Cooking of the College Kind

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Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby viator22 » Sun Aug 13, 2006 11:26 pm

Well, I'm about to decend into the madness inducin gworld of college for the first time. For the moment I'm going to be livin gin a dorm at NC State, eating campus food, and browsing on the gloriously fast internet connection. I've got most of my living sorted out, but I had a question.

Cookware

State allows cooking devices in the room as long as they're less than 1800 watts. I have no particular desire to live off instant soup, sandwiches, and microwaved hot dogs for 4 years. I'm leaning towards a small electric skillet right now, but if anyone who has actually been to college could make some suggestions, I'd be delighted. Actually, I could use any tips that people are willing to give. Thanks <p>-------
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Kai » Mon Aug 14, 2006 2:02 am

George Foreman grills. Also, you'll probably have an oven somewhere in the dorm.

These mean glass baking dishes, and probably one of those cookbooks full of recipes just for those. Casseroles, meat, pasta dishes, etc.

Lots of pasta. Pasta=good. Cookpots and saucepans and strainers, oh my! <p>-------------------------
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby BrainWalker » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:42 am

I'm not sure why they try to market the George Foreman Grill at families because it was clearly designed for the collegiate environment.

Aside from that, though, pasta is definitely the way to go. Quick, easy, and delicious. <p><div style="text-align:center">Image</div></p>

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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby pd Rydia » Mon Aug 14, 2006 12:08 pm

Look into a toaster oven that fits specifications?

Toaster ovens are godly. Anything that you'd normally cook in an oven but fits into the toaster oven size, you can bake. Also good for warming up pizza, fries, onion peels, bread--you name it. Stuff that goes to shit in the microwave.

And it's a toaster, too.


[edit]

Black & Decker TRO390 [1200 Watts]

This is what Mike and I own. It is similar to, if not the same as the toaster ovens my family had growing up. They've always worked for me. I really like toasting in an oven, because I can put butter/cheese on bread before placing them into the toaster and let it soak in/melt.

They should be cleaned regularly to retain proper functioning--how often depends on how many crumbs and other junk you drop into the toaster. Cleaning is easy--unplug it, wait till it's at room temperature, and pull/swing out the cleaning tray.

Black & Decker 1000 Looks to be a cheaper & possibly larger model. I don't know why. I don't know what the wattage is on this. Check in a store on the box.

I found the TRO390 at Target, and they had plenty of other toaster ovens in various brands. I would go with B&D because that is what I'm used to and what I know works.


Other applications: baking chicken (you could fit one-two chicken breasts in our toaster oven), baking fish, baking frozen foods such as burritos/nuggets/fried cheese (always better than microwaving, IMO), baking garlic bread (mince up some garlic and mix it in with butter, then lather that over an Italian or French baguette--bake!) and so on. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Capntastic » Mon Aug 14, 2006 8:26 pm

I was looking at a toaster that had a little dealie on the side that cooked an egg at the same time, so you could have EGGS and TOAST in one easy step! Get one!


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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Battle Accountant » Tue Aug 15, 2006 7:23 pm

Mini crock-pots are the shizzat. When I was in school, we weren't allowed toasters and what-not. They were afraid of shortage-fires, knowwhutImean.

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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby pd Rydia » Tue Aug 15, 2006 10:26 pm

Crockpots are neat. I have not used one, but theoretically you can do a lot with them. Soups, chili, pork chops, chicken 'n dumplings, applesauce, bbq...I've heard baking bread is possible, though I've never known anyone to do this. The noteable drawback, and the one that keeps me from using the one I have, is that it takes time.

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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Archmage144 » Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:17 pm

The theory behind the crock pot, as it was explained to me, is that you're supposed to set it up in the morning and leave it run all day so that the "time" factor really turns into a convenience factor; the food cooks itself while you're at work or school and by the time you're done you have a hot meal ready.

When I was a freshman, I really didn't do much cooking on account of having a meal plan and the fact that if I wanted to cook I'd have to do it in a public kitchen. Really, if you can eat on campus, you can get by without any cooking appliances unless you're the snacking type or the walk to your nearest eatery is excruciatingly long. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Capntastic » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:34 pm

AM is correct. I've heard recipes involving crockpots where the most important ingredient is time.

Essentially, add in meat, seasonings, and then let sit for <hours>. The end result is tasty and tender meats!


