I am not always the only person at the dinner table, but by and large, when I'm at the grocery store, I am shopping for one. The purpose of this blog is to track my efforts to prepare food that satisfies my appetite and my sense of adventure, for indeed, to me, cooking is just that: an adventure.
My love for cooking really took off in law school. Like most law students, I spent much of my time surrounded by ridiculously heavy leather bound books. While I enjoyed what I was studying, I needed balance in my life. At the end of a long day, I'd collapse in my large blue armchair and look to the television for entertainment. Every channel featured well-written, captivating legal dramas, but I'd find myself competing with Jack McCoy to yell, "Objection, your Honor!" I needed a break. Plus, a girl's gotta eat, right?
So cooking became a creative (and practical) outlet. I quickly learned, however, that cooking for one isn't always as easy as it seems. The recipes I read were usually written to serve 6-8 people - and there was only one of little ol' me! I tried making these dishes, learning many lessons the hard way. The first lesson is that I grow tired of eating a dish by serving number four, no matter how tasty the dish. Part in parcel with lesson number one is that the dish often goes bad before I have a chance to eat all servings (No, I'm not eating rotten food, but I've had to throw a lot away).
The second lesson is that, at least for my wallet's sake, I need to figure out a way to make better use of the ingredients I buy after I made the dish, because inevitably, the produce goes bad. I am sure that using some smarts in the kitchen, combined with better planning, and more creativity, I can make better use of what I bring home from the market. So no...I haven't figured out everything yet, but I'm going to try. Starting now.
