"Chemiker" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I was to make chowed pork with pineapple and ginger this day,
> but I've been pre-empted by SWMBO, who is opting for braised sirloin
> tips. Asi es la vida.
>
> Topic: Cooking.
>
> SWMBO wants to get rid of our two refrigerators and get only (!) one
> to replace them. So far, so good. We tend to overcook, and the
> fridges get overloaded with leftovers, which, all too often, wind up
> being discarded.
>
> This is not about what kind of fridge to buy.... I know it's going to
> cost me, and back problems suggest bottom-freezer types are not in the
> running.
>
> The nub is relearing how to cook.
>
> Of this NG's exalted membership, I know there are some who are younger
> and "starting out", with no/small families. Some are empty nesters.
> Some have larger families, or entertain or maybe participate regularly
> in church social suppers, or the like. So here's the question....
>
> Is it easier to cook for 8? or 2? For those who've made the transition
> from one to the other, what were the most difficult adjustments you
> had to make?
>
> Looks like this old dog is going to have to learn a few new tricks.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Alex, practicing "Woof!" and rolling over.

Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8 would
be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.

And if you think about all the prep such as chopping and shredding... You
have to do it no matter how many you are cooking for. It just takes a few
more minutes to do it for more people.

Most recipes are designed for 4 to 6 servings. Although it is easy (for
some) to do the math to scale that back for two people, the problem comes in
buying your ingredients. For instance, if you buy a package of ground beef
or a can of chopped tomatoes, chances are you are going to have more than
you need. So there are your leftovers.

Yes, some stores sell things in exact quantities. For instance if I need
celery, I try to buy it one rib at a time unless I know I am going to use
the rest of the bunch. Yes, it is more expensive to buy it that way and not
all stores do sell it that way. But that is one way to cut back on
leftovers.

Of course you can cook a large amount of meat (or other things) with the
idea of using the leftovers for other things later in the week. I did learn
to cook this way. But are you really going to do that? I know most of the
time, I do not.

I try to plan my meals out a week at a time. It is necessary for me to do
this for most weeks because my daughter eats a lot of her meals at the dance
studio. She has food allergies so I can't just give her some money and send
her to McDonalds or Subway or wherever like a lot of the other kids do. I
sometimes eat there too so we need to be sure that we will have something to
take. Sometimes this will be a planned leftover. Sometimes this will be
another planned meal. Other nights we need a quick meal before dance. So I
need to buy things that are quick to fix.

When my husband is home, that complicates things. For one, he eats a lot.
So I can not just cook for three. I tend to cook for 8. That's easy enough
to do but I have to make sure that I do have enough food. He will sometimes
go back throughout the night and maybe into the next day to eat leftovers.
It really depends on what it is.

I also find if my daughter doesn't have the dance classes, like now with
winter break, it is much less necessary for me to plan the meals. We do not
have to eat at set times. We do not have to take things with us.

My current problem is my freezer. Because I am usually cooking for 2, I do
tend to wind up with extra meat. With ground beef, I will usually just cook
it up and put the cooked meat in the freezer. I usually do find a way to
use this. But with chicken or other meats? I stick it in the freezer and
there it sits. I never look at it again. I might curse if it falls out and
hits my foot. Then I will vow to use it. But do I? Probably not. I might
take it out and try to defrost it but invariably it will not be defrosted
when I need it. Then I do all sorts of funky things to try to make it
usable and then daughter won't like it. She is the chicken lover. Not me.