University Cooking Experiences

During the summer before I started university, my parents tried to coax me into learning to cook. I wasn't a very willing learner though, avoiding it as much as possible, and making everything into a big deal. Could they come and check on the pasta? I wasn't sure if it was exactly right - they simply had to check. And could someone explain to me how to do the eggs? The recipe said to add them to the bowl - did that mean just crack them in? Or should I do them separately? I would be frozen with anxiety, unable to continue until I knew exactly what I needed to be doing. 

Learning to cook has been a big thing for me. I managed to cook a 'proper' meal (didn't come out of a packet) on my second day at university, and even though there are days when I give in and buy a ready meal or just eat toast, I have been trying to cook properly, and it has been a massive learning curve! I wouldn't say I'm a confident chef yet, but I haven't given myself food poisoning - so far...

Cooking à la Joanna - a summary...

- Meals set on fire: Four, or five. I lost count. All last term though.

- Meals thrown away (inedible): Including the burnt ones, maybe 7 or 8. I hate wasting food, but after you've dropped half a jar of mustard powder in your cheese sauce, there comes a point when you have to admit the meal is beyond rescue. 
- Food gone mouldy: too much. I'm learning.
- Peas eaten: 0 
- Meals shared with friends: Too many good ones to count. Eating and cooking together is lovely. 

Lessons learnt:
-If it says 'Do not microwave', Do NOT microwave. One of my plates now has burn marks  all over it. 
- Never drink milk past its use by date.
- Always put open jars of pesto in the fridge. I did scrape the mould off and finish the jar  though...
- Rice: it's half a cup per portion, not a cup and a half.
- NEVER freeze whole carrots. Unless you like carrot slush. 
- Dried spinach is really hard to get off plates.
- Pesto goes with everything. 
- Cup-a-soup is surprisingly nice.
- Mixing everything you like together is not actually a good plan for a meal.
- Cheese is ridiculously expensive. 
-Anything can burn if you forget to stir it...
- A grill is basically an oven, especially if you don't mind your food being a wee bit cold in the middle. 
- Vegetarian sausage rolls explode if you put them in a microwave. 
- It is also impossible to cook lasagne without an oven, but crunchy pasta sheets are still edible. 
- ALWAYS check which ring you turned on.
- Dried anything is really hard to get off plates. 
- Frozen vegetables are the ideal student food.
- Dinner can be served any time between 5pm-3am. Lunch and breakfast are roughly the same with a few hours margin. No, I haven't eaten dinner at 3am. Yet. 
- Ordering in is really good, but takes at least 45 minutes. First you call and order your food, then you call twice to ask where it is, then you call again to let the delivery guy in. It is not a process for the weak hearted. 
- Cooking instructions are only guidelines.
- Unexpected food things happen. Like finding onions in the corridor. 
- Frozen bread is actually kind of tasty. 

And finally:
- Managing to cook a decent meal is really satisfying. 

Tonight I need to use up half a box of tomato posata which I opened to make tomato sauce last night. I was thinking of making tomato soup, but all the recipes I've found seem to require a blender. I could make tomato pasta again, but that seems a bit dull - any ideas from foodies out there? All credit to my friend Ellen, who explained to me in detail how to make a tomato sauce yesterday - I owe you a meal...

Now can I have a few weeks off cooking, please? 

Cook on. God bless,
J.R. x 

P.S. I just had a flash back to the first and only cook book I bought for myself, Cooking Up a Storm by Sam Sterne, which I bought because he was about 14/15 (older than me then!) and I fancied him, but never used it. Did anyone else have this book? Nowadays I use a cooking recipe folder my lovely Mum made up for me, with all my favourite recipes.