Friday, September 10, 2010

What I Eat When No One Is Watching


Deborah Madison, former chef of San Francisco vegetarian restaurant Greens, recently came out with a new book called What We Eat When We Eat Alone. More than another vastly popular cookbook (though she has put out quite a few), the book is an exploration and study of the quirky, peculiar tendencies of solo diners, complete with select unusual recipes.

When I heard about this topic, I realized that, like many of the folks examined in this book, I do not eat the same foods when I’m alone as when I eat with others. And what I eat when I’m alone now is different from a year or two ago. Back then, my favorite guilty pleasure - don’t judge!- was spinach dip with sourdough bread with a side of Spaghettios.

Ahem.

Now that I’m married, when I eat alone (as I did last month when my husband took off on a deep-sea fishing trip), I’m more likely to make things my husband won’t or can’t eat. Mushrooms. Eggs. One day while he was gone, I made both- a frittata.

But I still think the spinach dip/Spaghettio combo sounds delicious. What do you eat when you’re alone?

6 comments:

  1. Hot fries. I know, it’s appalling. And usually when Efrain's gone I eat the same thing for dinner every night, a bowl of pasta with a teeny bit of butter and salt and pepper. (Coincidentally, also Audrey Hepburn's favorite dish)

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  2. Well...since I'm single, I eat alone most of the time. Right now I'm munching on some nerds, I'm usually not a candy snacker, but I had a sweets craving. If you want to talk about what I indulge in, that would have to be some delicious dessert from the display case at Ettore's!

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  3. Rachel, is Aubrey your hero?
    Heidi, I'm pretty sure that you eat Princess Torte whether people are around or not! :-) Rightly so.

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  4. Stacy, I wrote about this very topic. When I am dining alone, my favorite is a grilled cheese sandwhich with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. But when I'm eating when no one is looking, well all bets are off. It could be anything from a can of beets to a bowl of popcorn!

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  5. Microwave popcorn. (I know it's terrible for me but its a good, fast little lunch.)

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  6. My answer to this question changes often. Lately, it's been a bit boring. I can't stop eating tomatoes. I've eaten them sliced w/ s&p, on olive bread w/ cheddar cheese (for breakfast), slow-roasted, in caprese salad, in chili. Early Girl, Cherry, San Marzano, Peach Boy, big fat heirlooms. And...I'm still not over it. I'm up for more.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!