Dinner for One: The joy—and advantages—of cooking just for yourself

In spite of what some people say, there are genuine delights and some great advantages in cooking just for yourself. Everyone knows the joys of eating with friends and loved ones, but few people celebrate eating alone. Cooking for yourself can be a daily demonstration of self-love, and it can also be a truly creative and fun part of your life. So, I’d like to debunk a few of the common myths about cooking for one, and suggest some helpful tips for getting in the habit. If you live alone, you’re not condemned to opening a can of soup alone in the dark—not that there’s anything wrong with that!

•    Myth 1: “If you cook for one, you may as well cook for four.” True, but invariably, one person doesn’t like garlic, another one hates basil, and the third is allergic to fresh tomatoes. Moral: the delicious spaghetti al pomodoro fresco e basilico that you desperately wanted tonight is out of the picture. The truth is accommodating each person’s peculiar tastes, allergies, and diets can be very limiting.

•    Myth 2: “It’s not economical to cook for just one.” You don’t have to cook just one portion at a time; you can make enough for two meals … or more. We all know many leftovers taste even better the next day, besides you can often freeze them. You’re going to really love defrosting that lentil soup some rainy night in the future.

•    When you’re alone, you can eat what you want, when you want, and how you want. You can skip the etiquette, the formalities and, to be honest, the recipe too. When you cook for yourself, you can indulge your own quirky preferences and cravings, explore new recipes and cuisines, or go on your very own slow food health kick.

•    Invest in some good kitchen utensils and maybe even some cool equipment. If you have a couple of nice pans, wooden spoons and one or two good knives, cooking is not a chore but a chance to play. If you have nothing in your kitchen but one dull knife, a can opener and a coffee machine, you’re probably not going to have a whole lot of fun in there.

•    Cooking is not a necessity, it’s an art … and artists often work in solitude. Remember what you’re cooking is your own work of art, and maybe just you and the cat are the only ones allowed to sniff it.

•    Every person who loves to cook likes, at least once in a while, to prepare a messy, unorthodox, unwritten, unknown “thing.” It’s a joy not to have to worry about anybody else’s opinions when you’re working … or playing.

If you have any more ideas to round out this list, I’d love to hear them … because actually I don’t like doing everything alone.