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What do you eat when you eat alone?

24

Posts

  • MazzyxMazzyx Comedy Gold Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I eat mostly pastas. I also eat a lot of Chinese like dishes with sauces because the sauces are cheap to buy and stir frying is easy. Come winter I work more classic with baked chicken, mashed potatoes and home made chicken soup. I also use to eat a lot of Japanese curry. Soup and curry are great because you make about 4 meals worth and put it away. I also make beef stew and the occasional steak but tend mostly to chicken. I don't do pork at home because I am worried about proper preparation and I prefer beef and chicken.

    When I lived in the states I use to make stir frys with pasta a lot. Also I make some of the best damn meat loaf you have ever had. But I need a cast iron pan, an oven and a good chunk of ground beef. The prep is easy, let it bake for 20-30 minutes and boom, put it on a sandwich and go to town.

    Mazzyx on
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  • JohnOrangePeelJohnOrangePeel Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    What do you eat when you eat alone?

    Food mostly,

    Oh you wanted a longer answer? :-P

    Mostly things that are quick to prepare,
    - stir fry's
    - pasta
    - salads with chicken / oily fish
    - ready made pizzas etc
    - sandwiches
    - (beans on) toast
    - soup
    - etc

    JohnOrangePeel on
  • HaleskarthHaleskarth Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Things that I eat when alone..

    Poutine, sandwich meats - sandwich, way too much coke cola, garlic buttered shrimp, lobster, any sort of fish, raisin bran, soya sauce on rice(fuop), cheesecake.. mini pizzas! Hmm.. Blueberries in milk with sugar! Oh oh oh, poutine with chicken in it! Kraft dinner with bacon and peas, any of those instant soup things type skadoodles, bacon! Ham burgers! Spaghetti + vodka! Wine with anything! BBQ Chips(Humpty Dumpty brand is the only real bbq out there). tuna sandwiches. STEAK!!! Soya fried chicken/pork!

    I'm so hungry right now, golly.
    Looking at this list I wonder why I'm underweight and not a raging fatty D:

    Haleskarth on
  • The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited July 2009
    tbloxham wrote: »
    Doc wrote: »
    oldsak wrote: »
    Doc wrote: »
    oldsak wrote: »
    Doc wrote: »
    Also regarding the gender differences: all that matters is that everyone, no matter what your gender, has eaten cold leftovers over the kitchen sink with their last clean fork.

    Or chopsticks (no matter what it is), because there are no clean forks.

    and then wiped off the utensil(s) with a paper towel and put it back in the drawer

    okay, maybe that's a guy thing.

    woah now, not even spritzing a little soap and water on it?

    run it under the faucet for like a second yeah

    I'm not a barbarian

    Wipe it off, run it under the tap and put it in the bottom of the sink. Then it will be ready for breakfast. Thats convenience right there!
    finally, he's right about something!

    The Cat on
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  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Hmm. Toast when I'm at school. Lots and lots of toast (it's quick and yummy). Oranges if they're in season. Cereal if I have nothing else to grab. Pickles when I get the inevitable craving. And chips when I'm not being healthy.

    Aegis on
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  • DerrickDerrick Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I suppose I'm in the minority here.

    I really enjoy cooking so, at least for dinner, I tend to actually thaw out some kind of meat and make it for myself that night (even if I'm eating alone). I'm visiting a lady at the moment but the last thing I made for myself... hmm.... I believe was breaded pork loin seasoned with basil, cilantro and some other fun things, topped off with a dash of honey. (Honey+Pork=awesome). I'm kind of lazy with my sidedishes. Usually I'll just pop open a can of green beans.

    Cooking is a skill, and experimentation can lead to some great discoveries. As such, I don't see cooking for myself as time wasted. I get a great meal and I'm that much more prepared to cook for my friends and loved ones.

    Derrick on
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  • KistraKistra Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Black bean burgers wtih sliced avocado and cheese melted on top. No bun because I generally run out of bread several days before the next grocery trip.

    Kistra on
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  • FalloutFallout GIRL'S DAY WAS PRETTY GOOD WHILE THEY LASTEDRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    the women in my family put more care into the preparation of their food than the men do, even when they're just making it for themselves
    Doc wrote: »
    oldsak wrote: »
    Doc wrote: »
    Also regarding the gender differences: all that matters is that everyone, no matter what your gender, has eaten cold leftovers over the kitchen sink with their last clean fork.

