When I eat alone, I eat the things my husband is not fond of. A favorite is eggplant (any way) and polenta. Also beans, and the sardines mentioned in the article. I don’t open a bottle of wine just for me, but I do make a real drink with fresh ingredients.

I ate alone just last night! I made pasta (sorry) with a parsley pesto. When I eat alone, I tend not to follow recipes and I make up a meal based on whatever scraps I have in the fridge/cupboard. (I guess I do this when people come over, too, but at least I plan the meal in advance.)

Last night, in the fridge there were the remains of a bunch of parsley and some nearly dried-out parmesan. In the cupboard? Garlic and pasta and olive oil. Hence parsley pesto.

I look forward to getting my hands on this book. The video was a riot!

I love to cook for myself and eat exactly what I want: stir-fried greens with brown rice and ponzu, corn tortilla quesadillas with jack cheese and pickled jalapenos, a lot of eggs (fried egg sandwiches with cheddar, ugly veggie scrambles topped with salsa and yogurt, sloppy omelets). A quick lunch while working is often a piece of fruit with maple yogurt or rye crackers slathered with mustard and topped with a dry, salty cheese. My favorite dinner when I’m alone is a simple tossed salad with pickled beets, a small bowl of olives, a wedge of delicious cheese, bread and a glass of wine.

I almost always read while eating alone; often I finish a meal with a square of chocolate. I also think it’s a real treat to eat alone in a restaurant, at the bar or in a south-facing sunbeam.

I once had a roommate in college who wouldn’t eat in the cafeteria unless she had a companion. The idea of being too self-conscious to eat alone is not something that resonates with me.

LOVE the art!!

Some lone eating tendencies of mine: lots of cheese (bit by bit -- I’ll leave a hunk on the counter and steal a sliver or two every time I pass by), warm/cold salads cold greens, warm egg, warm vinaigrette, boxed mac and cheese with lots of toppings -- nutritional yeast, Tony Chacheres seasoning, Sriracha if I’m going to read or watch a movie. Breakfast for dinner is a favorite.

I’m really looking forward to reading this...

I eat a lot of pasta. In the summers I roast and freeze tomatoes in olive oil, and those with a little crumbled goat cheese on whole wheat pasta is a great, simple meal. I also eat a lot of egg dishes- omelets, scrambles (with whatever I have in the fridge), breakfast burritos, Croque Madame. Generally speaking, if a dish can be made in one pot/pan, and doesn’t take more than about 10 minutes to prepare, that works for me.

That said, when I have any excuse to cook for others, I am happy to be in the kitchen all day. I take every chance I can get to prepare meals for my friends in order to break out of the routine of eating alone.

Because I cooked for myself for many years, I made a commitment to cook things I really like for myself, and I do cook almost every night. Tonight was whole grain pasta topped with sauteed onions, red bell pepper, snow peas, spinach and some left over canned tomatoes. And I definitely open a bottle of wine for myself.

I have a weird work schedule that leaves breakfast as the only meal I can prepare and eat at home alone (lunch and dinner is eaten at the desk in my office hunched over the Dining & Wine section of the Times or perusing through this site; technically alone even though I’m surrounded by office mates). At first I was very depressed not having anyone to cook breakfast for (my favorite meal of the day and one I always made a big deal out of when I lived at home with my parents and cooked for the entire family) but then I started to make a big deal out of it just for me. So I will still prepare my waffles or my omelets or my pancakes. I will still brew a pot of coffee and sit at my table and enjoy the beauty of indulging in time to really sit back and enjoy a meal that my own little hands created.

I often cook alone. It’s a form of relaxation for me. Usually, I cook lunches all in one shot for the week. I do feel sorry for my neighbors, as I like to sing while cooking, and my windows are usually open. (I’m so sorry, folks. It’s NYC, I live on the top floor, and it’s HOT.) My one cooking alone indulgence has (and alway will be) dipping fresh slices of apple in Peanut Butter. Oooo ... and nobody is there to tell you how much is TOO much peanut butter! HA!

I like to eat things that usually don’t go together. That’s how I discovered that sliced strawberries are fantastic on hamburgers!

