Cooking in Style

What's better than etsy + shopping for kitchen accessories? Answer: Not much.

Just purchased: Oven mitt from CuveeKitchenApparel! No more burnt fingers and homemade chic.

Is it here yet? Is it here yet?

Freezer Power!

Cooking for one has it challenges, like breaking down recipes into portions for one. How do you split an egg in fourths? What am I supposed to do with the other half of this a can of diced tomatoes? How do I go through a whole loaf of bread before it goes stale or gets moldy? What am I going to do with the rest of this tofu block?

On top of all of that, some recipes aren't worth the time to cook just one portion - Shepherd's pie? Lasagna? Single Serving Homemade Soup? Forget about it. And unless I want to eat on a whole quiche morning, noon and night, that recipe is out the question.

But enter - Freezer Power. One of the challenges of living in a studio apartment was being freezer-less. No grab-and-nuke meals. No easy Trader Joe's dinners. No frozen vegetables. Not even ice.

But like many things, when you do without, you learn work-arounds. You get used to it. So although I've been in my new place for two months, I've just now rediscovered the power of my freezer. With the food-saving, air-chilling power of an ice box, you can cook in quantity and save it for later - making it easier to cook recipes meant for a larger guest list or keep your fridge stocked of ready-to-go meals when you are tired, lazy, down to the last of your groceries and out of a coherent pantry to make a meal, or simply on the run.

This week alone, I've cooked quinoa burger patties and taco casserole putting my spare servings in the freezer. Healthy, homemade breakfast in a hurry? No problem - grab some frozen homemade waffles or breakfast burritos. Rushing out the door to work and need lunch? How about some of those enchiladas from last week? Cooking a recipe that serves 4? Why would I pause?

Ahhh ... the difference a freezer makes.

The Butcher, The Baker, The Bulk Bin Taker ... Grocery Shopping for One

Figuring out portions for one can be difficult.   Recipes are often written for 2- or 4- or even 6-servings or greater.  Sometimes, a little math can easily adjust the recipe down to a single serving; but sometimes - as with baking - it is not quite that simple.  And shopping for one is often no easier.

Besides frozen TV dinners, many grocery items don't come packaged for one.  Think about a loaf of bread, a head of cauliflower, a can of beans, or a carton of eggs.  Many of these go bad before a single person can consume the whole package.  So cooking - and grocery shopping - for one takes a few tweaks.  Here's a few simple tips that I have found to get by:

• Make friends with the butcher.  Prior to the Single Life, I rarely bought meat or seafood directly from the Butcher counter in the grocery store, opting instead for the pre-packaged protein from the Meat Department.  But the pre-packaged meats are usually portioned for two adults or a family.  When one buys from the Butcher counter, you can specify exactly how much you want. I can pick up 1 chicken breast, or 1 filet of fish, or 1/4-lb of ground beef.  It felt a little silly at first - asking the butcher for such a small portion - but believe me, in the end, this has saved me so much money and food waste.  Similarly, I do the same with dry food items ...
  
• Buy in bulk.  Ok, so maybe not "buy in bulk," but shop in the bulk section.  When I need 3/4 cup of arborio rice for a risotto recipe, I go straight to the bulk section.  Or when I need 1 cup of flour, why should I buy a 5-lb bag that is going to eat up my cupboard space for the next year? I can get exactly the amount I need when I shop in bulk.
  
• Buy less produce, but more often.  I have found that in my mini-fridge produce just doesn't keep for very long.  It wilts;  it gets soft; and it quickly loses its appeal.  Instead, I have found that visiting the grocery store every 2-3 days to pick up a smaller amount of fresh produce is a much better way of keeping appealing looking fruit and veg in my kitchen.
  
• Reverse engineer your recipes.  Also, when I am disciplined, I select a recipe first and then go to the store to get the fresh ingredients.  This works much better than trying to work the equation the other way around.
  
• Learn the Single Serving Substitutes.  Some produce just works better in the single kitchen than others.  I have learned to substitute most tomatoes with cherry tomatoes, which last longer and don't leave me hanging with a half-cut tomato in my fridge.  I will often substitute a shallot for an onion.  And I frequently buy loose spinach instead of a whole head of lettuce.
  
• Share with friends.  Just because you are single doesn't mean that you can't ever make cookies!  When I find myself craving a recipe that is just too hard to cut down, such as scones or a batch of cookies, I bake the whole batch and share it with friends (or neighbors!).
  
