Brussels Sprouts for two instead of ten,
A Frittata with Eric’s blue instead of brie.

When cooking for two, it’s important to adapt, not only to quantities, but also to what you have in your larder.

I’ve always been a guy who insisted on cooking the recipe as written the first time, just to see what it’s like, then make modifications in subsequent cookings. In those days we often ended the week with a refrigerator full of leftovers. Not that that’s a bad thing—cooking for two surely involves the creative use of leftovers—but too many leftovers and some inevitably drift into the past the eat-by-date category and wind up down the disposal.

Over time, I’ve learned to buy with an eye to what we’ll actually eat. Brussels Sprouts, for example, don’t do well as leftovers, so at the Saturday market, I’ll buy about a half pound only. Green beans, on the other hand, are versatile as a leftover — I can cook a whole pound and use the leftovers in a salad, cooked with tomatoes and onions, or whatever on the second go ‘round.

Our refrigerator is not large, to be kind. When our landlord replaced the original, it had to fit a spot confined by the counter on one side, cupboard above and the back door on the other side, resulting in a too-small inside. Containers were stacked to fit, it was hard to find stuff and the containers tumbled over one another at the slightest movement. With my new buying and cooking routine, there are fewer LO, fewer containers, and the refrigerator tells me the difference every time I open the door.

The other part of the cooking-for-two puzzle is using what I have on hand if possible, before getting special stuff for a particular recipe. Sometimes I’ll make a substitution just because I like another ingredient better.
Substitute and adapt. Just this week I substituted and adapted to tasty results.

S U B S T I T U T E
I had a bunch of eggs and was in the mood for a Frittata. I researched my Frittata recipes and this one, gleaned from the Niman Ranch website, struck my fancy. Son Eric, who makes cheese in Monroe, Maine was visiting and brought along a wheel of his Lake Blue Cheese. A wheel is a lot of this rich cheese, and even after entertaining in his honor, I had half a wheel left, so I was eager to use some of it in cooking (some more will go with those green beans I mentioned). He also bought some Cajun Tasso, which I loved, at a store in the wine country.

Brie and Bacon Frittata
This recipe is from Sara Perry’s Everything Tastes Better with Bacon (Chronicle Books, 2002). She tells us that this dish is easier to make than it sounds. The eggs are lightly whisked, and then cooked slowly. The Brie melts over the bacon. Garnished with apple slices that have been sprinkled with bacon, the dish has just the right amount of creaminess and sweetness.
This dish serves 2 to 4.

Ingredients
4 slices Niman Ranch bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1//2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small red apple such as Gala or Fuji
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ounce piece of chilled Brie, rind removed, cut into small pieces

Method
In a medium heavy skillet, cook the bacon pieces over low to medium-low heat, turning as needed to brown, but not crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, salt, and pepper until blended. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/8-inch slices. Cut each slice into small bite-sized wedges and set aside.

In a medium nonstick skillet with sloping sides, melt the butter over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the egg mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the edges are set, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. With a spatula, lift the edge in several places and tip the skillet so the uncooked egg in the center runs underneath. When the surface is more moist than shiny and no liquid remains, sprinkle the crumbled bacon, apple and Brie over the top. Cover and cook until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let the frittata sit, uncovered, for 1 minute. Cut into wedges and serve.

Cooking notes 11.06 — Used 5 eggs, used Eric’s blue cheese instead of brie, used Cajun Tasso as well as bacon, used 1 scallion instead of chives. Damn good. Carol complained that it wasn’t a Frittata; she called it an open face omelet, “a Frittata is browned under a broiler,” she said. Big Whoop, call it whatever, tasted great!

A D A P T
I had a half pound of Brussels Sprouts and a recipe from Cook’s Country — the down home cooking magazine spun off from Cook’s Illustrated. Cook’s Country pretends to take an ordinary cook’s recipe, test and sample it in the renowned manner of Cook’s Illustrated, and publish the foolproof result in their magazine. The drawback is that their recipes will feed a farm family and all the neighbors. We’re just two city folks.
Here’s the original recipe which I pulled from their website:

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pecans
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

8 strips bacon , chopped
2 large shallots , chopped fine
2 cloves garlic , minced
2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts , trimmed and halved through stem ends
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecans , toasted and chopped

Method

1. Fry bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off excess grease but do not wipe skillet clean.

2. Cook shallots in same skillet over medium heat until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. (Cook’s tends to overstate the time to cook, in both the Illustrated and Country versions. Check early and often.) Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Toss Brussels sprouts with shallots and garlic, add broth, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, tossing once or twice, until paring knife can be inserted into sprouts without resistance, 13 to 15 minutes (again, taste early).

4. Stir in thyme, vinegar, butter, reserved bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle pecans on top. Serve immediately.

Cooking notes 11.06 — I had a half pound of Brussels Sprouts — just enough for two — so I made major modifications to the full recipe. Turned out real good, no LO. Served with sirloin tip steak.

Note that when cutting back a recipe, it’s not necessarily a geometric factor, it depends on how the ingredient contributes to the dish.

Braised Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pecans for Two
Adapted from Cook’s Country magazine
Recipe for two
2 strips bacon, chopped
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved through stem ends
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Table salt and ground black pepper
Scant 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1. Fry bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off excess grease but do not wipe skillet clean.

2. Cook shallots in same skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Toss Brussels sprouts with shallots and garlic, add broth, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, tossing once or twice, until paring knife can be inserted into sprouts without resistance (better yet, taste a sprout), about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in thyme, vinegar, butter, reserved bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle pecans on top. Serve immediately.

In summary, think about what you want to accomplish and trust your judgment. I’ll probably never cook Brussels Sprouts for ten, but I’ll probably cook the Frittata with brie and bacon, like it says.