Domestic domination
When people say it is “too hard” to cook, my gut reaction is to punch them in their Scotsman-eating face. Cooking is easier than an English 1010 class and far more beneficial. It may seem surprising to some that cooking things besides Totino’s Pizza and Hot Pockets could actually be good for you, but it is.
It’s time to stock your kitchen with the essentials to make your bland mac & cheese, boring eggs, and tasteless oatmeal into student gourmet meals fit for those taste buds you’ve been starving flavor from.
Spices are a must-have and I’m not talking about that crappy salt and pepper that comes in those shakers with food shapes printed on them. Stop denying yourself of the spices in life and put a few of these in your basket next time you are in the grocery store, before your summer sales money runs out.
Kosher Salt– It comes in a container that will take you years to get through, but is well worth the money. It’s what most if not all chefs use in their kitchens because it dissolves better than table salt and tastes better as well.
Pepper grinder– Fresh pepper is not only potent but it’s delicious
Italian seasoning– You can fake it for a lot of things like basil and parsley (depending on what you are cooking).
Garlic powder- It tastes great in burgers, on home fries, dissolves right into garlic butter and has many other uses. But don’t ever substitute it for real garlic when it is needed.
Cinnamon– This will work wonders in your hot cocoa, oatmeal or apple sauce.
Rosemary– Is great on any kind of meat, sautéed with vegetables and makes your apartment smell amazing.
Lemon Pepper– It is the wonder spice blend for students. You can put it on chicken, eggs, salads, you name it.
Ginger– Commonly found in Asian foods and ginger snaps (Hence where a ginger snap gets it’s name), fresh ginger is used to cleanse the palate and adds a zing to cooked vegetables and meat.
Nutmeg– Goes good in hot cocoa, deserts, and gingersnaps.
Flour and Sugar– These two are must haves in any kitchen. You can make nearly anything with flour and sugar but try to stick to whole wheat flours and unbleached. Your colon will thank you when you’re 40 (they have far less chemicals in them than bleached flour).
Always have white and brown sugar on hand. Cheap brown sugars harden faster so spend a few more cents and get the good stuff. Worried that you won’t use it? Cook more and that won’t happen. Make more cookies, sweet rolls, and oatmeal. Cooking from scratch often equals not having to worry about your brown sugar hardening or those freshmen 15 finding their way onto your hips.
Having an onion and a head of garlic on hand is always good. Hate eating garlic and onions because they give you bad breath? Grab some gum and mint herbal tea because during flu season garlic will save your butt from missing your classes
So what are you waiting for? Get your butt to the store and start dominating your kitchen.
–ch.jensen@aggiemail.usu.edu