Like most students here on campus, I was excited to move from the freshman dorms to upperclassmen housing. With an apartment there is so much more breathing room for you and your roommate(s) than there was in the small box you called home your freshman year. Not to mention, more space for all your clothes, posters, electronics, etc.
However, even with all this new freedom, I have found there is one aspect of apartment life that is taking me a while to adjust to. The whole idea of having to come up with dinner ideas and then cook them yourself has turned out to be foreign to me.
I would like to think I am a culinary genius, but it turns out I have yet to come close to that title. So far, all my training has come from the numerous hours I have spent watching Food Network shows like “Chopped” and “Good Eats.”
Sure, I know the simple ingredients that can create depths of flavor and what goes into a nice roux sauce, but I have never applied these methods to my everyday cooking.
My diet for the last three weeks has been a bit lackluster. The only things I have used my stovetop for are boiling water for pasta and cooking eggs, which I have now become an expert on.
My cupboards are almost as pathetic as my actual cooking abilities. They consist of cereal, oatmeal, easy mac, pretzels and spices that have barely been touched.
I would say my problem comes down to one of two things. Either my lack of experience in the kitchen has stunted my ability to cook or the fact that I can’t go grocery shopping without becoming confused.
My parents made shopping for groceries look so easy. They didn’t need a list at all. They would just push our cart up and down the aisles and grab items without even thinking about it. They knew what we needed and how long they would last in our kitchen.
I – on the other hand – have no idea what the essential items in a kitchen are or how long different produce can last before going bad.
The first things I ask myself when I’m out at the supermarket is “When will I actually use this?” and “How long does it take for this to rot?”
Unfortunately, for me I cannot answer any of these, so I decide to pass up those certain foods and head toward the pre-packaged foods. By the end of my shopping trip my shopping cart looks like it belongs to a ’50s housewife who was stocking up her cellar for the potential end effect of the Cold War.
Mastering basic skills like grocery shopping and cooking will not happen overnight for me. It might be the end of the semester before I can actually feel comfortable in the kitchen.
Until then, I am just going to have to go eat food at Docs or Knight’s Cove so I don’t become malnourished.
MEGAN HAMM
