Balance February 18 - 46
reci p
on e
es for
Going solo
Cook and author
Signe Johansen tells
us why it's time to
start being selfish in
the kitchen
M
any of us put real effort
in when we cook for
others but when we're
alone, we reach for the cereal bowl
or takeaway menu. Somehow it just
doesn't seem worth bothering if no
one else is going to eat it.
That's the attitude Signe
Johansen wants to change and it's
the inspiration behind her new
book Solo: The Joy of Cooking for
One, published last month.
'Cooking for yourself is an
affirmation of your self worth,' Signe
says. 'I think it's important you
recognise your worth all the time,
not just if you live alone, but on the
weekend if your partner is away, say,
or the kids have gone to see their
grandparents or whatever.
'If you take the time to look
after yourself, you're essentially
saying you are worth the effort.'
With nearly a third of UK
households containing just one
person, Signe believes it's time to
reverse the stigma of solo dining.
HAPPY TIME S
'When I've told people I'm writing
a book on solo cooking, they've
interpreted it as recipes for sad
people,' she says. 'But for me, and
for many, some of the happiest
times I've had cooking have been
when I've been by myself.'
46
Food has always been a big part of
Signe's life. Growing up in Norway,
much of her childhood was spent
on her grandparents' farm, picking
produce and learning to cook,
before going on to study at Leiths
School of Food and Wine in London.
But it's the recent trend for
self-sufficiency that prompted
her to champion the idea of
enjoying a more selfish approach
to food preparation.
WHATEVER YOU WANT
'You don't have to spend much
money or impress anyone. You
can just make whatever you want,
which is really liberating. '
While there's obviously plenty
of value in social dining, there are
huge advantages to removing other
people from the equation.
'You don't have to make any
compromises or take into account
any dietary concerns,' Signe says.
'For a dinner party you may end
up cooking three separate meals
because everyone has different
needs. I'm not intolerant of that
at all, but it can take a lot of effort,
whereas cooking for yourself, it's
much more relaxing.'
She continues: 'As someone who's
quite restless, I find just switching
off and making something is a really
good way of resetting my brain.
BA LA N CE February 2018
ONE
BETTER
Solo: The Joy
of Cooking for
One by Signe
Johansen
(£16.99, Pan
Macmillan)
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance February 18
Balance February 18 - 1
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