I often hear from my single friends that they don't like cooking for just one person or that it isn't enjoyable. I understand where they are coming from but here are some tips that I think may help.
One of the most obvious is to reduce the recipes in half. I once made a crock pot full of beef stew and there was so much I had to invite my parents and brother over to help me eat it and there was still almost half left! Enough for many nights of leftovers. But cutting recipes in half isn't always easy. Try figuring out half of 1 and 2/3 cups or 1/8 a tsp. With my parochial school math, fogetta bout it.
Another tip, look for recipes made for two. I have a cookbook from America's Test Kitchen titled "Cooking for Two". It's awesome as the portions are just enough for me with leftovers for the next day. It can be found online or at Barne's and Noble.
It also helps to have the right cooking tools. Having the right tools doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Case in point, one of my favorite all purpose skillets is my Lodge Logic 12" cast iron skillet. It cost me less than $25. I use it for everything from frying, searing, and even baking! Yeah it's heavy and needs to be seasoned but so what, it should outlast me (OK, that may not be saying much).
Most recipes call for a 12" stainless steel skillet. You really want 18/10 quality but have you ever priced them? All Clad, which is top of the line, can easily cost upwards of $200 for just one skillet! Too much. But here's a secret. Walmart sells a line of 18/10 skillets from Tramontina for a fraction. Here's my skillet and it cost me a whopping $40. And as an amateur, I think it suits my needs.
Check it out for yourself: Tramotina. They even sell cast iron dutch ovens at a fraction of the cost of the Le Creuset.
These are some of the things I wish I knew when I was starting out in my kitchen.
I'll have more tips in the future. Now I'm off to have another cookie... or two.
I have also found that Overstock.com also has excellent prices on cookware
ReplyDeleteHey now, be careful what you say about parochial school math! ;)
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