Cooking For One Person - Simple Tips For Great Tasting Single Meals

In all my years of cooking, recipes most often specify quantities that serve 4-6 people. That's great if you're cooking for a dinner party, but most often we just want meals for ourselves, or meals for two.

There certainly seems to be a shortage of "cooking for one" recipes, or even "cooking for two" recipes. Cooking for singles seems to be low in demand but I think it is something that needs to be catered to.

When using and modifying a recipe, I have found that simply dividing the quantity of all the ingredients by 2 or 4 or whatever didn't always result in a good meal. Sometimes it was overcooked, other times the liquid/sauce boiled away to almost nothing.

It was then I realised that although I had reduced the quantity of ingredients, I either kept the same cooking times or used the wrong sized equipment (or both). As well as that, I found that some ingredients don't need to be reduced in quantity as much as others.

So here are some tips for cooking smaller portion sizes. I hope this will help you cook meals for yourself that taste just as nice as when you make them for 5 other people!

Cooking Equipment Size

The rule of thumb here is: smaller portion size = smaller pan size.

When cooking for 4-6 people, you obviously need larger saucepans and frypans.
Why? Firstly, the pans have to be big enough to hold all the ingredients, and secondly, they have to be the right size to allow even cooking without allowing the juices/liquids to evaporate away. I call this the quantity-of-ingredients: pan-size ratio

So, when cooking for one person, the smaller quantities mean you need to cook in a much smaller pan. That way, the quantity-of-ingredients: pan-size ratio remains more or less the same.

If you cooked in the same larger pan, the ingredients will be spread out through the pan much more thinly and will be more prone to boiling or evaporating away. The end result is you end up with dried out dinners.

Quantity Of Liquids

The rule of thumb here is: don't reduce the liquid ingredients by the same percentage.

The thing about liquids is that they partly evaporate away during cooking. Since you'll be cooking at the same temperatures, the less liquid you start with, the more (proportionally-speaking) will be boiled away during cooking, ultimately leaving you with food that's either too dry or hasn't enough sauce.

The kinds of liquids that are affected by this include:

- Evaporated milk / cream / regular milk
- Liquid stock (eg. Chicken stock, beef stock)
- Juices (such as orange juice, pineapple juice etc.)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but gives you the idea that thinner liquids (as opposed to thicker sauces) are more prone to evaporation.

What I have found works best is that you should reduce the quantities of these liquids as half as much as you do the other ingredients.

For example, if you're cooking a meal that the recipe says would serve 4 just for yourself, then you would divide the quantities of all ingredients by 4. For any liquid ingredients, you should divide the quantities by just 2.

If you find that there's too much liquid left at the end of the cooking time, then either cook a little longer to boil it off, or use a slotted spoon to remove everything else from the pan leaving as much liquid behind as you want.

Cooking Time

The rule of thumb here is: reduce cooking times when cooking smaller quantities.

Similar to the above section about quantities of ingredients, I have found that cooking times can vary depending on the quantities being cooked. This is especially true for cooking in a frypan.

However, it's difficult to come up with a hard-and-fast rule about this. With experience, I've learned to tell when food is cooked just by looking at it (OK, and occasionally cutting into a piece of chicken to double-check!).

The problem is that although you would be cooking smaller quantities in a smaller pan when cooking for one person, the heat levels remain more or less the same.

By the way I certainly don't recommend reducing heat levels when cooking! Food needs to be cooked at certain temperatures to ensure it's free from bacteria.

That leaves time as the only other variable that can be changed. Again, food needs a minimum amount of time to cook properly but overcooking isn't good either.

I would suggest shaving about 10 to 20 percent of the cooking times off when cooking for one person or two. Of course, you should check first that the food is properly cooked (especially with items like chicken or fish) but by checking early you can avoid overcooking your food. If you think it needs a little longer then let it cook for another minute or so, and check again.

Finally, remember to enjoy your cooking. If at first you don't succeed, just try again!

Nick Daval has been cooking simple and delicious meals for over 15 years. You can learn from his experience and pick up some great cooking tips and tricks by visiting his website's Cooking Technique page at http://www.basic-cooking.com/cooking-technique.html.

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Top Tips and Tricks to Make Use of Your Food Leftovers

There are many diverse things which you can do when it comes to food leftovers. Therefore, it truly is a pity that some folks toss out uneaten food at the end of a meal. With a little bit of research, you, too, can soon be on the way to converting your own food leftovers into something delicious.

Several great reasons to utilize food leftovers:

• It can save you some cash. As opposed to throwing away uneaten food by throwing it directly into the waste, it's possible to turn it into a delectable meal that should set you back close to nothing.
• It makes cooking the very next meal easy. Many leftovers recipes are fairly simple to cook as it can be as straightforward as including just a few other ingredients plus a sauce/flavoring then cooking it.

Finding ideas for using leftovers:

Among the most helpful places, of help and advice, to obtain wonderful hints about guidelines on how to utilize your leftovers is the Internet. Start out by looking on various good cooking websites or make use of Google. Just key in the words inside the search box. As an example, type "left over roast beef recipes." Take a look at the results and choose one that seems yummy to you.

Here are some helpful hints with regards to what to do with your food leftovers:

• Use the leftovers to prepare a totally yummy dish for the following evening, for example: Bubble and Squeak, Quiche, Lasagna, Spaghetti Bolognese, Omelet, Pasta or Stir-fry.
• Examine through the contents of your fridge once per week and your kitchen pantry once every 3 months or so. Look at the expiration dates and place whatever that's due to reach its expiration date at the front end on the shelf so you know that it requires utilising first. Make sure to incorporate those items into your weekly meals planner as the basis of a handful of your dishes for the following week.
• Have some leftovers to work the following day and reheat them for a tasty lunch. You can't get much simpler than that and you won't have to make yourself anything at all ahead of time or squander extra money on your meal. Talk about simple and easy! (Make certain you don't hold your leftovers for longer than two days after they were cooked, or they may spoil).
• You can actually freeze some of your leftovers for instance cooked rice, and pasta. These foods are able to be utilized in a recipe at a future date.
• The very next time you have leftover meat and vegetables, heat them up, then add a packet of prepared instant noodles (without the flavor sachet). Mix in some soy sauce and there you are!

