Suggestions-

Breagen · Post by **Breagen** » August 25, 2005, 2:19 am

So I just moved into a new apartment for college and I'm looking for some good suggestions on food I can make. I actually enjoy cooking so complicated stuff is ok, and stuff that takes a long time to prepare/cook too. The main things I am looking for are good tasting (!) and preferably something that will last a few days since I'll be the only one eating it.

The only other consideration is my kitchen is still quite sparse, I haven't really progressed beyond the pots, pans and a stove yet

Any suggestions appreciated!

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » August 25, 2005, 3:15 am

Make fresh sauce with sausage or meatballs for your pasta, make asian food, there is a ton of that posted onlike page 3... otherwise pick a protein!

Sabek · Post by **Sabek** » August 25, 2005, 9:19 am

You might grab the cookbook that I did from Amazon. It's called "Going Solo in the Kitchen". It's been a great source of recipies since my divorce. One of my favorites being Chicken breast sauteed in garlic and basil.

It's nice because he goes into storing things, and all of the recipies are geared towards one or two servings instead of a whole family sized meal.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » August 25, 2005, 10:04 am

The big bags of frozen stir fry veggies are handy. Add a bit of meat, some rice and you've got fast easy meals that keep for a few days. Sams, Costco, etc.. all sell them. Usually in a couple different mixes.

The disposable bowls that Glad and others market are pretty handy when cooking for a couple days worth of leftovers for lunches and such.

Sueven · Post by **Sueven** » August 25, 2005, 1:50 pm

I'm going to back up Aab and say that stir-fries are a great idea. However, I'm going to oppose him and say that those frozen bags of stir-fried vegetables are a stupid idea. Buy fresh vegetables. They're not any more expensive, they taste significantly better, and you can have much more variety in your food. Also, don't just go with broccoli, carrots, onions, meat and rice- try rice noodles or potatoes instead of rice, throw in exotic or unusual vegetables, cook the whole thing in jerk sauce, throw in slices of oranges, whatever. You can cook almost anything in a Wok. You can make sauces for stir-fries easily enough (like what you get in take-out chinese) with variations on soy sauce, vinegar, oils and cornstarch, or you can do dry stir-fries with just oil and spices, or you can invent any sort of sauce that you could possibly imagine. It's a great medium for culinary experimentation.

Fresh vegetables are cheap and healthy and absolutely the best basis for the diet of a under-financed college student.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » August 25, 2005, 2:15 pm

Definately buy real veggies... there are damn good asian recipes posted but later I will post a few more, gonna bump those threadsfor you... not that ANYONE bothered to make em

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » August 25, 2005, 2:18 pm

Fresh is better but less convienient. I use both depending on circumstances. A few staples in the cabinet and you've got an endless supply of variation that are somewhat inexpensive and good for you.

Buy a good brand of jasmine rice and a rice cooker. The difference between good rice and bad is pretty amazing. Don't have a bag to get the name off atm, go to a chinese food store and ask for jasmine rice that's semi-sticky. Rice noodles are great too as Sueven said.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » August 25, 2005, 2:20 pm

Eat Dessert first too, always a good plan!

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » August 25, 2005, 3:45 pm

If you have a broiling pan and a roasting pan you are golden. Tuesday morning I took my london broil, put it in a bag w/ Just Too Good Italian dressing and left for work. I came home, tossed it on the broiling pan and away I went. Dinner for two and three lunches.
If you have a roasting pan, just pick up a small perdue oven stuffer, take two lemons - slice one and put the sliced under the skin on the breast side (the timer pop thingy side), cut the other lemon in half and stuff in in the middle, rub chopped cilantro and salt on the outside of the skin, and bake it. A 4 lb roaster will give you a couple of dinners if you add a starch and a bunch of lunches.

I'm big on cooking large meats that can be apart of many dishes. However, the pasta ideas are also very good. Extremely easy if you buy a sauce, and actually very entertaining if you make your own. In just my 3+ years of cooking multiple times a week I am 10 times the cook either of my parents were (especially at making my own sauce, probably from being married to a great cook Italian wife

).

Another really easy but good trick for a simple side if you like corn on the cob (especially Jersey sweet corn which just plain kicks ass this time of year), strip the husk down to one layer, take a damp paper towel and wrap it, pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes or do 2 at a time in 5 minutes.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » August 25, 2005, 3:52 pm

Pherr the Dorf wrote:... not that ANYONE bothered to make em

One of the very few things I miss about CA, there are very few good oriental food stores around here. The few that are around focus on Korean and to a lesser extent (yucky) Japanese food.

Middle Eastern food is essentially non-existant.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » August 25, 2005, 3:56 pm

there has to be a china town... how can you live without one?!

Oddly I found one here in the latino neighborhood...I guess they like cheap rent and gunfire

What parta florida ya in? I find you one!

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » August 25, 2005, 4:11 pm

Aabidano wrote: Middle Eastern food is essentially non-existant.

That's a shame. One of the things I prefer about living where I am as to where I'm going (only 10 miles away mind you) is the plethora of middle eastern, asian fusion, and especially Indian restuarants and grocery shops.