• And remember, sometimes, it's worth it to pay someone else to cook it.  Some recipes with rarely-used or hard-to-find-in-single-serving ingredients are just not worth making at home.  I have found that purchasing curry paste to make Thai curry at home isn't worth it.  Or buying a watermelon to make a watermelon-heirloom-tomato salad isn't worth it.  So when I'm craving it, I just dine out. 

Favorite Things: Basil

Meet Basil (pronounced ˈbā-zəl), my basil plant.  I just hate buying a bunch of herbs, only to have most of them wilt miserably before I get a chance to use them.  Such a waste!  So I've adopted Basil in order to pluck the perfect amount of herb for what's on the menu.  He also adds a nice bit of green to my decor.  Welcome, Basil!

[Don't tell him, but I don't exactly have a green thumb, so wish me luck keeping him alive!]

For The Impractical Love of a Juicer ...

Cupboard Hog

Orange-Carrot-Ginger Especial

Working in a small space, practicality is often the stick by which one must measure.  You must think long and hard about the tools you have in your cupboard and the staples to carry in your kitchen.  Does it justify the space?  Will you use it?  Can you live without it?  Can another tool do the same job?  Because in a 68" x 60" kitchen ... EVERY INCH COUNTS.  But sometimes ... just sometimes ... that is not the case.  Sometimes, practicality succumbs to personal predilection.  And such is the case of my juicer.

Now, I will be the first to admit that my industrial strength Jack LaLanne juicer is absurd.  It is monstrously large (consuming over 1/2 shelf), laborious to set up/take down/clean, has limited functionality and, well, there are probably a dozen other appliances one should have before having a juicer.  It is also a thing of beauty ... serving up freshly squeezed orange, apple, grapefruit and even celery juice; making great bases for tomato and carrot-based soups; and ... most importantly, juicing up my personal favorite:  fresh immune-boosting orange-carrot-ginger juice for mornings when I am feeling a little run down.

So, for me, it is my juicer ... For you, perhaps it is your shot glass collection, or your George Foreman grill, or your salad spinner, or your creme brulee torch.  To each their own.  And when you live alone, who's to judge?

Best Christmas Present Ever!

My grandmother hand made a sweetheart-neckline, fitted-waist, full skirt apron for me.  Complete with heart pocket.  It's reversible too!  You're the best, Grandma!

Oh, Sweet Aero-Press ....

Prepare

Press

Pour

How I love thee, let me count the ways ...

* Compact
* Easy-To-Clean
* Perfect, single portions
* Makes the one of the best cups of coffee I have every had.  Seriously.

---

What is an Aero-Press, you ask?  Well, somewhere in the mechanical spectrum between a bike pump and the french press falls the Aero-Press.  But more simply put, the Aero-Press is the single coffee lover's dream. 

---

How does it work?  It operates much like a French Press, but you push the water through the bottom of the chamber into your cup.

To get started, simply place a filter in the filter cap and screw on to the bottom of the chamber.  Add your coffee and add a small amount of hot water.  (An electric kettle works perfectly for heating up the water).  Stir for 10 seconds.  Then, place the plunger into the top of the chamber and slowly press down pushing the coffee through to your cup for approximately 20 - 30 seconds.

Viola! You are done. Clean up is easy.  Simply remove the filter cap, press the coffee grounds and filter into the trash by pushing the plunger the rest of the way through.  Rinse.

The Aero-Press makes espresso strength coffee.  You can add hot milk for a latte, or add more hot water for American Coffee (as I do).

---

Where can YOU get one?  Amazon carries it. I highly recommend it.  Throw out your percolator, people!

---

P.S.  h/t to Spice Reader and foodie in crime, intastella.  Thanks for the recommendation.

A Few Of My Favorite Things ...

Working in a kitchenette, the best gadgets come in small packages.  They are multi-purpose, easy-to-clean and compact.  Today's favorite thing:  my collapsible step stool.

Step

And Store

And now for a little Julie Andrews inspiration ...

Stemless wine glasses and heirloom tomatoes

Candlelit dinners and mashed potatoes

The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans

These are a few of my favorite things

Stainless steel blades and herbs from the garden

A bouquet on the table and fresh bread in the oven

Curry so spicy that it makes your mouth sing

These are a few of my favorite things

When the milk spills

When the trash stinks

When I"m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad