Cooking for yourself lis particularly creative because you are inspired by what’s in your fridge or freezer or garden or nearby market. You don’t have to follow a recipe slavishly; you can substitute as you like—planning how to make three quite different dishes from, say, a tenderloin of pork—putting leftovers to good use, taking advantage of leftovers, having in the freezer certain basic items, and so on. If you follow the techniques I recommend, what you save on food costs will soonish you.

You only have yourself to please. So you can indulge in a sudden whim. You can choose to make just what you feel like—perhaps only a light, simple supper dish or a salad if you’ve consumed a rich meal at lunch that day. There’s no need to be perfectionist, trying to win applause from your guests. If a sauce curdles, you’ll eat it anyway. And you’ll learn from your mistakes.