Once upon a time, most homemakers dutifully made long grocery lists and even longer trips to the supermarket, not stopping until their shopping carts bulged with every morsel of food they’d need for the upcoming week.

Not so today, when a new style of grocery shopping has emerged for many. I call it serial shopping, and it consists of quick trips to the supermarket to pick up just enough ingredients for that night’s dinner.

Ron Kane, manager of Homeland supermarket in Wichita, Kan., says as many as half of his customers make multiple visits during the week.

Supermarkets cater to this clientele, putting rotisserie chickens, deli items and other foods that require little or no preparation near the entrance where they can be snatched up in a hurry.

As one of the worst offenders (I average about six trips weekly), I have a few ideas about what’s fueling this trend.

For many individuals and families, weeknights are packed with more activities than ever. Will there be one, two or five for dinner? Will we eat at 5, 6 or 9?

Will we cook, eat out or take out? Flexibility rules.

Then there’s that segment of the population that just can’t decide what to cook and eat until inspiration hits.

For us, serial shopping is a little like the daily trips to the village market, baker or fish stall so romanticized by food writers (although not quite as quaint).

Of course, by any rational assessment you can save time and money by getting all your shopping done once a week. But for all those serial shoppers out there, or anybody who needs to put together a meal in a pinch, we offer this recipe at right and one other on page E2. They are taken or adapted from a new cookbook by Aviva Goldfarb called “The Six O’Clock Scramble” (St. Martin’s Griffin, $17.95).

Timely tips

Some things to keep in mind when dining and dashing:

n The combination principle. We were able to simplify several of Aviva Goldfarb’s recipes even further by using the “combination principle.”

For instance, if a recipe calls for canned diced tomatoes, minced garlic and fresh basil, buy the canned Italian-style diced tomatoes (which include basil and garlic) instead.

n Flavor boosters. To increase the flavor of a dish, buy ingredients that are already seasoned or enhanced in some fashion. For instance, honey-baked ham, lemon-garlic rotisserie chicken or peppered turkey from the deli case.

-Don’t ignore fresh vegetables, thinking they take too long to prepare.

Lettuce or spinach can be tossed with tomatoes and a vinaigrette for a quick salad. Corn on the cob and other vegetables can be microwaved or grilled in minutes.

-Keep your pantry at home stocked with staples (such as olive oil, seasonings and condiments) and quick side dishes (such as instant rice and pasta mixes) so you don’t have to shop for them every trip to the supermarket.

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BROILED SALMON WITH MUSTARD-SOY CRUST

Salmon filet (1½ to 2 pounds.)

¼ cup grainy Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon teriyaki or soy sauce

Preheat broiler and move the shelf so that the heat source is about 4 inches away.

Place the salmon skin down in a shallow baking pan or cookie tray lined with foil and lightly greased with vegetable or olive oil.

Brush the top of the fish with the mustard. Sprinkle soy sauce on top.

Broil the fish for 10 to 12 minutes, until the Dijon-soy crust is browned and the salmon flakes easily and is cooked throughout (but not overcooked). Don’t flip fish during cooking.

Makes 6 servings.

SHOPPING ROUTE

-Salmon – seafood counter, meat case (where some supermarkets display packaged salmon), or freezer section if you have time to thaw fish

-Dijon mustard – condiment aisle

-Teriyaki or soy sauce – Asian foods or condiment aisle

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TURKEY-COLE SLAW WRAPS

1 pound creamy cole slaw

2-3 tablespoons ketchup or salsa

6 wraps (large flour tortillas), preferably the flavored variety

1 pound smoked or peppered sliced turkey

Combine cole slaw and ketchup.

Microwave tortillas for 20 seconds each until soft. Divide turkey between wraps, covering each tortilla with meat, and spread with cole slaw.

Roll up tortilla. Serve as is or warm each wrap in microwave for 1 minute.

Makes 6 servings.

SHOPPING ROUTE

-Cole slaw – deli case

-Ketchup or salsa – condiment or Mexican food aisle

-Wraps – Mexican food aisle or bread section

-Turkey – deli case

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FETTUCINE WITH CHEESE AND TOMATOES

½ pound shredded Italian blend of cheese (usually mozzarella, Parmesan and provolone)

2 16-ounce cans Italian-style diced tomatoes (with garlic, basil and oregano), undrained

¼ cup olive oil

12 oz. fettucine or other pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, place cheese, diced tomatoes and olive oil in large bowl.

When pasta is cooked al dente (still slightly firm to the tooth), drain and add to bowl, tossing to mix all ingredients.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

SHOPPING ROUTE

-Italian blend cheese – dairy aisle

-Diced tomatoes – canned vegetable aisle

-Olive oil – baking aisle

-Pasta – pasta aisle