Cooking for one (Mark Three)

caronc

Glad you are finally getting your stew & dumplings Farway

My groceries have been delivered and put away. I'm looking forward to a fresh crusty roll with Ayrshire ham and coleslaw for lunch:).

suki1964

Ladies, I often go out and eat on my own. I really enjoy it

Ok so not really very often, but perhaps once a month, maybe more

There's a lovely wee cafe in town that does HM food. Nothing fancy, say a roast dinner, meat pie, cod and chips, omelettes etc, which is not only cheap, but they do pensioner portions and prices . I'm a long way off pension age, but I ask and I get. Also comes with free tea or coffe

My friends are totally disgusted at me but I don't care. I couldn't eat a full sized plate so I don't see why I should pay for food to be thrown away

When Mr S worked in England and I was CFO, I'd often jump in the car and find somewhere nice along the coast to eat a meal. Even a Wetherspoons would do me on a Sunday when they did their Sunday Roasts. But so many places would have a light bites menu or let me order a kids meal if suitable

Never felt lonely doing it either. Maybe I'd take a deep breath before walking in, but no one batted an eye when I asked for a table for one and I think I actually got better service as waiting staff would always be checking I was ok, everything was good, did I want anything else

Last time I done it was two weeks ago. New posh cafe opened so I wanted to try it out. Staff were so friendly and the manager even sat at my table a while as we got into conversation

Had a nice meal and made a new friend

Farway

Lunch was 2 of the micro pork pies as planned

Just had a taster of my SC stew, it is very tasty and will certainly have left overs for another day, or freezing

I now have unused ready made, bought in, pastry, which was going to towards make a pie which has now turned into SC stew

Plan B is to use this pastry for a cheese & onion pie. I have never made one of these before, but have seen them being made, and not paying attention of course

Looking on t'net there seems two versions, one is basic cheese N onions, other one has a couple of beaten eggs poured in before baking. Has any one tried both versions and could make any recommendations?

Following Caronc example, I have shuffled through my seed packets, I don't think I need to buy any, but I bet I will be sucked in by the pretty pictures

Hollyharvey

suki1964 wrote: »

Ladies, I often go out and eat on my own. I really enjoy it

Ok so not really very often, but perhaps once a month, maybe more

There's a lovely wee cafe in town that does HM food. Nothing fancy, say a roast dinner, meat pie, cod and chips, omelettes etc, which is not only cheap, but they do pensioner portions and prices . I'm a long way off pension age, but I ask and I get. Also comes with free tea or coffe

My friends are totally disgusted at me but I don't care. I couldn't eat a full sized plate so I don't see why I should pay for food to be thrown away

When Mr S worked in England and I was CFO, I'd often jump in the car and find somewhere nice along the coast to eat a meal. Even a Wetherspoons would do me on a Sunday when they did their Sunday Roasts. But so many places would have a light bites menu or let me order a kids meal if suitable

Never felt lonely doing it either. Maybe I'd take a deep breath before walking in, but no one batted an eye when I asked for a table for one and I think I actually got better service as waiting staff would always be checking I was ok, everything was good, did I want anything else

Last time I done it was two weeks ago. New posh cafe opened so I wanted to try it out. Staff were so friendly and the manager even sat at my table a while as we got into conversation

Had a nice meal and made a new friend

Thank you for posting this, it's nice to hear of a positive experience of eating out on your own. I have eaten on my own in hotel restaurants in the past, when I've been working away from home, but as I was always staying at the hotel I always felt ok about it.

I've just made a list of local places I like to eat when out with other people and a few places where I think I will feel comfortable on my own and have decided that I'm going to go out one day next week.

I'm going to be a little bit of a wimp though, and ease myself into doing it. There is a hotel where I go with friends to eat frequently. We always eat in the bar and usually go there for a drink to finish the evening off if we have eaten elsewhere, so I am known there and can walk in and talk to most of the regulars at the bar and the bar staff.

suki1964

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Thank you for posting this, it's nice to hear of a positive experience of eating out on your own. I have eaten on my own in hotel restaurants in the past, when I've been working away from home, but as I was always staying at the hotel I always felt ok about it.