    Or chopsticks (no matter what it is), because there are no clean forks.

    and then wiped off the utensil(s) with a paper towel and put it back in the drawer

    okay, maybe that's a guy thing.

    a "guy thing"? sexist.

    Fallout on
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  • CleoRoseCleoRose Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I really enjoy cooking and experimenting with stuff, but my boyfriend is a hugely picky eater. So when I'm alone I'm more likely to make nice things for myself - if I'm hanging out with him I'll make macaroni cheese or do something basic with meat and spices. If it's just me I'm likely to make some kind of interesting sauce or dip. I also take more time cooking when I'm on my own as I don't really get hungry ever, I just eat because I like food. If I'm with him (yeah my bf is the only person I eat with as I have no friends and live with my parents who eat at different times from me) then I'm on a time schedule because he's likely to be hungry.

    With people or on my own though - there will be cupcakes.

    CleoRose on
  • PeregrineFalconPeregrineFalcon Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I use my alone-cooking as time to beta test new harebrained ideas.

    Because if I can't eat it then I'm sure as fuck not serving it to company.

    PeregrineFalcon on
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  • SolandraSolandra Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    If it's lunch, I'm guilty of a cheese toast, eggos, instant soup, hardboiled egg rotation. Breakfast is usually oatmeal if I'm not in the mood to go to McDonalds on my way to work. Since McDonalds constitutes going out of my way when I go to work, I'm not often in the mood.

    For dinners, if I'm alone and not on a cheese toast/eggo/eggs rotation, I am a slave to my crock pot or chef salads - a pot of taco soup with cheese and corn chips will last one person a week. Chef salads are easy if they involve a bag of salad mix, a bag of pre-cooked italian chicken, cottage cheese and some sort of sesame seeds or even trail mix.

    Thankfully, other than breakfast and lunch on weekdays, I have someone else to cook for. Another bonus is next week we're moving into a house that has a company-sized kitchen, rather than the shoebox I currently cook in.

    Solandra on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I will alternate between cooking super-elaborate things from recipes and literally slamming meat in a pan turning on the rice cooker and hoping for the best.

    Also I like to bake.

    Malkor on
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  • Vrtra TheoryVrtra Theory Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    When I eat alone, 80% of what I eat is take out or fast food.

    The remaining 20% is breakfast stuff (eggs, fried potatoes, & bacon -- preferably all mixed together in a large cereal bowl and covered in pepper and ketchup).

    Vrtra Theory on
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  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    The only meal I really differ on when I'm alone or when my wife is home is dinner. Since I usually know in advance when I'll be eating dinner alone, I can plan a bit. I tend to get things she doesn't like, such as Totino's pizzas. Basically the rare occasions where she's not around for dinner, I get my junk food fix.

    matt has a problem on
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  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Me and my gf boot each other out of the kitchen when we are cooking so I understand the need to cook alone. It's a complicated process the other person can be really distracting and things go wrong, bump into them, etc.

    I do most of the cooking, I'm not a very good cook. She puts a lot more effort into it since she comes from a chinese family so they taught her to cut it all up into strips and cubes and little pieces and stirfry it.

    For example potato: I'll cut it up if I'm boiling it for mashing to make it cook faster, just basic four way cut then toss it in. But as a result of her families teaching she cut each potato up into cubes 1cm per side. I was absolutely amazed the first time she put it in front of me. I could never do that I wouldn't have the patience!

    The main difference between my cooking with her and cooking alone is I tend to forget the vegetables when cooking alone. I don't think that's a guy thing so much as a me thing. I like eating fruit during the day so I guess I don't feel like I need it as much at night. Dinner is usually the only cooked meal I have.

    Breakfast and lunch don't differ at all wether I'm alone or not. Ham, cheese, tomato and mayonaise sandwich no butter. :)

    Morninglord on
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  • iTunesIsEviliTunesIsEvil Cornfield? Cornfield.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    It depends on what's in the fridge for me. The g/f has been closing @ work lately (stupid part-time, hourly jobs), so I've had quite a few dinner meals to myself lately. Which stinks because I don't really enjoy eating alone.

    Sandwiches are the norm if I'm alone and there's sandwich stuff, but I also like doing breakfast-foods for dinner. If there's not sandwich stuff I'll start doing some cooking. Last Thursday I did fried eggs and toast. Monday was a pork chop w/ red beans and rice. Last night I did bacon and pancakes. Tonight will probably be Monday's left-overs. All of those things are quick and easy though: 10, maybe 15 minutes from fridge to plate. I tend to avoid making the more elaborate, time-consuming meals unless I've got someone to enjoy them with.

    iTunesIsEvil on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I like to mix up foods in weird ways alone that I want to try that I know she will go D: at.

