My parents celebrated their twenty-ninth wedding anniversary last night, and true to my family's form, the children (or "fruits of the marriage") were responsible for providing the feast. Typically this amounts to little more than picking up the check at whatever restaurant my younger sister and I can actually afford; however, this year my old man had something entirely different in mind.
"I want you girls to make us dinner," he declared, clutching a stack of cookbooks in his arms. "We fed y'all for years, and it's about time you return the favor."
Needless to say, the chicken was undercooked, the pasta a little too crunchy; my sister and I got overly ambitious with the dessert, but when the soufflé wilted like a sad, dying flower moments after removing it from the oven, my parents mercifully took us all out for ice cream.
Regardless of the ultimately happy ending, my experience in the kitchen was anything but pleasant. It's definitely a foreign environment to me - having a meal plan throughout all four years of college has certainly contributed to my utter lack of culinary skills, but I honestly think apathy is far more to blame.
I have several friends who swear they subsist entirely off of Ramen noodles. One of my best friends is on a first name basis with the staff at our local Whataburger. This one girl I vaguely know continuously posts pictures of food she makes on Facebook - I believe her diet consists exclusively of cupcakes.
Now that I'm staring down the barrel of the gun called Graduation, it's beginning to dawn on me that I'll soon be forced to fend for myself. Everyone tells you that the four (plus...) years of college fly by in a flash; NOBODY warns you that afterwards, you have to suit up, become an adult, and most importantly, feed yourself.
So, readers, what the heck do I do?! Do y'all know of quick, easy, and especially CHEAP recipes I can make a mess of in my post-grad kitchen? Does anybody have any similar nightmarish experiences with cooking?
Story of my life! I never really had anyone teach me how to cook, so im in the same boat as you. I plan on signing up for some cooking classes this summer, because its about time i learn how to cook!
ReplyDeleteI can empathize with you on this. I need to gather the discipline to teach myself how to cook myself, considering I'm entirely burnt out on the fast food around here. I'm glad you wrote this post, because I can relate to it and don't feel quite as "alone" in this sense anymore.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I wish I could make delicious homemade dinners, that's just not realistic for a college student. In my opinion, the best tools for quick and healthy homemade meals that you could have as a college student are a personal sized panini press, a vegetable and rice steamer, and a blender. Those three things carry me though most of my days and are very versatile for as far as the variety of things that are made with them. Blend up a quick smoothie on the go. Throw a frozen piece of chicken on the panini press. Cut up any veggies you can imagine and throw them in the steamer. And just like that you have an easy meal that is highly nutritious as well!
ReplyDeleteI have never cooked for myself, which is one of the reason why i went into the corps. Meals are provided, so i dont have to worry much about it. I do think i should learn though, unless i decide to marry a girl who can cook. otherwise ill probably die of starvation.
ReplyDeleteI hope your struggle with cooking is not what I will experience next year! I will have to cook for myself for the first time, and I think my diet will be similar to your friends - fast food and ramen. The only thing I know how to cook are things that come frozen and just need heating up! Best of luck to you.
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