When 'The Face' Is Away . . .

When the pickiest eater in the house is out of town, it can be fun to cook for one (and a half).

Let me explain. My 39-year-old husband has a vegetable-heavy list of foods he does not like, so for years the two of us stuck to a menu of home-cooked hits such as burgers, chicken and pasta.

Now that I am a mom, though, I have become more health-conscious. I try to inject more vegetables, more fish, less refined white flour and less red meat into our family diet in a way that doesn't feel like punishment or deprivation.

Flavor is my ally. I scour cookbooks, blogs, food articles and farmers market stands for tips on using herbs and seasonings to perk up lighter meals. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good, bloody steak, a piece of fried chicken or brownies, but I have learned to love to prepare all sorts of healthful foods such as salmon, trout, eggplant and fresh berries.

In truth, the results have been mixed. My husband eats fish, but he doesn't really like it. I can tell by The Face. You know the one: an eyebrow raised, head cocked to the side, mouth twisted down on one corner. Skeptical before the first bite.

When he's away on business, I can cook to please myself. I don't have to see The Face, and it is liberating.

A small consideration remains, and that is my 4-year-old son, Caleb. He has picked up some of Dad's food-avoidance techniques, such as swirling the bits around on his plate without actually eating them.

I try to be positive. I put a bite or two of what I've made for my dinner on his plate for him to try, adding a few refrigerator staples I know he'll go for, such as carrot sticks, cheese, yogurt and edamame.

Like the characters in Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham," we make a game of trying new foods, and it usually works. That's how we discovered he likes broccoli and tofu.

When I cook for me, I want something fairly quick, but it must be something that isn't slapped together. Of course, I will use the tiny chunk of blue cheese clinging to the back of the dairy drawer or incorporate the shrink-wrapped half of a red bell pepper wedged between the eggs and the soda; I just don't want it to seem as if I'm dumping castoffs into a bowl.

On the days when I know I'll be practically solo, I plan ahead and check the fridge. I make it a point to buy at least one item that day for my supper so it feels special, even if it's only wine to go with the meal.

Cooking to please myself allows me to be more experimental. Lately, I buy a small whole fish such as a trout, rather than fillets, at Cameron's Seafood Market or at Whole Foods. I grab various herbs from my modest kitchen garden and try them in new ways.

When a dish works, I double the recipe and serve it to my husband. He has never been that excited about plain old fresh strawberries, being strictly a chocolate dessert man. But when the berries are soaked in a little alcohol, like the ones I mix with bourbon, mint and sugar, he has been known to reach for a second spoonful.

Since I've been branching out, my husband's tastes have evolved. He eats more kinds of vegetables than he used to, and he has even lost some serious weight by paying more attention to his diet. He will request oven-roasted asparagus with olive oil and salt, and he will eat most kinds of salads, although usually not the ones made with fresh tomatoes. (Why tomato sauce is okay but uncooked tomatoes are not is beyond me.)

To persuade him to try tofu recently, I served it with a side of grilled sweet Italian sausages dipped in lemon juice as an incentive. It worked.

The main point is, I'm seeing The Face less and less. And that's good for all of us.

April Fulton is a freelance writer in Silver Spring whose food blog is TheFoodScribe.com.