I try a lot of recipes on myself figuring if it’s a disaster, I’m the only victim. Also, I have learned to cut most recipes in half so I’m not eating the same food for 12 servings, though I am good at taking leftovers for lunch...

Also, I like the idea of my cooking being a way that I can be self sufficient -- fed well and eating a great variety of foods. There are nights when it’s just toast or just cereal, but not that often.

I just received a copy of the book (from writing a blog piece on Culinate)and I stayed up till 2 AM reading it. It’s such a great read. I ended up making toast, smashing avocado on it with a little bit of lemon and sea salt -which is what I eat while my husband is sleeping and I’m still reading!

As great as this book sounds, I think I’m enjoying the comments by y’all way too much! sliced strawberries on hamburger? wouldn’t think of it. But my mom was fond of peanut butter and velveeta cheese sandwiches, sometimes with bacon. Sometimes even with dill pickles! I like to “treat” myself to a sampling of some cheese and cool crackers, with just a smidgen of preserves, or maybe some fruit, or pickled vegetables (like okra or asparagus) as my evening snack. the rest of the time, it’s touch and go. Sometimes I really go all out and cook a “real” meal. Or I’ll make a pot of something that I’ll have to either freeze or eat for days to finish it! But I’m also prone to just throwing together whatever I can find -- and if I hate it, I never have to eat it again... Once my CSA starts, it’ll be lots and lots of vegetables. Been saving up recipes all year and bought some canning equipment so I’ll be ready for this year!!!

An odd snack that I love to eat when my partner is out of town is Saltine crackers with bbq sauce. I think it started eating when I was a teenager, probably because we ran out of chips and salsa and I wanted a crunchy/saucy substitute. I don’t think it would occur to me today! Oh, and I also eat a lot more pickles.

I’ve had the slightly odd experience of living by myself for a year while i study in another country, after being used to living with my partner. Now, instead of cooking for one another and fighting over who has to do the dishes, we exchange recipes/techniques and inspire one another to cook more interesting things. I know it sounds horrendously soppy, but it’s one of the only good things about being apart.

When I cook alone (and I should say that I love cooking alone, I tend to do things that take much longer because I feel no pressure to feed someone else’s hunger. I try new things, whether it’s ingredients, techniques, or a particular recipe. I adore leftovers, and think of myself as the queen of leftover recycling; it gives me great pleasure (and self-satisfaction) to be able to turn a bit of leftovers into a completely different and delicious meal. Occasionally these successes inspire me to make the second dish with more intention, from scratch.

Oh, and I also make things spicier than when I’m cooking for partner. Or anyone else, for that matter. ;)

Hello everyone --We love and appreciate your responses to What We Eat When We Eat Alone. They are ALL so interesting that I wonder if there shouldn’t be a 2nd volume based on Culinate readers, especially since your solutions are more adventurous than most (not surprisingly!). Thank you one and all for your thoughts and responses to the question. Very enjoyable!!

One of my favorites eats...fresh ground cashew butter on celery sticks. The only place I know to get the cashew butter is the Fresh Market in Augusta, GA. Not all Fresh Markets will carry that since they are allowed only two grinders per store and one is always for fresh peanut butter. Probably by popular demand the second grinder is for almond butter. I also keep green bell peppers cut up in the frig, very nutritious and low calorie. I will snack on cold left-over steamed broccoli with a sprinkle of sea salt, and artisanal cheese from Flat Creek Lodge in Metter, GA. They have a great selection and it can be ordered on line. They sell their cheeses at our local farmer’s market as well. A great standby if I’m in a hurry is a hard cooked egg. I keep a stock of them in the frig for snacks on the run as well as using them in salads. I use the Eggland’s best so I don’t feel guilty. In truth, just about anything in the frig is fair game for snacks or a quickie meal...always an adventure!

My favorite alone dish - was a crusty french Baguette, melted Cambozola cheese, and roasted garlic, with a chewy red wine. Now I eat and cook gluten free .. I sub the baguette for gluten-free cracked black pepper Focaccia. It’s all good. PS/ I never had a problem enjoying eating alone, be it ever so humble as above - or something a bit more labor intensive.

That all sounds awfully good, and even better to hear that you’ve never had
a problem eating alone, be it humble or not. Thank you for adding your comment!