Cooking for one

[cjsmith]

I just realized that one of the reasons I struggle so much with cooking for one is that I'm making completely different stuff than I know how to do.

I make a meatloaf I happen to love and I can do a lasagne I find absolutely scrumptious, but c'mon, raise your hand if you make one-person versions of those! If I have a quarter pound of ground beef it's a BURGER. Conversely, who makes omelets for thirty? I sure haven't.

The feed-a-dormitory or feed-a-family recipes can be broken down into neat little piles of Tupperware, but multiply helpings by desirable variety and I'm out of freezer space. Thus my main storage facility is the freezer aisle at Safeway. Shrinking the recipes, on the other hand, multiplies the labor and prep time and also increases waste (ingredients are much more perishable before they get frozen as meals). No wonder a restaurant is such an easy choice for me.

What's your favorite thing to make for one person? Preferably quick. (Bonus points for no leftover ingredients.)

Comments

Re: Cooking for one

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Yep. Out of sight, out of mind.

I have two refrigerators, and I often stash extra produce in the one in the garage. I have a note that pops up on my computer every other day: "Check the crisper drawers in the extra fridge!!"

Whatever works :).

You can buy meat in any portion you want. Most grocery stores have meat cutters, and they're happy to cut meat to your specs (in fact, I'm finding more and more that grocery stores have service counters for meat and seafood - a very good trend IMO). I've found they're also full of wonderful ideas on how to cook that meat. I've gotten some of my best recipes from my guys at Safeway :). If you want one pork chop, they'll package one porkchop.

Re: Cooking for one

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I haven't seen a service counter like this at my local grocery store, but maybe I haven't been looking. When I was a kid the meat area was all waist-high... bins? shelves? with a butcher behind them ready to help someone. Now there's a wall. Everything is prepackaged and will feed a family. I'm not sure where I'd find a meat cutter.

I remember the first time I asked a grocery store how to tell if an egg was bad. They knew! They told me! I was so impressed. Maybe I'll ask them about cooking, too. :)

Re: Cooking for one

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Where do you shop? Most Safeways now have service counters for seafood, and ours just remodeled and now have one for meat as well. Some Albertson's have had them for quite awhile. Whole Foods and Andronico's *definitely* have them (Andronico's is where I go to get chickens with the feet still on - the feet are so wonderful for stock!).

Produce people are really good about answering questions, too. I really miss the Nob Hill Foods that used to be here; they had *great* employees who really knew food.

Re: Cooking for one

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I shop at a Safeway by my house. I think they do have a guy behind the seafood, now that you mention it, but I have a blind spot there 'cause I can't eat that. Trader Joe's for random stuff like $2 Chuck and good pre-made guac or hummus.

Oh now I've done it. I want hummus. Badly.

Re: Cooking for one

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmm... hummus!

From what I understand, all the Bay Area Safeways are remodeling so that you can walk into any Safeway and it will be identical to any other Safeway. Maybe this is good news :). In any case, next time you're in there, take a wander to the meat department and see if they've opened a service counter. In any case, there should be a buzzer you can push to get one of the meat cutters' attention.

No fish at all?

Re: Cooking for one

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Ours has done a bunch of remodeling. (Mostly we disliked the changes: shopping carts now have horrible drink-holder obstacles bolted to their sides, they stopped carrying my favorite teas, every aisle is blocked by random stuff in little display racks, etc.) I should go look and see if a meat person showed up.

*Mostly* no fish and no seafood. It, um, comes back. I have in the past been able to eat: tuna, Mrs. Smith's Breaded Fish Sticks (which might be only bread), and clams. I have had problems with: shrimp, lobster, crab, oysters, whatever is in Thai satay sauce sometimes, something a friend called "blue fish", salmon larger than 1cc., and fish oil capsules. I haven't tried a whole lot of stuff because it's unpleasant. :)

Re: Cooking for one

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Definitely check. If it's anything like my Safeway, there'll not only be a service counter in the meat department, but an olive and appetizer bar in the deli, and an extended wine department :).

Maybe you could do mild whit fish like halibut. But I can understand why you'd rather not venture there.

Re: Cooking for one

[kennita.livejournal.com]

Ah yes -- breaded fish sticks: a convenient surface to put tartar sauce on :-) .