"Table for One" news and stories

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

Taco night has become as prevalent an occasion as pizza night and spaghetti night. Perhaps it's the do-it-yourself nature that appeals -- diners can pile on just about any combination of meat, seafood, cheese, sour cream, vegetables or even fruit into soft or crunchy tortillas.

Or perhaps it's because they're fresh and simple-to-make. Maybe it's a little bit of both. In any event, most people have never met a taco they didn't like.

When you've exhausted yourself on boneless, skinless chicken breasts or those lidded rotisserie chickens, consider the duck. If you can cook other types of poultry, you can cook duck. And the rewards are juicy, delicious -- and best of all, just for you.

Get the recipe after the jump!

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

Dinner is just a phone call and a drawer full of takeout menus away -- but why fuel the fire of the single-living stereotype? Hang up that phone and get in the kitchen!

A takeout feast without the help of your favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant can be ready before the delivery boy could possibly get to your door.

Toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds give the stir-fried eggplant a nutty taste and a subtle crunch, while red-pepper flakes add a touch of heat and smokiness. Here, the classic vegetarian stir-fry brings in a Greek meze feel when served alongside crunchy pita chips for scooping.

Get the recipe after the jump!

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

When we think of peanuts, we think Virginia, ballgames and a top hat-wearing, cane-holding, monocled mascot. However, peanuts are also a staple in West African cooking and used prominently in many dishes. One such typical meal is a hearty stew made with tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peanuts.

This vegetarian version of the soup relies on the saltiness and creaminess of peanut butter -- the pantry staple and venerated American spread that is an often unsung hero in meals that don't include jelly or two slices of bread.

Presenting a new (and more acceptable) way to eat peanut butter by the spoonful.

Find the Peanut Stew recipe after the jump.

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

The time-honored Italian dish, saltimbocca, traditionally calls for veal cutlets, but the classic is easier and more practical for singletons to make with commonplace chicken breasts.

Saltimbocca, roughly translated, means to "jump into your mouth" -- and with thin slices of chicken wrapped in savory prosciutto and autumn sage, the translation seems fitting. Paired with roasted tomatoes on the vine, this 10-minute, one-pot meal yearns for a table under the Tuscan sun. In a concrete jungle, fresh sunflowers will have to suffice.

The beauty of this variation is that everything is cooked in the oven, at one temperature, in one pan. After all, when it's just one person doing the cooking, that same person has to do the cleaning too.

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

Oh, beloved pimento cheese; the Southeast's answer to cheese dip and queso.

The bright-orange spread is nothing more than extra-sharp cheddar, mayonnaise, diced pimiento peppers and cracked black pepper. Homemade pimento cheese is a snap to make and leftovers are a cracker's best friend. You could spruce up the spread with serrano peppers, garlic, cayenne, different types of cheese or even bacon. But to most, nothing is better than the classic four-ingredient mix between two pieces of bread.