Small Meals

I live alone, one of a fast growing group in the Western World who choose to do so.

I am a reasonable cook, having spent many years in commercial kitchens observing, and sometimes learning from, very good chefs.

I often plan meals while driving home from work (30 minutes) and execute those plans once home, much more often than not enjoying the result of those plans.

I eat mainly left-overs.

This is because I have never been able to find cooking equipment small enough and efficient enough to produce a range of meals small enough to allow me to constantly have freshly cooked meals without waste.

When I do find small equipment it often costs far more than large equipment. eg a 1L electric jug will cost me at least $70 (often more) when I can buy a 1.7L for $30.

I can't find a small covered frying pan, I can't find a small electric frying pan or electric pot.

The small slow-cooker I have does not like small meals, needing constant supervision when I try to use it for such (negating, of course, the beauty of a slow cooker).

Then trying to find small quantities of food with which to prepare the meals I want to cook is almost impossible.

Yes a greengrocer will sell you one spud, one piece of ginger, one chilli but not happily and try buying a half-porterhouse, one pork loin chop.

I know we all have freezers but I'm lazy so tend to put trays of meat in instead of dividing the contents into several little bags.

Veges often go into the refrigerator  where half are used and half rot before being thrown out. Fresh herbs share a similar fate.

Wouldn't it be great if supermarkets and other food retailers sold pre-packed trays with three of four day's one-meal meat requirements plus, maybe, a small quantity of flavouring-type herbs/veges and small quantities of veges.

Of course, at the same time, cooking equipment manufacturers need to start producing the cookware suitable for preparing these meals.

With fast increasing numbers of people choosing (or having it chosen for them) to live alone I'm convinced this will be a very profitable move - one, were I not so old and tired, I'd enter into myself.