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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby pd Rydia » Wed Aug 16, 2006 6:48 pm

Purchasing already cooked food is rarely cost effective. D: And no one cooks to your taste as well as you. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Battle Accountant » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:11 pm

BAM!

Think mac and cheese, ramen, pasta, chicken noodle soup, etc., etc.

Hope this link works...

:D
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:10 am

For some reason, I don't see pasta working well in a slow cooker.

Either way, this thread makes me hungry.


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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby pd Rydia » Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:16 am

Mom made damn good chili via crockpot, but to be fair, we boiled the spaghetti on the stovetop like normal when we were ready for it. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Choark » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:17 pm

Buy decent Wok.
Buy cheap Meat. Say 400g worth for yaself. ( I recommend a good 1.5kg! but I'm me)
Buy cheap sweet n sour sauce. The more meat ya have, the more sauce required.
Buy straight to Wok noodles.
Chop meat into lots of small slices.
Heat Wok and put some sunflower oil in it.
Dump meat into Wok.
Stir and throw about like a mad crazy man but always keep it near the flame.
Try not to lose meat over egde.
Put in sauce after 7 minutes.
After 3 minutres put in noodles.
After a minute dump contents of Wok onto a plate (or on as many as ya feeding)
Eat!
SUCCESS!!

Thats how a lot of my meals are made these days as well. I recommend a decent Wok, as cheap ones, while cheap, seem to die a horrible death. Plus decent ones are easier to clean and get hotter better n stuff. <p><div style="text-align:center"> </div>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby pd Rydia » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:54 pm

I'm to understand that--at least in the U.S.--most stoves just aren't strong enough to heat the curved surface of a wok. I think the ancient gas stove that was in my old Macon apartment could have done it--though I wouldn't want to turn up the flames that high.

cite: How to Iron Your Own Damned Shirt
an awesome book

Has a stir fry recipe as well. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Zemyla » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:34 pm

Dia: That's why you get an electric wok. We had one when I was a kid. It died a slow, horrible death, though. <p>-----
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Capntastic » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:21 pm

All electric woks or other cooking surfaces work great for a few years, but then randomly lose efficiency and stop working.

It's sad, because they are so great :(

Also, Cho's recipe is essentially what I've been making for the past few months, since my step mom is too lazy to cook after taking care of a two-year-old all day.


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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Archmage144 » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:49 pm

If you have access to an oven or stove, even of the public variety, making things like lasagne or stew is easy because you basically just set things up and then keep an eye on it, stirring every so often for stews, and let it simmer on low heat for a couple hours before eating. I have a great chili recipe that I'm more than willing to share:

3 lb ground chuck
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
2 cans (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
¼ cup red-wine vinegar
¼ cup Worchestershire sauce
¼ cup chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Spaghetti, cheese, oyster crackers as needed

1. In large saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook meat, onions and garlic 12 to 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, stirring to break up meat.
2. Add tomato sauce, beef broth, vinegar and Worchestershire sauce; mix well. Heat to simmering, add seasonings and chocolate; mix well. Cook 1 ½ hours, stirring often, until chili is thick.

This makes Cincinatti-style chili, which means that it's best served over spaghetti and topped with cheddar cheese. You can omit the onions if you prefer (I often do), just make sure that you're cooking the meat and garlic together so that it soaks in the flavor. The most vital spice in the recipe is the addition of ground cloves; the chili just doesn't taste right without it, despite the fact that you only add a very small amount. Don't use whole cloves, because it just doesn't work right. You can cook the chili for longer than 1 and 1/2 hours as long as the heat is low, and the longer you do so the better it tastes. In fact, it's even better if you cook it and then put it in the fridge then eat it the next day. Something about sitting overnight really brings out the strength of the flavors.

Feel free to garnish the chili-spaghetti with chopped onions, fresh garlic, or beans as desired. <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Zemyla » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:02 pm

Ramen is good because there are so many things you can do with it.

Beef ramen and chili. Add the flavor packet before cooking, then cook it until it is nearly dry, add the chili, and cook some more. Or you could cook the ramen in the chili itself.

Chicken ramen and chicken. Same method, but you add the chicken at the beginning. You can also add mushrooms, peas, and other vegetables.

Break the dry ramen into chunks, mix the flavor packet into sour cream, and it's a no-cooking snack. <p>-----
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Capntastic » Fri Aug 18, 2006 7:07 pm

Also keep in mind that one should take a daily multivitamin because ramen has none at all.


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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Battle Accountant » Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:40 pm

True dat.

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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Dragon Sage007 » Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:37 am

Another small note is that a certain book-A man, a Can, A plan-has excellent recipes that require very little cooking skill at all. And they're cheap, for the most part.

Go. Buy it. Now, wanker. >: <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sat Aug 19, 2006 6:07 am

I make a mean Lasagna casarole. :( <p>
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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Spleen » Sat Aug 19, 2006 10:52 am

One time while I was on a trip to Washington D.C. for a Jew thing, we were staying in a hotel. There was a coffeepot in the room. We cooked ramen in the pot :D <p>-_-___-___-___-_-

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Re: Cooking of the College Kind

Unread postby Archmage144 » Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:25 am

358 ramen recipes. <p>
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No subject here, move along.

Unread postby Philness » Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:44 am

As a graduate student at NC state, I can only recommend moving out of those garbage heaps they call dorms as soon as possible, unless living in a sardine can is your thing. I remember eating an awful lot of turkey sandwiches and microwavable food. Ick. I definately second the george foreman grill, it's pretty much the best way to make hamburgers aside from an actual grill.

Oh yeah, and if you're taking chemistry, you might just find yourself in one of my lab sections.


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Re: No subject here, move along.

Unread postby Justice Augustus » Sun Aug 27, 2006 10:01 am

Having moved out of dorms recently these are my experiences:

1) Never leave food you are cooking unguarded. It will be eaten.
2) Cooking a HUGE amount only takes a little longer than cooking a portion sized amount, and it can then be refridgerated and reheated for lunch the next day.
3) Spending up to $40 on spices sounds pricey. But mine have lasted 3 years and I still have enough for another 2 years or so (with the exception of salt and pepper). Adding a little seasoning to a meal is a great way to prevent all your food from tasting the same (for example: pasta with tomato sauce flavoured with oregano tastes very different to pasta with tomato sauce flavoured with garlic powder). Variety is the spice of life.
4) Most dorms, especially freshmen ones, have graduate students/upperclassmen/professors living as resident advisors or assistants (the title changes but the purpose doesn't). Usually they are given a surprisingly ample budget, which is often never spent or wasted on some activity that nobody turns up to. Suggest to them spending some money on cookware for the community kitchen (if there is one) or to fund dorm dinners, where the advisor buys the food and people take it in turns to cook.
5) Red peppers are surprisingly expensive in North Carolina. Buy green ones instead.
6) Ask around town to find out if there's a farmers market at all. It usually means an early wake up call but you get the best food there for surprisingly cheap.
7) Try to find some vegetarian dishes. I recommend risotto (italian rice), stir fry, and pasta dishes. You'll find your budget stretches far further if you don't buy meat for every meal.
8) Get supermarket cards. Like the Kroger card or the Food Lion card. They're almost always free, and cut the cost of your meals. The supermarket uses them for market research, but who cares?
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Re: No subject here, move along.

Unread postby pd Rydia » Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:34 pm

Necessary spices of the Kuhl-Paine household:

-=- Garlic: keep a fresh bulb in the house at all times. Learn how to peel, mince, and crush cloves--it's good stuff in pasta sauce, essential in stir-fry, and is good for just about any boxed casserole you get from the store. Also, mixing minced garlic into hamburger patties will give you the ultimate burger.

-=- Garlic salt, onion salt, seasoned salt: larger containers, you'll eventually use it, particularly the seasoned salt. Essential for burgers, baked chicken, fish.

-=- Poultry seasoning: small container. Makes for awesome chicken salad.

-=- Parsley: fresh. Buy as needed for chicken salad, fish, sauces. Chopping it up is best.

-=- Cinnamon: powdered. For French toast. DON'T GO HOME WITHOUT IT. >:|


Gus is correct about red (bell) peppers costing more than green (bell) peppers, but they also have a different taste. Personally, I like red peppers better. Do check into farmer's markets. They aren't always cheaper, though, so make sure you know what your grocery store's prices are for comparison. Also, as for some of the spices, you could probably grow them indoors.

As for meat, another possibility is to buy your meat in bulk and freeze what you don't immediately use. Look for the meat that's on sale, but keep an eye on expiration dates. Learn about how long meat keeps (Your Mom is a good resource on this). <p>
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