They say when going to university you learn a lot about yourself. I’ve been here for a week and a half and if I’ve not learnt anything so far, it’s this: I am definitely not what they call a ‘domestic goddess’ in the kitchen. However, as lacking as my cooking skills may be, I still refuse to live off a diet of baked beans on toast or pasta with tomato sauce for the next 3 years. So, I thought, why not embrace my new found independence, seize the opportunity, and teach myself how to cook!?
Luckily for me (and my stomach) I came to uni prepared. My part time job at the local cooking shop allowed me to spend many of my manager’s lunch hours compiling lists of everything I might need to bring: pots, pans, colanders, the works! I did my research and purchased the student cookbook ‘Nosh for Students’ by Joy May (which is fantastic by the way). So with all my kitchen equipment ready, all that was left to do was actually tackle the impending task of making my first meal…
Sunday: Attempt 1, Tuna fishy rice.
This is basically a tuna pasta bake, but you use rice instead of pasta. It’s one of my favourites that my nan makes at home, and after waking up to a considerable hangover from the fresher’s welcome party the previous night, my stomach was calling for it! It was really easy:
Step 1: I cooked the rice
Step 2: I mixed in mushroom soup, sweet corn, mustard and tuna
Step 3: I baked it for about 20 minutes
Outcome: For my first attempt in the kitchen it didn’t turn out too badly, but it’s safe to say it didn’t taste half as good as my nan’s. To be fair, I had to improvise with a few ingredients, which might explain it!
What I learnt: Improvisation is great, but don’t be too surprised when it doesn’t taste quite how it’s meant to…
Monday: Made no attempt, settled for a ready meal.
After last night’s disappointing dinner and the stress of my first day at uni, I decided to sack off cooking for one night and stick in a ready meal – which luckily my parents had already stocked up my fridge with. I have all year to learn right?
Tuesday: Attempt 2, Oven baked risotto.
I read through ‘Nosh for Students’ and decided that this recipe looked easy enough. It was relatively simple to prepare, and yes I did improvise a few ingredients again, but only because some of the vegetables were not to my liking! Just to be on the safe side, I made a quick phone call to my nan to make sure I was doing the right thing and I wasn’t going to burn the building down.
Outcome: It turned out really nicely; I definitely gave myself a pat on the back for this one! The rice was a little soggy, so it could have done with a little longer in the oven, but a success nonetheless.
What I learnt: just follow the recipe and all will be okay!
Wednesday: Attempt 3, Chicken cous cous.
I had a bit of a nightmare trying to defrost the chicken, but how was I supposed to know that you can’t just leave it out on the window sill for a few hours without covering it with something!? A bit of bacteria is healthy right? Well, maybe not. I threw it away, just to be sure, and nipped to the mini-mart for a new pack of chicken. No way was I going to risk ruining fresher’s week with food poisoning!
The rest was dead easy.
Step 1: I cooked the cous cous with boiling water
Step 2: I stir-fried everything together in the pan
Outcome: Maybe I am a domestic goddess after all… because it was delicious once again.
Thursday: No attempt (once again).
My flatmate offered me a free meal, how could I refuse!?
I did, however, take it upon myself to give the work tops a good clean, because you never know what unhygienic things your flatmates have been doing on those work surfaces.
Friday: Attempt 4, Creamy mushroom chicken.
Although I had to strongly resist the urge of nipping to the shops and buying a frozen pizza, I did manage to force myself back in the kitchen. I just wanted to rustle up something quick before the antics of Friday night commenced – and this dish looked tasty
Outcome: It was definitely edible, but maybe slightly bland. I followed the recipe exactly, so perhaps a little improvisation is necessary sometimes after all!
Although i’m going to stop here, you should by now be able to predict the outcome of the rest of the week. Basically, the point I am trying to make is that teaching yourself to cook is a learning curve.
I’ve made a few nice meals, a few not so nice meals and a few naughty ready meals, but at the end of the day I’ve learnt more in a week than I have in 19 years of living at home and being fed my mum, and that counts for something right?
If you haven’t already started, I definitely urge you to get cracking in the kitchen and cook yourself a decent meal. I am someone who’s had pretty much zero experience, so if I can manage (ignoring the few blunders), then you can too!
Image sources:
2) http://superwidget.wordpress.c…
3) http://iwouldlikefrieswiththis…
Jessie Elliot