"TableForOne" 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."

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.

Caramel Potatoes. Photo: Sarah LeTrent

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."

Most home kitchens are lacking in the deep-fryer department for authentic fish-and-chips, plus the process tends to leave quite a mess. And the thought of yet another lone baked potato seems painfully boring. Behold, a new combination of fish-plus-potato: oven-fried cod and caramel potatoes.

Caramel potatoes are, as the name suggests, boiled potatoes coated in a sugar and butter caramel. A traditional Scandinavian holiday dish, why save it for special meals, when potatoes, sugar and butter are common pantry staples. Yes, it may seem like a bizarre way of cooking potatoes but no, they're not sweet.

Photo: Sarah LeTrent.

Risotto, the preeminent comfort dish of the Milanese, gets rich red-wine depth.

Traditionally a very simple Italian dish, when risotto is coupled with top-notch red wine and beef broth, it becomes something quite dignified. Parmesan adds a delightfully salty tang to the finished product.

Despite its reputation as a "restaurant dish," it's not difficult to make a good risotto. You do have to give it constant attention -- risotto is an act of love. When cooking for one, it's calming, even therapeutic after a long day of work, to stand over the stove and stir. And the idea of enjoying a glass of the leftover wine while tending to the risotto on a cool autumn night is a way to schedule some "me time" into a busy week.