Archives for February 2008

I can’t imagine where a lot of the things we eat came from. Artichokes for instance I can’t imagine who decided that that prickly thing would be great to eat. Gnawing on leaves with little reward must have been a hard sell to many people. Some culinary adventures I should really allow to be a harder sell. Walking in to sushi in the inner sunset on Thursday night was truly one of those moments. I don’t eat a lot of sushi so it is always more fun to go with someone that can lead me along a little bit. I just get overwhelmed by the choices. I was out matched by the daringness of my partner in crime. He said oyster shooter and briefly explained it, but I think the beers before dinner affected my hearing. We had a few pieces of sushi and it was good though mayo shouldn’t really be an ingredient in sushi ever. Then the doom of the oyster shooter happened. A small port glass appeared filled with sake, 2 oysters and some fish eggs. Partner in crime then says “well at least this one doesn’t have a raw egg.” I hope that a raw egg would have knocked me back to reality but I think the two Sapporos had done their damage at this point. Rational thinking left the bar and walked home well before me. Swallowing two oysters at once is not an easy task. So much so that one of my oysters is wrapped in my paper napkin in a landfill somewhere. It was definitely an interesting taste on top of the difficulty of actually consuming it. Sake mixed with salt water. Yummy. Chalking it up to a great experience I never plan on having again. The sushi place was however quite good. The chef came over and had a Sapporo with us after much convincing. Anybody that can open a beer bottle with the round end of a spoon so that it shoots across the restaurant is golden in my book. If you are ever in the inner sunset check it out on 9th between Irving and Judah just don’t have an oyster shooter.

Well now what? I am cooking for one again and it seems that all the cookbooks and magazines are stacked against me. It is so hard to come across recipes that are for one. I could certainly half some recipes but when you have to half a 1/8 teaspoon is it really worth it? How much flavor can 1/16 teaspoon impart? How on earth am I going to measure that? I could make a whole recipe and eat leftovers for days, but I like variety in my meals I can only eat my homemade mac and cheese for so many dinners. I could make some recipes and freeze the rest but I live in an apartment and I don’t have a reserve freezer for meals, broth, veggies, egg whites, meat etc.

So if I can’t cook maybe I could go out. Nope that is just a bummer. Last time I went out to my favorite French bistro that a friend works at I got “oh you are alone”. I wasn’t even single then. Now that might send me straight to tears.

Isn’t it really more fun to cook for someone? More fun to cook with someone? More economical to cook for someone?

So now what? food seems to have gotten boring a home. Instead of being fun and exciting it is now just a part of my day that I must go through. It is like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. I still love reading about all of it and wondering through a grocery store or two but I don’t want to clean 3 pans from the dinner I made for one.

Sometimes I even wonder how my parents do it for two. The recipes still seem to make way more food than two people can eat. At least there is someone fun to share it with though.

So if any of you are my close local friends and you are hungry then call me up and I will make you dinner cause I am over the pasta dinners.

If you aren’t my close local friend and you have great dinner ideas for one then send ’em over.