"Eating alone" is very different to "eating lonely"; it's all
about luxuriating in the pleasure of your own company. Listen to the
music that you want to listen to. Eat exactly what you want to eat, the
way you want to eat it. Perhaps end with the promise of a candlelit bath
or your favourite movie to keep you company through dessert; even the
most understanding partner can sometimes fail to see the attraction of
The Notebook, the 1954 Grand Final or
G-
Force.
Eating alone means you can dress just for yourself, or wear something
comfortable and distinctly unflattering, or dress up and eat at a
beautifully laid table if that's what you want. It is, after all, about
you for once.
Some of us don't have the luck of usually eating alone and for them I
suggest at least once a month eating one meal where you can enjoy the
silence. Banish the kids to their bedroom, along with the moans of any
fussy eaters - and then just cook what you love.
Here are my nine greatest joys of eating alone:
Eat "Solo foods"
The joys of many foods are in direct contrast to the hassle they are
to get to; pistachios and prawns are far more enjoyable when you don't
have to shell them for anyone else and a small batch of pasta or gnocchi
is usually far easier to make and far more successful than making
enough for six. So, how about a slinky plate of homemade linguine tossed
with freshly shelled prawns and pistachios in a lemony burnt butter
sauce just for one? You can make it all in one pan, thus minimising the
washing up, too.
Repeat eat
Some things are so delicious they can be eaten day after day by the
true aficionado. Sometimes these things - like spag bol or a great lamb
braise - are also best cooked in large batches leaving you the options
of a) repeat eating with no one complaining that "this is what we ate
last night"; b) customising that bolognese into a sauce for a lasagne, a
chilli to top baked potatoes or a spicy filling for a toasty; c)
freezing what you don't want to eat now for later enjoyment.
No pressure
Eating alone takes off all the pressure of cooking. There's no time
pressure as you'll happily wait, there should be no performance anxiety
because there is no one to judge you. So take this opportunity to
practice your choux pastry, perfect that Icelandic classic that you've
only ever read about, or try your hand at making a fluid gel or some
other modernist technique. Think of it like taking yourself off to the
culinary driving range to improve your skills. You can even eat spinach
knowing it just doesn't matter if it gets stuck in your teeth.
Spoil yourself
Truffles? A cheeseboard of exclusive French cheeses? Those luxuries
are out of the reach of most families. However, 10 grams of black
truffle - enough for one serve on risotto, pasta or scrambled eggs - is
$23. These luxuries are far more affordable if you are just spoiling
yourself.
Eat selfish
Let's face it, the best beef has also become so expensive that it
really is now a luxury best bought for one, whether it's a slab of
dry-aged, grass fed Angus or a delicate slice of wagyu so loaded with
melty fat that it's almost snowy and with a top marble score of nine.
Cooking steak for one also means there is only one way you need to cook
it - the way YOU like it.
Share that special red wine with someone who'd appreciate it
You know that special bottle of wine you have been saving for a very
special occasion? Well, what could be more special than that steak? Plus
you know that you'll be drinking it with someone who really appreciates
how special it is... yourself! You might not want to drink it all -
perhaps just slowly savour one glass - knowing that it'll be there
waiting for you patiently the next night and won't give you the third
degree about where you've been and with who.
Eat guilty
Not since the Middle Ages has there been so much shame attached to
what we eat but there can't be shame without judgment and if they can't
see what you are eating you can't be judged. So eating alone indulges
your guilty pleasures whether it's your favourite takeaway, crumbling
double choc TimTams over your expensive boutique ice cream (eaten from
the tub naturally) or niftily customising two-minute noodles to
transform them into a modern take on ramen. It's easier to convince your
own sense of guilt that you aren't doing anything wrong if you think up
some plausible story like this. "In the interest of scientific
research" is another valuable term when building a rock solid sense of
denial.
There's no argument about who gets to scrape the bowl
No sharing means no one else to compete for the very best gooey bits
of the nachos. Similarly with mac 'n' cheese for one, a lemon delicious
for one or an apple crumble for one, you get both a better ratio of
crusty edges and no one to fight you for them!
Remember, above all, its not greed but mindfulness
While the phrase "drinking alone" is too often seen as something
slightly tragic, in reality the opportunity to eat or drink alone is a
chance to really savour things without the distraction of making polite
conversation. Think of it more as meditation than consumption. Consider
every sip, every bite, and every chew, as a universe all of their own -
from the first rush of flavour to the last delicious lingering
aftertaste before you return to the cup or the plate. Think of
everything that has gone into making what you are eating or drinking;
luxuriate in the strange connections and thoughts that tastes and
textures prompt. This is true mindfulness. And that's just so hot right
now!
Source
Taste.com.au — April 2016
Author
Matt Preston
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