    Mmmmm honey fried egg.

    Morninglord on
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  • CleoRoseCleoRose Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    When I'm cooking if my boyfriend is in the kitchen he will want to talk. If I'm concentrating on several things at once I tend to just listen and make encouraging noises occasionally, which means he gets to direct the conversation.

    So, we get situations where I'm cooking and he tells me in depth details about all his new roleplay books including character strengths and weaknesses and back plot and how good the art work is. Or he'll explain to me how awesome a new video game he has is, and tell me amazingly funny anecdotes about how he beat a certain boss or whatever. Not so interesting if I haven't played it :P

    This is why I generally either make him help or put him out. I don't have the concentration to keep the conversation reasonable and cook at the same time XD

    CleoRose on
  • YarYar Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    It's funny because when I read the thread title, I was immediately thinking, "oh man I'm going to piss Cat off by pointing out the gender issue here" and then BAM, there it was already in the OP.

    Really I don't know that any such gender issue actually exists, but it has been, or at least was at one time, a staple of certain "comediennes" to talk about how women only eat a salad, or just taste some of their dates' entree, so as to appear feminine and also put figurative sandbags around their insecurities about weight, but then pig out on doughnuts and ice cream when they get home.

    Yar on
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    My alone go-to food is a fried egg sandwich because they're quick, easy, relatively good for you, and my wife doesn't really care for fried eggs so I don't make them when I'm cooking for 2.

    jclast on
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  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    It's so much more likely to be cultural it's not even funny to think of food preferences as being heavily affected by sex differences. The differences in personality that do exist are so minor its not worth considering. There's tons more variation within each sex than between each sex. (So there's a much larger variation of personality within women or within men than there is differences across gender)

    An example of a cultural difference that probably explains our food preferences:
    My family cooked tons of boiled vegetables without flavouring. So to me vegetables are basically tasteless yuck.
    Her family lightly stirfried and added tasty sauces and stuff. I eat her mothers cooking and I can't stop eating the vegetables. If I grew up in a family like that vegetables would be the bestest ever.

    Morninglord on
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  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Malkor wrote: »
    I will alternate between cooking super-elaborate things from recipes and literally slamming meat in a pan turning on the rice cooker and hoping for the best.
    Hi5.

    I actually very rarely plan out recipes and sometimes entire meals. I'll just start grabbing shit and start tossing it in and putting whatever I make/find on a dinner plate until it's filled.

    Quid on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Oh, nearly forgot. When my sister makes it, I leech off her Kraft Dinner.

    Aegis on
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  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Doc wrote: »
    Also regarding the gender differences: all that matters is that everyone, no matter what your gender, has eaten cold leftovers over the kitchen sink with their last clean fork.

    yes, but women are dainty about it, whereas men are stabbing at the takeout container.

    clearly...

    Evander on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Why the Hell would I eat over my kitchen sink?

    Quid on
  • AegisAegis Fear My Dance Overshot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Quid wrote: »
    Why the Hell would I eat over my kitchen sink?

    Doesn't leave a mess and close to the garbage and sink to place utensils and dispose of waste since you were going to throw it out anyway.

    Aegis on
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  • iTunesIsEviliTunesIsEvil Cornfield? Cornfield.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Quid wrote: »
    Why the Hell would I eat over my kitchen sink?
    Less mess to clean up after you've shoveled gobs of food toward your mouth without care? duhhh

    iTunesIsEvil on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Aegis wrote: »
    Quid wrote: »
    Why the Hell would I eat over my kitchen sink?

    Doesn't leave a mess and close to the garbage and sink to place utensils and dispose of waste since you were going to throw it out anyway.
    I avoid making a mess by sitting down and putting the food in my mouth.

    Quid on
  • MidnightSGMidnightSG Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    When my husband is on a business trip I mostly make fish. (He can't stand fish at all.) I try and broaden what kind of fish i make but end up making salmon. salmon, like any fish, is so easy to make and hard to screw up.
    butter
    onion
    spinach
    salmon fliets
    olive oil
    1 1/2 cups whipping cream
    1/2 cup vodka
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

    Preheat your oven to 350F and chop up an onion as thin as you can, add some butter and let it cook till golden brown. In the meantime while that is going on, heat up a large skillet with oil and cook the salmon for about 3 mins on each side. When they are done pour some cream and vodka in the same pan and cook for about 4 mins untill it gets thick. Add pepper, butter, and lime and salt if you think it needs it. Take the onions out of the oven and add some chopped spinach if you would like to and cook for an additional 3 mins or just leave that part out out. Put them on the side and there yah go, Easy dinner.