So now you can be motivated to put those tasty leftovers to excellent use. Either freeze for a later date, create delicious leftovers recipes all while saving some money at the same time!

Click on the link for more ideas for using up your food leftovers and click this next one for loads of family meals ideas plus fantastic articles, great tasting recipes and cooking information.

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Italian Cooking - Tips and Benefits

If you are aiming to reproduce the most authentic Italian cooking, you need to keep the following in mind.

• Freshness of the ingredients is the first and most important requirement of authentic Italian cooking. Use high quality fresh produce. You will not need to use many ingredients; so do not settle for less than the best for the few which you do have to buy. For ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, lettuce etc always use fresh products and do not put them in refrigerator.
• Pasta is the base of most Italian menus. So you need to be familiar with it. There are more than 120 different varieties of pasta. You should know how and where to use it. The most important trick is to combine the pasta with the right sauce. For example, fine spaghetti has to be combined with light sauce. Thicker the sauce, thicker should be the pasta. Full flavor sauces need to be combined with penne or shell like pasta. If the texture of the sauce is chunky, use pasta with large diameters so that they can be flavored inside out. Heavier pasta like ziti are ideal for baking.
• You have a choice between fresh and dried pasta. If you are really going for the most authentic Italian cooking, you should make your own pasta at home. Otherwise, you can buy from stores where both types are available. However, fresh pasta spoils easily and should be used at once. Frozen pasta can also be used.

If you do not find a particular ingredient, use the nearest substitute. Here are some common examples

• Use chicken broth instead of beer
• Margarine instead of salted butter
• Combination of white sugar and molasses in place of brown sugar
• Bouillon cube in place of broth
• Unsweetened chocolate instead of cocoa
• Cottage cheese in absence of cream cheese
• Agar instead of gelatin
• Macadamia nuts in place of Hazel nuts
• Sour cream instead of mayonnaise
• And many more

Finally, combine your Italian cooking with the correct beverage to round off the experience. Different types of coffees will be highly appreciated. Choose your wine correctly.

Some benefits

• If you want to enjoy the true flavors of Italian meals, you will have to take your time over it. Then only will you be able to appreciate its myriad tastes, textures and flavors. This style of eating is not only conducive to digestion, but also the total quantity eaten will be less if you take time to savor your food.
• The emphasis on fresh ingredients in Italian cooking ensures that you eat food high in nutrient contents.
• In a typical Italian menu, the emphasis is on vegetables. Italian cuisine will open your eyes to the vast number of ways in which veggies can be prepared. This will address the health issue of all members of the family, regardless what their age is.

So, gather your recipes and get the freshest ingredients to start your gastronomic adventure with Italian cooking.

Stewart Alves is semi-retired and spends his increased leisure time researching old time cooking recipes, healthy eating options and re-publishing out of print cookbooks and recipes. Find out more about Italian cooking and recipes at his "Best Italian Recipes" blog http://www.mybestitalianrecipes.com

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Cooking With Children Is Fun

Cooking with children can be a delicious learning experience for the whole family. From baking cookies to measuring ingredients and printing out recipe cards, there are many activities that will entice your child into trying something new. It is true that cooking with kids requires time and patience, but many experts believe that it is well worth the effort.

Sharing your kitchen with your little ones encourages their interest in cooking and helps them develop healthy eating habits. Kids can learn new words, mathematical concepts, and easy recipes such as fruit salad and pita bread pizza. With toddlers, you can talk about which foods are healthy and why. Children can help set the table, measure ingredients, and serve food. They can also help do the dishes and clean the table.

When cooking with children, focus on kid friendly recipes that encourage them to explore new foods and learn about healthy eating. Invite your kid to choose a recipe, make a list of ingredients, and shop for them. Cooking activities can help children get interested in trying new foods that they would normally refuse. Encouraging them to try healthier foods is not the only benefit of cooking as a family. There are many good reasons for cooking with kids and involving them in food preparation:

- The opportunity for children to develop an appreciation for cooking

- Quality time spent with children and their parents

- Children are more likely to try healthy foods that they've helped prepare

According to the American Heart Association, cooking with children helps reduce the number of meals eaten outside the home and involves kids in food preparation, meal planning, and shopping. Getting your kids in the kitchen has both short-term and long-term payoffs. Teaching your children to prepare kid friendly recipes has many benefits:

- Kids aren't spending time in front of TV while they are cooking

- Kids feel like they are contributing to the family

- Kids who learn to cook may be more likely to eat healthy as adults

- Parents spend quality time with their children

- Cooking activities can help build self confidence

Whenever you have time, consider cooking with your children and teach them kid friendly recipes that they can easily prepare. Show them how to crack and separate eggs, use the electric mixer, and cut vegetables. Always keep in mind that learning to cook is a skill that your kids can use for the rest of their lives.

For more information on cooking with children and kid friendly recipes, visit http://www.cookbooksforchildren.com. Here you will find practical tips on getting your kids in the kitchen, healthy eating for children, and toddler friendly recipes.

My name is Andra Picincu. I am a professional freelance writer, editor and web marketing consultant. I have been offering quality services for over four years. From SEO article writing and blog writing to business writing, social networking and web content development, I am able to write on virtually any subject.

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