Whether you are retired, a student,recently divorced, a middle aged single woman or a widow, you have the right to bid goodbye to dreary solitary meals and enjoy dining again. Cooking for one can be rewarding and it can be fun. Just remenber that you deserve the best.

Here I am including several recipes that had worked for me, when I am not entertaining and having fun. Enjoy!

MUSHROOM SOUP

1/4 pound fresh mushrooms
2 cups chicken broth
1 tb. butter
1 tb. flour
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
Pinch of ginger
1/4 cup light cream or milk
Chopped pasley or chopped cilantrillo (chinese parsley)

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them fine. Put the broth in a saucepan, add the mushroom stems, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Slice thin the mushroom caps and sauté in butter for 2 to 3 minutes. Blend in the flour, salt and pepper, and ginger and cook on Low heat for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and mushroom mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, until slightly thickened. Add cream if you wish and sprinkle with parsley or cilantrillo. About 2 cups. Recipe might be doubled. Is perfect for a soup and sandwich meal.

BRAISED PORK CHOP Serves 1

1 large or 2 small pork chops
3 tb Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsps sherry
1clove garlic, sliced
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp olive oli
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
freshly ground pepper

Debone the pork chop, if necessary. Mix 1 tb of the soy sauce with the sherry, garlic and ginger. Let the pork marinate in this mixture for 1 hour. Drain. Sauté the chop in olive oil, to give it color. Mix in the remaining 2 tb of the soy sauce, the green onion, sugar and pepper to taste. Cover the skillet and simmer for 30 minutes. The pork can be sliced before sauteing. You can add red pimientos slices and sliced onions, or the vegetable of your preference, and it will serve 2 or 3 people. Serve over white rice.

MUSTARD CARROTS

2 tb minced onions
2 tsp butter
1/4 cup water
Salt
Ground pepper
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 tb half and half
1 tb flour
1 tsp prepared mustard

Saute the onion in the butter until tender. Add water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Put in the carrots, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, until barely crisp tender. Mix the half and half, flour and mustard together, well. Blend into the carrots and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.

Serve with ice cream as dessert. Remember, all quantities can be doubled. The previous recipes are adapted from the book WOMANS DAY COOKING FOR ONE 1978