As a culinary major, I find it hard at times to please my palate with everyday “dormitory” food. Now please do not get me wrong, I am not here to say that my palate is better, just different.
My suite-mates live off ramen noodles and microwave dinners, not to mention Subway sandwiches and dry cereal. But I have always wondered, what happened to the ingenuity of people? Has it been lost to the world of prepackaged, processed foods? I hope not. I want to start a movement to awaken this lost art.
Almost every college student I know has a mini refrigerator in his or her room. Plus, they always have on hand at least some variety of junk foods to snack on at a moments notice. This variety can vary from bread and sandwich meat, dry cereals, breakfast bars, juice, chips and snack crackers to even left over dinners brought in plastic containers from home.
Why are people no longer cooking for themselves? Is it because they do not know how or lack the creativity necessary to survive in a college residence hall? All this needs to change right now. With a little creativity and the right equipment, decent meals can be prepared and served in only a matter of minutes.
Grilled cheese sandwiches, one of my favorite meals, are now dorm “cookable.” Yes, it can be prepared without an open flame. Take two slices of bread. Spray both slices with a liquid margarine and place buttered side on aluminum foil. Place one to two slices of cheese in the middle and close the sandwich. Wrap tightly in the foil. Place a damp face towel over the foil and run a warm iron over both sides for about two minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove the towel and place the iron directly on the foil to crisp the bread. Unwrap and enjoy.
Using a regular baking potato, with the addition of your favorite toppings, a baked potato can be made. First poke holes into the potato using a fork and cook the potato in the microwave for two minutes at a time until the potato is soft. Some recommend wrapping the potato in a wet towel while cooking to speed the process up.
One last recipe for everybody to enjoy is my smoothie recipe. Take some fruit juice, a container of yogurt and some frozen berries. Place them all in the blender and grind until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.
I hope I have inspired everyone to put down the frozen dinners and pick up fresh ingredients and spend the time eating something of quality rather than convenience. If I have not, then I am sorry that food is not held in such high regard for you as it is for me. Remember, life is short so live to eat not eat to live.
If anybody else has any recipes, feel free to write to the editor and have them passed along to me for a possible follow up article.