Musings

Cooking for One—Confessions of a Food Blogger

September 18, 2015

When I first decided to move to Miami to finish my masters, I had visions of a Mary Tyler Moore sort of life. Having married more or less around the age of ten, I’d never really had the chance to live an independent life—the chance to eat when I wanted, cook what I wanted or flit about throwing my tam in the air.

After years of cooking with other people in mind,  I’d finally have the chance to eat with purposeful selfishness.  I envisioned myself whipping up salads of quinoa, chick-peas and lentils. I’d try new vegetables like Romanesco, Daiken, Kohlrabi. With my cart stacked up like a contestant on a free grocery shopping spree, my virgin run to Publix showed signs of promise. Cupboards stocked and my mini-kitchen fully operational, like Mary, I was ready to take the world on with my smile (and my spatula.)

Things I should be eating

Things I should be eating

Fast forward a few months later, and I’d succumbed to the one-pot wonder. The refined salads of may imagination had become “dump everything in your fridge into a pan with some boneless chicken” and voila! Lunch and dinner for a week. Cooking was messy and with no one around to appreciate the end result except me, well—why make a mess at all? Besides I had writing to do. Wasn’t that why I was in Miami in the first place?

Then I discovered Epicure Market  conveniently located below my building. I started to eat beautiful expensive salads, that were all the same—bland and too oily. Then came the Lean Cuisine phase, the  Jamba Juice phase, the Turkey-Bacon Egg-White Starbucks Sandwich phase, the Nordstrom salad phase, the Nordstrom pizza phase, and the Daily Bread humus and Tabbouleh phase, only to return to the one-pot wonder phase. Sure I could throw my tam, but it turns out cooking and eating, for that matter, are social activities. Who knew?

The good news is that now I know that someday If I end up on my own, I’m destined to become a crazy old lady and there’s a certain comfort in knowing your destiny. I’ll live for weeks off a box of crackers, or make a meal out of a stale piece of toast and a bottle of Scotch. I’ll dip broken pretzels into a container of butter and eat black beans out of a can. I’ll tell people in my old lady voice, “I’m fine. Don’t you worry about me, dearie.”

When I accidentally press the wrong button on my TV, I’ll live with fuzz on my screen for months until one of my nineteen cats (okay, maybe a pack of small white dogs) finally walks over the remote hitting the proper sequence of buttons. Then I’ll sit with a bowl of undercooked white rice and watch reruns of Chopped. I’ll throw my wig up into the air and reminsce about my glory days in Miami.Perrier close upMary Tyler Moore

 

8 Comments

  • Reply Brenda Pledge September 18, 2015 at 2:21 am

    SO funny Carolyn!! The only sad thing is that I suspect most of your readers have never heard the phrase “Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile”. And they may not even know what a “tam” is!!! But there is no doubt that we all have noble visions of future salads while scarfing down pizza, and regardless of age we all need the occasional TTTC meal – To Tired To Care – personally I am really grateful for eggs. Martha Stewart probably eats peanut butter sandwiches for lunch 7 days a week so she can spend all her time on her glam suppers.

    • Reply carolynamaral@gmail.com September 18, 2015 at 2:43 am

      So much to learn from Mary Tyler Moore… And yes, eggs are also my friend 🙂

  • Reply Joan MacDonald September 18, 2015 at 8:40 am

    So funny but so good. Can hear you saying the words!!! There’s nothing like a piece of toast with a slice of cheese while dreaming of a lobster dinner. I’d buy that “tam”and wear it to a family dinner if I were you!!!

    • Reply carolynamaral@gmail.com September 18, 2015 at 11:48 am

      Thanks! I just might do that

  • Reply Lynn September 19, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    Oh Carolyn! You crack me up! I am there now! Single, condo…..just like MTM and I got to tell you nothing says supper like a boiled egg and a piece of toast! Loved this blog….I laughed out loud!

    • Reply Carolyn September 19, 2015 at 8:00 pm

      Sounds delicious! Nothing like the MTM lifestyle!

  • Reply Michele Stephens September 21, 2015 at 9:56 pm

    Carolyn another hilarious blog. Well having been single and on my own for most of my life i am an expert in the ” non cooking ” department. I have to say there is something exciting and empowering about eating 6 pickles or a can of tomato juice ( my 2 personal favorites) for supper or just eating anytime of the day or night …just because you can …lol . Also loved MTM . You brought back lots of good memories watching that show. As for the tam can you belive Chris just bought me one at Costco last week….heehee . I will think of you …. if i ever wear it. Keep sending us these funny blogs !!!!

    • Reply Carolyn September 22, 2015 at 2:13 am

      So glad to hear you’ve gotten a tam! And wow—pickles and tomato juice? I’m adding that one to my list of favourites!

    Leave a Reply to Michele Stephens Cancel Reply