    MidnightSG on
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    yalborap wrote: »
    I often go for cereal or something when alone. Loneliness puts a damper on wanting to put any effort into things.

    Exactly.
    I like cooking, but when I'm alone it seems so pointless. I'm far more inclined to be lazy and eat poorly when alone.

    Also, I haven't experimented with pizza but I've made leftovers-soup. The idea is that if you boil the shit out of whatever questionable food your considering eating it will be safe to eat.

    I survived but YMMV.

    Dman on
  • geckahngeckahn Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    let's see - last night i made a bison meat burger mixed with chopped onions, black pepper, sea salt, and garlic powder. Topped with onions, tomatoes, and wrapped in a romaine lettuce leaf. Along with that I had some steamed broccoli and quinoa with raw tomatoes and onions.

    I rarely cook for anyone but myself, but that doesn't mean I'm lazy about it. I kinda wish I did cook for others more often though so I had the chance to just go all out.

    geckahn on
  • OctoparrotOctoparrot Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Dman wrote: »
    ...I like cooking, but when I'm alone it seems so pointless. I'm far more inclined to be lazy and eat poorly when alone...

    One can always refine their technique! When I'm alone it means I have time to tinker with cooking methods and new ingredients, without someone being disgusted with things outside their comfort zone of macaroni and cheese.

    Octoparrot on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I'm a really bad example of how a man eats because I'm totally stereotypical but its by accident. It's because I have adhd so I'm a bit clumsy about everything when not on medication and dinner is usually around when my medication runs out. I spill stuff if I'm not careful.
    Particularly unrefined I am.

    Morninglord on
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  • OrganichuOrganichu poops peesRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited July 2009
    When I'm alone I eat way more quickly, ergo ingesting way more food.

    Organichu on
  • DmanDman Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    Octoparrot wrote: »
    Dman wrote: »
    ...I like cooking, but when I'm alone it seems so pointless. I'm far more inclined to be lazy and eat poorly when alone...

    One can always refine their technique! When I'm alone it means I have time to tinker with cooking methods and new ingredients, without someone being disgusted with things outside their comfort zone of macaroni and cheese.

    My food critic is supportive of culinary experimentation so that's not so much an issue for me. And if I ever have kids I don't intend to let them get away with being picky about their food.

    Dman on
  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I use my alone-cooking as time to beta test new harebrained ideas.

    Because if I can't eat it then I'm sure as fuck not serving it to company.

    Right on - I do the same thing. Rather perfect it alone then share. I will say I go the extra mile re: presentation with people over.

    And eating over the sink is one of the best things in life.

    firewaterword on
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  • Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    i actually eat healthier when i'm alone

    then i can control stuff completely, except for when i'm really lazy

    with friends and stuff i am lax and eat badly or eat out or whatever

    Shazkar Shadowstorm on
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  • VeritasVRVeritasVR Registered User regular
    edited July 2009
    i actually eat healthier when i'm alone

    then i can control stuff completely, except for when i'm really lazy

    with friends and stuff i am lax and eat badly or eat out or whatever

    Same. I usually have time to cook myself when I'm alone, which means eating well. If I'm with friends it's just "yeah I'll have whatever".

    Meals alone include some variety of salmon, pasta, pizza, or sandwich.

    VeritasVR on
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  • SQUIRREL!SQUIRREL! __BANNED USERS regular
    edited July 2009
    I use my alone-cooking as time to beta test new harebrained ideas.

    Because if I can't eat it then I'm sure as fuck not serving it to company.

    This is how I do things as well. That's how I managed to create a salmon pizza thing I now make regularly, and started using portabella mushroom caps as bowls for various stews and such.

    SQUIRREL! on
  • firewaterwordfirewaterword Satchitananda Pais Vasco to San FranciscoRegistered User regular
    edited July 2009
    I also generally make big, inexpensive things like curries specifically for leftovers for the week, trying to keep food costs down. But those gains are usually obliterated when I have guests over and serve crap like grass-fed strip steaks with enoki mushrooms and a fancy ass malbec, or a roast goose.

    firewaterword on
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