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Cooking for One: The Best Way to Do It Is to Trick Yourself Into It

Five minutes in the morning guarantees you'll have this chicken tagine-inspired dish at night.

Published March 16, 2026

1 Comment

Tucker Shaw

First, a confession: While I am fully sold on the idea that ​cooking is among the very best things​ you can do with your time and energy, there are evenings when I just don’t feel like it. It’s only me here, so I’ll just grab the peanut butter, the jelly, and a couple slices of bread. It’s not like I’ll disappoint anyone.

Except for myself. Because that goblin mode PBJ is inevitably a disappointment. Much better to cook, I’ll remind myself after it’s too late.

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