(The Press)
Updated: 2007-09-10 16:54

Too many single-state adults see cooking for one as depressing and demeaning. Come on, people, get over yourselves - solo dining is more than eating because you are hungry, it is the ultimate pampering occasion.

Grilled crayfish with lemon butter? Poached salmon and all the asparagus you can eat? Chilli crab? Steak with mustard butter and chips? Mushrooms with garlic? Yours to cook, yours to eat and enjoy.

Cooking for one can be as parsimonious – if that's what you like – as a poached egg on boiled silverbeet. It can be as robust as a steak-and-kidney pie with thick gravy, as extravagant as roasted wild duck (a small one), as simple as pasta.

When there is only the cook in the kitchen, who cares when experiments end in the bin? If you want a glass of fine French bubbly with your cheese on toast, who cares if it's pretentious? If you want to eat peas with your knife or bones with your fingers, go ahead – no-one is watching.

One thing: when you cook for one and eat alone, it is more satisfying if it's done with style. Indulge yourself by all means but don't forget to eat cheerfully when you are eating whatever takes your fancy.

Green pasta with blue cheese

 

INGREDIENTS

75g green (or plain) tagliatelle

50g blue cheese

25g ricotta

1 clove garlic

2-3 Tbsp cream or evaporated milk

1 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

½ Tbsp olive oil

1 spring onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly grated pecorino cheese to serve

METHOD

Cook pasta according to packet directions. To make the sauce, put blue cheese, ricotta, garlic, cream or evaporated milk in a blender or food processor and whizz until smooth.

Drain the cooked pasta, reserve the liquid and return the pasta to the hot saucepan. Add the parsley, olive oil, spring onion and up to 1 Tbsp of the pasta cooking liquid. Toss thoroughly to distribute the herbs and onion through the pasta. Add the cheese mixture and toss again. Serve on a warm plate with a scattering of grated pecorino.

Marinated roast crayfish

Remove the cooked crayfish meat from the shell or shells and put in a shallow dish not much larger than the amount of meat. Make the marinade by combining 2 Tbsp each of olive oil, lime or lemon juice, and orange juice. Add 1 tsp orange zest, ½ tsp lime or lemon zest and ½ tsp chilli powder. Add a pinch of allspice, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Mix well and pour over the crayfish meat to cover. Leave for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. To cook, heat the oven to 180deg, put meat and marinade in an oven dish and bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

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