THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 9, 1995 TAG: 9502080042
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACSHENHAAR, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
``TWO'' MIGHT have been the magic number on Noah's Ark, but it sure isn't in most cookbooks and supermarkets.
``Yields four to six servings,'' says the typical cookbook recipe.
``Family pack,'' reads the label on the tray of chicken parts big enough to feed all the children of the-little-old-woman-who-lived-in-a-shoe.
It's just not worth it to cook and shop for such a small household, goes the logic of the twosome who relies on a steady diet of frozen dinners and restaurant meals.
Cooking for two should not be such a challenge, considering the statistics. In 1993, 31.2 million households, or about one third of all U.S. households, consisted of two people, the Census Bureau reports. At some point in our lives, all of us are likely to be half of a twosome - as college roommates, newlyweds or maybe empty nesters.
A table set for two should be the stage for culinary adventures, not an excuse for culinary stagnation. There are advantages to cooking for two, says one who has made it an art.
For instance, having to please two palates instead of many is a relief, says Bev Bennett, author of ``Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples'' (Barron's Educational Series, 1985). Two will be better able than several to agree on the amount of chili powder to add to the pot.
When the subject turns to good nutrition, two is a tidy number indeed, added Bennett, who is also the food editor of the Chicago Sun-Times. Her syndicated column ``Two's Company'' appears in Flavor.
``It is very easy to shop for a couple when you think `fresh','' said Bennett by phone from Chicago. ``So many fresh foods are naturally packaged as single-serving items - a potato, an artichoke, a salmon steak. Think fresh and you have a lot more leeway than you do with a large can or frozen pack.''
Although Bennett's household includes a husband and two children, she frequently finds herself cooking for two.
``My children have so many food allergies, I often wind up cooking for two sets of twos,'' she said. ``Because I cook so many times, I cook lots of the fast foods - like pasta, chicken and fish.''
Dinner-for-two is often an everyday practice in large families, where hectic schedules mean folks eat in several small shifts rather than all together. MEMO: TIPS FOR TWOSOMES
If meat, produce or bakery items are not packaged in the size you
want, ask a store employee for the amount you need.
Check your supermarket for the new ready- or almost-ready-to-eat
products, such as salad in a bag, complete with greens, dressing and
croutons. These convenience packs often serve two.
To fit your busy lifestyles and variously sized household, look for
precut fruit and vegetables and precooked or partially cooked meats
paired with side dishes in supermarkets.
Stock some frozen dinners from the supermarket but don't make them a
habit. Although these are often more nutritionally sound than they used
to be, a steady diet of frozen dinners can get boring and expensive.
Take advantage of economy packs only if you have time to break down
and repackage the item in single or double servings in the freezer.
If you have a sweet tooth, collect or develop recipes for desserts
that serve two. A couple might like an occasional dessert but might
prefer not to have dozens of cookies calling to them from the cookie
jar.
Convert leftovers into homemade TV dinners, using aluminum pie tins
and reusable trays from commercially frozen dinners. Seal them well with
foil or plastic wrap, label and freeze. By the time you eat these
dinners, you won't even categorize them as leftovers.
Sometimes it makes more sense to cook frequently used ingredients in
quantity. For instance, it's just as easy to cook two cups of rice as it
is to cook the half-cup tonight's meal calls for. The remainder can be
refrigerated and used in tomorrow's casserole, the next day's salad.
Put in an occasional cooking marathon day when you're feeling
ambitious. Make batches of spaghetti sauce, soup or stew. Avoid wasted
effort and ingredients by packaging and freezing in batches that serve
two.
Use a supermarket salad bar when you need just a small amount of a
fresh fruit or veggie.
You can freeze bread for about a month. Thaw slice by slice as
needed.
Buy spices and herbs in the smallest amount possible so they are used
quickly.
ILLUSTRATION: COUPLES
JOHN CORBITT/Staff
Easy Cooking For Two
RECIPES, TIPS ON PAGE F3
by CNB