Foodie advice on cooking for one

Cooking as a single person can be kind of disheartening as many recipes are made for four or more. The Seattle Kitchen staff decided to consult a couple of food experts who happen to be single to see what methods they employ to keep food exciting when cooking for one.

Guest Jameson Fink, from the Wine Without Worry blog, says the first step is moving past your single status and picking up the cookbook.

“For me one of the things is to not be defeatist about it – to look at a recipe that serves four then automatically feel like, ‘Oh God I’m so alone. I’m only cooking for one.’ Then you curl up in a little ball and order a pizza.”

Fink says recipes can easily be modified for single consumption.

Beyond cutting the portions on your ingredient, Guest Amy Pennington from KCTS’ food show “Check, Please” says go ahead and buy the recommended quantities, but don’t necessarily combine all the ingredients for that one recipe.

She says for example if you’re making a barley stew, steam the barley separately so that it can be reused outside the stew, say in a porridge the next day.

Fink’s not opposed to making big batches of things as long as you freeze the leftovers. One of the biggest hurdles in single cooking he says is waste, which is why he recommends shopping small and often.

Frequent trips to the store, buying in small quantities allows you to keep up a good variety without as much risk that things will spoil.

He also says a strong army of spices and sauces can keep your food interesting as you repurpose dishes from one night to the next.

Another way to get rid of single leftovers: share. The Seattle Kitchen staff agrees it’s not a horrible thing to make a batch of too many cookies. Friends and neighbors would likely be very willing to take some of those off your hands. It might even lead to a new connection.