Cooking for just two in a serves-six world can be a big adjustment for empty nesters.

It was the milk that first got my attention.

At the end of the week, there was still some left, a final cup or so sloshing around the bottom of the jug.

Then I started to notice more subtle signs: The lunch meat that stayed in the meat drawer. The bread that didn't disappear faster than I could say “inhale.” The peanut butter — oh, the luxury of peanut butter that was right there in its jar when I needed it.

It finally started to sink in: I'm an empty nester now. A family cook with no family to feed.

But I am still a cook, someone who needs time in the kitchen. So how do I adjust to this new life? How do I become a serves-two cook in a serves-six world?

Learning to shop

Learning to shop is the first step, says Linda Gassenheimer. A longtime columnist for The Miami Herald, Gassenheimer writes the Quick Fix for 2 column that runs each week in many newspapers.

Gassenheimer says she never hesitates to ask for prepackaged meats or vegetables to be cut down at the supermarket.

“If they won't do it, I go to another market,” she declares.

Cutting recipes in half doesn't always mean just halving all the ingredients or even the cooking time.

One chicken breast cooks in the same amount of time as two, for example. Or if you cook a smaller roast, you'll still need enough liquid to braise it.

“People have to think about cookware. The pan needs to be right for the size of the meat you're putting in it.” She's found that a 7-inch saute pan or omelet pan, for instance, is perfect for two people.

Even if you cook in smaller amounts, you're still likely to have leftovers, says Gassenheimer.

And you should: A small batch of soup tucked in the freezer is just as welcome as a big batch when you're busy.

Paella is usually a big production. Scaling back makes it easier to manage.<B>½ cup chicken broth1/8 teaspoon saffron2 teaspoons olive oil6 ounces sausage, such as kielbasa, diced2⁄3 cup long-grain rice1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice3 ounces fresh snow peas, trimmed and cut in 2 diagonally½ pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined </B>Heat broth in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add saffron. Reduce heat to low and keep it warm.Place olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage. Saute sausage until just starting to brown. Add the rice to the skillet and stir to coat with the oil. Add the broth and clam juice. Bring to a boil.Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and add the snow peas and shrimp, pushing the shrimp down into the rice. Add more broth if the rice looks too dry.Cover and cook until the shrimp are cooked, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve.

<B>Sauce1 tablespoon olive oil1 small onion, mincedSalt and pepper2 cloves garlic, minced8 ounces meatloaf mix (or equal parts 85 percent lean ground beef and ground pork)1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained, with ¼ cup juice reserved1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauceFilling, noodles and cheese4 ounces ricotta (whole-milk or part-skim)½ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, divided3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil1 large egg, lightly beaten4 no-boil lasagna noodles1 cup (4 ounces) shredded whole-milk mozzarella </B>Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add meat and cook, breaking up meat until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.Stir in tomatoes, reserved juice and tomato sauce and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. (You should have about 3 cups sauce.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, basil, egg, 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover the bottom of a 8 ½-inch loaf pan with ½ cup sauce. Top with 1 noodle and spread evenly with a third of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with ¼ cup mozzarella and cover with ½ cup sauce.Repeat twice, beginning with noodle and ending with sauce. Top with remaining noodle, remaining 1 cup sauce, remaining ¼ cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.Cover pan tightly with foil sprayed with vegetable oil spray and bake until bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Discard foil and continue to bake until browned, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Serve.From Cook’s Country magazine, June/July 2011. The editors of America’s Test Kitchen discovered a neat trick - a plain loaf pan is the perfect size for four no-boil lasagna noodles.