Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumHow to Eat Alone (and Like It)
Last edited Mon Nov 4, 2019, 01:14 PM - Edit history (1)
Table for one? Its not as bad as it sounds. Heres how to dine by yourself and enjoy every bite.
'When the ancient Roman politician Lucius Lucullus noticed his nights menu looking dull, he gave instructions to his cook to prepare a lavish, multiple-course feast. When the cook asked what type of guests to expect, he responded with indignation: Dost thou not know that today Lucullus dines with Lucullus? . . .
For those of us who never refer to ourselves in the third person and often eat a cold egg roll standing over the sink for dinner, Luculluss attitude can feel more than a little foreign. . . Yet, there is a freedom in eating alone, even if we need a little help to relish in it: no discussions of what we should order, no small talk, no sharing.
In her book Serve It Forth, the 20th century food writer M.F.K. Fisher described watching an elderly man eating alone with an almost religious reverence. He slowly consumed half an avocado sprinkled with powdered sugar and soaked in Russian kümmel liqueur. He was at peace, and aware aware that Lucullus dined with Lucullus for a reason, she wrote.
Dine alone, but engage with others
...Instead of the usual odes to coupledom, Ms. Cohen created a solo diners tasting menu for the holiday. In the years since she started the tradition, a kind of community has formed, with regulars who come in alone but soon get to know the staff and other guests.
Make the most of it. Engage with your server; dont be afraid to ask for things, she said. . .
Go in with a strategy . . .
Megan Bruneau, a therapist and executive coach who has written about loneliness, has an idea about why some people thrive with alone time. Theyre more able to sit with the discomfort of passing emotions, and thus they dont fear them as much, she said in an email. . .
It all comes down to knowing your needs and coming up with coping mechanisms that work best for you, according to Ms. Bruneau. For some people that might mean sitting quietly and savoring each bite, but for others that could be phoning a friend while eating or even that most taboo dinnertime activity eating in front of the TV. . .
Embrace your guilty pleasures
While solo dining might conjure up images of a corner booth at a cafe or a bar stool at a local restaurant, the ultimate solo dining experience is eating home alone. Its when were home alone with no one watching what were eating, how or where that our quirks, eccentricities and guilty pleasures come out.'>>>
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/smarter-living/how-to-eat-alone-and-like-it.html?
Liberal Jesus Freak
(1,451 posts)After my divorce I was single for 8 years. One of the few things my ex and I had in common was good dining, whether at home or a restaurant. I was determined not to change that, and learned to prepare succulent meals for one. These days Im fortunate to share most meals with my new and improved husband, but when Im alone I still cook for myself or enjoy a meal out. Sorry for rambling but this post and accompanying article really touched me. Thanks Elleng 😊
elleng
(130,902 posts)so I 'flounder,' most days.
eppur_se_muova
(36,262 posts)elleng
(130,902 posts)eppur_se_muova
(36,262 posts)... where I often ate alone. ;^)
They were across the street from the Univ. and provided a nice, affordable alternative to the Univ. cafeteria. Not much in the way of vegetarian dishes, so I went with the fish.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,615 posts)I already follow some of these suggestions, since my husband is not always around to eat with me. I cope just fine and enjoy the view out the window.
Thanks for posting the article, my dear elleng!
KG
(28,751 posts)pnwest
(3,266 posts)hedonistic feasts for myself! Some type of awesome dinner, a great bottle of wine, the one-hitter, a decadent dessert and something terrific on the TV.
Im not single now, but am traveling alone right now. Believe it or not I am right this minute sitting in a great steakhouse, enjoying a Malbec, awaiting prime rib 😊. No qualms dining alone...but Im kind of a foodie, so...
JoeOtterbein
(7,700 posts)...many diners eat comfortably alone. No problem, the food biz loves ya all!
Also, let's not forget our many federally supported food programs. Like Senior Congregate (Title Three of the Older Americans Act) and the Child and Adult Care Food program. Even Home Delivered Meals (also title 3) bring a visitor, often volunteers, to their meal time!
Thanks for the opportunity to preach a bit elleng!
llmart
(15,539 posts)Ha! I do that most every night and don't find anything wrong with it. I don't watch much TV and none during the day, so at dinnertime I get the chance to sit down on my comfy couch with a TV tray and maybe watch an episode of something on Netflix or PBS News Hour or the local news.
Hamlette
(15,412 posts)was at a fancy hotel with a great menu. I would take a book but only pretended to read. I was traveling alone for work and since I was in NYC, eating out was half the fun.
One time there was a conference of romance writers in town and I was seated at a table of 6 women friends from the conference. They spent the night dissing authors who were not in attendance. As they got drunker, they got more colorful. They especially liked dissing the euphemisms used for private body parts (staring into his oneness). And one character named Flaming Tina and her exploits. I looked up some of the names that dropped and lo and behold, they were romance authors. I was not the only one eavesdropping.
2naSalit
(86,609 posts)and decided long ago to enjoy whatever I eat. I don't eat out like I used to when I traveled but that doesn't matter, I make spectacular food for myself all the time. Not that I am not reduced to a bag of potato chips with plain sour cream as a dip on occasion. I don't eat all the time and can only actually eat when I'm hungry, which isn't a bad thing. So this means I need nutrient dense meals which means I need to be creative to get all the nutrition I need in each meal, I can't eat large amounts in one sitting either. I make things like spinach stroganoff, or all day spaghetti sauce, or I'll roast a chicken and freeze what I don't eat right away for other meals. I make "juices" that have a virtual salad in them and taste great...
I don't particularly care to eat out alone but I will if I don't feel like cooking. I tell the wait staff that it's their turn to feed me. That wasn't such a big deal when I lived in a tiny town where I had cooked in half the kitchens in town but it's a little less pleasant elsewhere. That said, I'll eat what I want and not feel any remorse for it.
Mr.Bill
(24,289 posts)Something to fill in the time between ordering and the food arriving. Sometimes read while I ate, too.
cry baby
(6,682 posts)and through the decades of kids, ex-husbands, and caring for elderly parents, Ive always really enjoyed eating alone whenever possible. I really enjoy going to movies by myself, too.
Thanks for posting, elleng.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)I feel sorry for people who have never learned to enjoy their own company
mitch96
(13,904 posts)I dine with others all the time... Me, myself and I.... We always have a great time and never bicker or fight... maybe a disagreement but it always comes out well.. A nice bunch
m