I've just made a list of local places I like to eat when out with other people and a few places where I think I will feel comfortable on my own and have decided that I'm going to go out one day next week.

I'm going to be a little bit of a wimp though, and ease myself into doing it. There is a hotel where I go with friends to eat frequently. We always eat in the bar and usually go there for a drink to finish the evening off if we have eaten elsewhere, so I am known there and can walk in and talk to most of the regulars at the bar and the bar staff.

Eating at the bar is a good tactic to ease yourself in, esp if the place is quiet, bar staff love to chat

Also lunchtimes or early tea times are good. No getting the rubbish table by the loos and once again, staff not so busy you get ignored

I also always engage the staff in chit chat so they know im open to chatting and if the worse comes to the worse, my phone is a smart phone so I can immerse myself in the net ( I have a stand cover so I can read it whilst eating )

I've worked in bars on and off most of my life and noticed men had no problem coming in on their own. Women are beginning to more now and as bars are now more then likely to sell good food and coffee it's becoming more normal

suki1964

Farway wrote: »

Lunch was 2 of the micro pork pies as planned

Just had a taster of my SC stew, it is very tasty and will certainly have left overs for another day, or freezing

I now have unused ready made, bought in, pastry, which was going to towards make a pie which has now turned into SC stew

Plan B is to use this pastry for a cheese & onion pie. I have never made one of these before, but have seen them being made, and not paying attention of course

Looking on t'net there seems two versions, one is basic cheese N onions, other one has a couple of beaten eggs poured in before baking. Has any one tried both versions and could make any recommendations?

Following Caronc example, I have shuffled through my seed packets, I don't think I need to buy any, but I bet I will be sucked in by the pretty pictures

If it's cheese and onion pie then there is only one recipe for it

Simon Hopkinson

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/my_mothers_cheese_and_42949

Seriously that is the dogs dangly bits of cheese and onion pies

I bought Red Leicester this week esp so I can make this. I use a Victoria sandwich tin and it makes six good sized portions or 4 for hungry people. It's very filling so I just have it with salad or just take a slice for my lunch box

bouicca21

I also occasionally go out for dinner on my own. It takes practice. The first time I was deeply self conscious. Now I don't give it a second thought.

caronc

Snap suki that was the recipe I was going to suggest, as you say it is the dogs dangly bits of cheese and onion pies:rotfl:
Farway I've never made one with eggs but I am also partial to a cheese, onion and potato pie. For this I par boil sliced spuds, layer these with thinly sliced onions, cover in a thick cheese sauce (lots of cheese;)) then bake for about 45 to 55 minutes.
Holly - that sounds like a good way to start. I used to have to eat out by myself lots through work and I always much prefered the bar to a more formal setting.

PasturesNew

suki1964 wrote: »

Never felt lonely doing it either.

If you're part of a couple, with the other absent, it's a different mindset to being alone/billy no mates again. You carry yourself differently, there's a different dialogue in your head. Doing something on your own is a different experience because you're entirely choosing to do that thing, on your own, as you've another life/choices you could make... if that makes sense.

In part it's because if somebody tries to "bother you" you're more able to confidently/forcefully tell them to sling their hook as you already have a bf/husband/man.... when you're approached and already in "flight mode" it's harder to lie through your teeth to get rid of unwanted attention.

PasturesNew

Farway wrote: »

Looking on t'net there seems two versions, one is basic cheese N onions, other one has a couple of beaten eggs poured in before baking. Has any one tried both versions and could make any recommendations?

If it were me, for fully enclosed I'd go down the cheese/onion route (with/without spuds) ....

For something with eggs in I'd think more "open/quiche style".

I'd not be overly keen on an eggy filled "pie" fully enclosed... mentally I see eggy as being open and non-eggy being enclosed.

Glad you're enjoying the dumplings - I've thought about making them, but then CBA.