Because cooking for one can be exciting, I reply. There’s no pressure to impress others so it’s an opportunity to experiment and try new things. It’s also a chance to slow down and appreciate the beauty and goodness of vegetables, fruits and other foods. Some folks like me find chopping vegetables and fruits very relaxing.
I’m going to share with my friends the discovery I made of a new cookbook designed for solo cooks of all ages and skills. “Meals for Me: One Core Ingredient — Two Delicious Meals” by Sam Stern offers exciting pairs of recipes.
I tested the recipes using eggplant as a core ingredient. One is Italian, the other Asian. I made them for dinner two evenings back to back. Both recipes are simple, flavorful, visually appealing and extremely easy to make. Either one of them can be made in the time it takes to drive to a fast-food restaurant.
EGGPLANT AND TOMATO FUSILLI
3½ ounces eggplant
3 cherry tomatoes
Small handful of fresh basil
3½ ounces fusilli
1½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
½ shallot, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for frying
Squeeze of lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan shavings, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
Put a large saucepan of salted water onto boil for the fusilli.
Meanwhile, chop the eggplant into 5/8-inch cubes. Cut the tomatoes into quarters. Tear the basil. Combine the red wine vinegar, shallot and the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Coat the eggplant lightly in olive oil and fry in a frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan, squeeze the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pan. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, basil and the vinegar mixture. Combine well and check for seasoning. Plate up, top with Parmesan shavings and squeeze over a little more lemon juice, to taste.
MISO EGGPLANT SALAD
7 ounces eggplant
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons brown miso paste
2 teaspoons rice wine
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 Boston lettuce, leaves separated
2 scallions, finely chopped
Toasted sesame oil, for dressing
DIRECTIONS
Cut the eggplant into 5/8-inch wide strips. Toss it in the peanut oil. Fry it in a saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine the miso paste, rice wine and rice vinegar in a bowl.
Once the eggplant is soft and well colored, remove from the heat, top with the eggplant and scallions, and finally drizzle with sesame oil.
From the book: "Meals for Me: One Core Ingredient — Two Delicious Meals" by Sam Stern; 192 pages, $29.95. Published by Quadrille, 2016.
What you get: Cooking for one is different, but this collection of 130 recipes makes it easy and enjoyable. Recipes are presented in pairs that use a core ingredient; so instead of leftovers on the second day, you have a brand new recipe to make.
In his own words: "Solo cooks should revel in having the kitchen exclusively to themselves; in showing you how to cook for yourself, I hope to be able to inspire you to make the effort — and it's not even a big effort!" — Sam Stern
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