When I cook for myself, I enjoy it very much…

In every situation when I cook for others, even casually,…

…I feel as if the stakes have been raised.

I must please other palates, attract others’ attention…

…navigate food preferences, and satisfy expectations.

A recipe I follow closely, and even specialty ingredients I purchase if necessary…

…is more likely to yield a good result.

Cooking for yourself, however, involves a different set of priorities….

And the reasons are….

For example, food that’s wasted…

A better option might be to avoid buying extra ingredients…

…that you won’t finish before they go bad than to procure…

…that one specific ingredient you need for a recipe.

As you only have to impress yourself, you can be more flexible with your cooking style….

You have no reason not to adjust flavors to make a dish work for you…

…(and what’s in your pantry).

Therefore, you should not be discouraged from making the recipe…

…if you cannot find all the ingredients.

We can find a collection of recipes for the improvisational cook…

…in Cooking for One, which is devoted entirely to solo cooking.

Improvisation is crucial for not only tweaking a recipe to your liking…

…but also winging it when you are missing an ingredient….

…or remaking leftovers so they don’t feel repetitive.

Let’s hear Sam’s story….

It is only me or hearth disease is a common thing these days….

Earlier this year I lost 2 of my friends because of heart problem….

It hit harder because we barely on our 40s….

I think of it as a sign for me to change my lifestyle into a healthy one….

I even change my oil to olive oil because I heard it is proven to reduce heart disease risk…

Let’s all be healthy!

Previous studies have linked high consumption of olive oil with better cardiovascular health, particularly in Mediterranean countries where olive oil intake is much higher than in the United States
Guasch-Ferre, a research scientist in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

Here are a few tips….

Table of Contents

Be Flexible When It Comes to Your Pantry

An appropriately stocked pantry is essential for substituting ingredients on the fly…

…creating delicious leftover makeovers…

…or adding that one finishing touch that makes your dish unique.

We will assume you know what your must-haves are…

…but this article offers some advice as…

…to what you should always have on hand.

Learn About Your Herbs

A fresh herb can transform and elevate a dish…

…It provides fresh and bold flavors, a splash of color…

…and it adds a sense of specialness.

You can’t use up an entire bunch of herbs when you’re cooking for one…

How about if you plan on having two or three…

…different kinds on your menu this week? Relax!

It usually doesn’t matter much about what herb you use…

…as long as a dish is finished with something fresh.

You’ll find multiple options for herbs (nuts, too) in our recipes…

…making cooking more fun.

Herbs can be divided into two categories…

…delicate (like leafy fronds) and robust (like woody stems).

Despite their distinct flavors, “delicate” herbs such as parsley, basil….

…cilantro, chives and dill can all be added as a finishing touch…

….at the end of cooking. Generally, “hardy” herbs such as rosemary…

…thyme, sage and oregano should be added at the beginning of cooking…

…but they can also be interchanged.

Here is the real deal…

You Can Stir-Fry or Sear a Steak with Olive Oil

We recommend stocking your pantry well…

…but you don’t need to go overboard with oils.

It isn’t necessary to have multiple bottles of special-use oils collecting dust…

…and going bad before you can actually use them.

While it’s nice to have two oils (one for cooking, like canola oil, and one for finishing…

…like extra-virgin olive oil), here’s a secret…

…We use extra-virgin olive oil for high-heat applications, too.

It’s completely fine. Make stir-fries, fry eggs, and sear steaks whenever you like….

Regardless of the kind of oil you choose…

…keep it somewhere cool and dark (not near or above the stove)

…in a small (tinted or opaque) bottle.

If you are looking for best oils for stir-fry…

…we have some recommendations for you.

Keep reading…

Stir-frying necessitates fast, high-temperature cooking….

As a result, most recipes call for starting with a high-smoke-point oil….

…which relates to the temperature at which the oil burns.

When this happens, the oil begins to degrade…

…emitting black smoke and foul odors.

This not only detracts from the flavor of your food by adding a bitter flavor…

…but it also renders the once-healthy oil unhealthy…

…due to the presence of probable carcinogens.

Because of its low smoke point (about 375 degrees Fahrenheit)…

…olive oil isn’t recommended for stir-frying…

…(compared to peanut oil at 450 F and avocado oil at 520 F).

However, if you choose pure or light olive oil, you can use it in a pinch….

Smoke Point of Olive Oil

An oil with a higher smoke point is better for stirring frying…

…as it can handle high heat. Standard olive oil, also known as pure…

…refined, or light olive oil, has been refined more rigorously…

…than extra-virgin or virgin olive oils, giving it a higher smoke point.

Extra-virgin olive oil, for example, has a smoke point of 320 F….

…while low-acidity extra-virgin olive oil smokes at 405 F….

…with virgin olive oil tolerating slightly more heat at 410 F.

Pure/refined/light olive oil has a smoke point that ranges…

…between 390 and 470 degrees Fahrenheit.

You might use light olive oil in a stir-fry in place…

…of vegetable oil blends (428 F smoke point), sunflower oil (450 F smoke point)…

…refined peanut oil (450 F smoke point), and avocado oil (520 F smoke point).

Flavor of Olive Oil

An Asian-style stir-fry usually has a unique combination of flavors….

…and is known as stir-frying. However, olive oil has a distinct flavor…

…that’s more often associated with Mediterranean cooking…

…since that’s where most of the world’s olive trees are grown.

Olive oil with extra virginity has the most…

…concentrated flavor compared to other varieties.

“Light” olive oil is not referring to the calories in the olive….

…but to the color and flavor, which is milder and lighter than other olive oils.

As a result, it’s a better choice for dishes where you don’t want…

…that characteristic flavor to stand out, such as stir-fries.

Vegetable oil blends, canola oils, and sunflower oils are even more neutral…

…in flavor than light olive oil. They are also excellent candidates for stir-frying.

The important thing….

Nutritional Benefits of Olive Oil

While stir-frying is considered a relatively healthy cooking method…

…adding olive oil to the mix may increase the benefit, but only slightly.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid…

…which may reduce inflammation.

By contrast, super-high heat damages polyphenols….

…which are healthy plant-based compounds. As a result of heating…

…the chemical structure of the oil is changed…

…which significantly reduces the amount of nutrients in the oil.

Furthermore, extra-virgin olive oil, the least-optimal type for stir-frying….

…has the best health benefits.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the most flavorful as well as the most expensive…

…. so save it for dipping bread or dressing salads.

Our top recommendations for Olive Oil!