Cooking for one

"Americans are realizing they can take back their kitchens and cook for themselves in a free and easy way," says Monika Reti, the founder and owner of Hipcooks, a Los Angeles-based cooking school.

Ms. Reti teaches her classes basic knife skills and has students explore the smells and textures of the foods they cook with. Taking time to enjoy the process inspires people to savor the final product even when they are the only ones who will eat it, she believes. Sitjar, who has taken the Hipcooks' cooking-for-one class, says that giving attention to small details like the aroma of sautéing garlic puts her in the mood to set the table and sit down for dinner, rather than "wolfing it down in five minutes standing at the kitchen sink."

Still, for many, the idea that cooking – and especially eating – should be social endeavors keeps the "psychological block" intact. Food marketing strategies are partly to blame for this, says Andrew Urbanetti, the chef de cuisine at Lumiere restaurant in Newton, Mass. and the teacher of a cooking-for-one class in Cambridge. "It's a shame that some commercials make eating alone seem like it's come down to a desperation meal, rather than something to be enjoyed," he says. He likens a part of his classes to a "therapy session," in which he tries to "diffuse the negativity and stress" that students might associate with cooking alone.

Although instructors like Mr. Urbanetti and Reti are helping usher in new attitudes about cooking and eating solo, they have their work cut out for them. Most recipes still serve four to six, and grocery shopping is still easier and more economical when it's for multiple people.

"At the supermarket, there's not a whole lot you can do for one," says Sandra Lee, host of the Food Network's popular Semi-Homemade show and author of the Semi-Homemade cookbook series. "When you do find single servings, they're more expensive because of packaging costs."

But there are ways to work around this. Rather than avoid buying meat, for instance, Ms. Lee suggests asking a butcher to cut and repackage it. "Sometimes you'll see one really nice steak in a package of four. You can ask for it to be divided up."

Putting the time and effort into such strategies is well worth the effort, she says. The pace of modern life simply means eating alone sometimes, even if one lives with other people or has a healthy social network.

"Downtime alone has become a luxury," she says. "When you're by yourself, you can reflect, regroup, cook at your own pace. You don't have to think about anyone but yourself. If you want to have tacos four nights a week, you can."

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