelf food while the sheer beauty of fresh small farm food is inspiration enough.

]]> By: Myra http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-15 Myra Mon, 19 May 2008 18:37:51 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-15 I know what you mean - but I have developed a way to make meals not only delicious but less time taking. When I get inspired to prepare a gourmet dish, I always prepare more than one of it, and usually up to five of it. So, in a given creative, inspired week I could have up to 35 wonderful frozen dishes in the freezer. Eating in front of a television during the winter is pretty mundane, but in the spring, the summer and the fall I prepare a tray (including a glass of wine of course) and go into the garden and sit under an umbrella and meditate while watching the sparkling twinkles of light in the branches of the trees and bushes by the creek, listen to the birds, observe the flowers, trees and blooming glory and become entranced by all that beauty. It's taken awhile to make La Paix the little bit of heaven it is to me, in fact, when extolling the beauty it has become to my son while we raked leaves off the woodland paths on Mother's Day, he interrupted my rapture to say, "That's why I'm so glad you had twenty eight years to fix it mother!" I know what you mean – but I have developed a way to make meals not only delicious but less time taking. When I get inspired to prepare a gourmet dish, I always prepare more than one of it, and usually up to five of it. So, in a given creative, inspired week I could have up to 35 wonderful frozen dishes in the freezer. Eating in front of a television during the winter is pretty mundane, but in the spring, the summer and the fall I prepare a tray (including a glass of wine of course) and go into the garden and sit under an umbrella and meditate while watching the sparkling twinkles of light in the branches of the trees and bushes by the creek, listen to the birds, observe the flowers, trees and blooming glory and become entranced by all that beauty. It’s taken awhile to make La Paix the little bit of heaven it is to me, in fact, when extolling the beauty it has become to my son while we raked leaves off the woodland paths on Mother’s Day, he interrupted my rapture to say, “That’s why I’m so glad you had twenty eight years to fix it mother!”

]]> By: Suzanne http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-14 Suzanne Mon, 19 May 2008 17:07:07 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-14 Let's face it - not everyone enjoys cooking. So, whether it is for one or a crowd, some folks just plain don't like doing it. On the other hand, if you're a foodie (like me), you might enjoy "creating" in the kitchen. Of course, I don't always feel like cooking either, but when the creative mood strikes - watch out! I do have a hint or two for "cooking for oners" - keep it simple; repackage (meat for instance) into "for one" sizes (freeze the rest); make extra for the freezer; eat more raw food and cook only the entree; prepare most of the meal the evening before when you're doing dishes - won't be as much to do when you're tired and hungry; enjoy the wonderful food God gave us and keep the marathon cooking for guests. Let’s face it – not everyone enjoys cooking. So, whether it is for one or a crowd, some folks just plain don’t like doing it. On the other hand, if you’re a foodie (like me), you might enjoy “creating” in the kitchen. Of course, I don’t always feel like cooking either, but when the creative mood strikes – watch out! I do have a hint or two for “cooking for oners” – keep it simple; repackage (meat for instance) into “for one” sizes (freeze the rest); make extra for the freezer; eat more raw food and cook only the entree; prepare most of the meal the evening before when you’re doing dishes – won’t be as much to do when you’re tired and hungry; enjoy the wonderful food God gave us and keep the marathon cooking for guests.

]]> By: iloivar http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-13 iloivar Thu, 15 May 2008 23:54:26 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-13 I, too, find myself less inspired when cooking only for myself (although I am never unhappy to have left-overs). Part of it is the time and expense it takes to make really good food, but I think a more important issue is that I view food as a communal event; food is the glue that holds social gatherings together. Somehow, except when I'm concerned about my health, the ritual of food preparation seems unwarranted by my lone cravings. I, too, find myself less inspired when cooking only for myself (although I am never unhappy to have left-overs). Part of it is the time and expense it takes to make really good food, but I think a more important issue is that I view food as a communal event; food is the glue that holds social gatherings together. Somehow, except when I’m concerned about my health, the ritual of food preparation seems unwarranted by my lone cravings.

]]> By: Mint http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/2008/05/12/cooking-for-one/#comment-12 Mint Thu, 15 May 2008 14:45:16 +0000 http://essenceoffood.wordpress.com/?p=20#comment-12 Thank you for good information~~* Please comeback to visit my blog too : http://about-culinaryarts.blogspot.com/ I'm sorry , If you think this is spam. but may i thank you again. Bye Thank you for good information~~*

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