If you’re new to cooking for yourself, there is a cookbook on campus to give you a hand. It’s called “College Cooking 101.”
This booklet has standard cookbook information: recipes, lists of necessary kitchen tools, charts of ingredient substitutions and nutrition tips. It also includes a schedule that tells how long food will be good in the refrigerator. The cookbook has clear instructions about first steps for cooking. If you’ve never scrambled eggs before, the book has step-by-step instructions with pictures that show you how to heat the pan, scramble the eggs and stir them until they’re done.
The variety of recipes is pretty broad – the book includes everything from cottage cheese and fruit snacks to lasagna and meatloaf. While there are a number of breakfast ideas, the majority of recipes are for lunch or supper dishes, like nachos and scalloped potatoes. The book even has menu plans to help you set up an eating schedule.
However, to a new cook, “College Cooking 101” can be a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of information in there. The book can be understood by a kitchen newbie and the majority of the recipes are doable with the basic kitchen utensils that are recommended by the book. But some of the equipment necessary – like a blender – is not included in every kitchen. And the recipes aren’t that hard, but some dishes require familiarity with cooking to know when to go on to the next step. For example, how would someone new to the kitchen know what it means for eggs to “set” when making scrambled eggs?
Overall, the cookbook is a useful handbook to basic kitchen survival. It talks about basic kitchen staples – canned tomatoes, beans, etc. There are easy recipes for new cooks to follow. There are harder recipes for more experienced students. The book includes nutrition information and advice for creating health-conscious meals. And there is good advice about kitchen cleanliness. All of this information can help a new cook stay healthy and become proficient in food preparation. The PDF is available for download at new.ipfw.edu.
Here is a recipe from “College Cooking 101”
Single Serving Cookie Serves: 1
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp butter
• ½ tbsp 1% milk
• 2 Tbsp chocolate chips*
Mix flour, sugar and baking powder. White sugar will work just fine if you prefer it. Cream in the butter. Cold butter works best, but if you’re in a hurry melting it is okay. Mix in the milk. Add chocolate chips. Place the cookie on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden on top.
*reporter’s note: carob chips can be substituted for the chocolate.
