A basket containing vegetable oil, pepper, salt, soy sauce, garlic, chicken powder, kitchen knife, cutting board. A bin with my dirty plastic containers to be washed, eating utensils, mugs, dish wash soap, dish washing gloves, and sponge. A canvas bag with a frying pan, colander and pot. And my miscellaneous assortment of pasta, eggs, cheese, broccoli, etc… stuffed somewhere in the basket, bin or canvas bag.
These are usually the things that I drag with me down the hall, with one free finger to push the elevator button, one free hip to push open the door on the 13th floor that leads me to the lounge area– and the dirty kitchen. All this is necessary unless I want to make several trips back and forth from my room to the kitchen.
Why do I go through all this trouble? Why do I bother carrying all these things with me to the communal kitchen that only has one sink and stove tops that don’t work? Well, it’s because there are many advantages to cooking your own meals. It might take some determination and adjusting to, but it’s definitely worth it.
For one thing, it saves money. For those who want to save money (which could go toward the University’s ever-growing tuition costs), cooking your own meals can save you a significant amount of money. Cooking a pasta meal with garlic, broccoli and soy sauce can cost as little as $4 provided that you possess the bare minimum of cooking essentials such as pots and pans and seasonings. This $4 meal can be cooked, put in plastic containers that can be put in the fridge and feed you for at least three meals. All you need is the will to cook it. If you want to save money, eating in as opposed to eating out is definitely the way to go.
Another advantage of cooking is that you can make exactly what you want. For eaters who know what you like and don’t like, cooking allows you to be flexible and put only ingredients that you like. If you like corn, then put in corn. If you don’t like mushrooms, then don’t add mushrooms. For one of my typical pasta dishes, I heat up garlic in a frying pan with oil, crack in 3 or 4 eggs, add salt and black pepper, heat it for a while, put corn and peas, heat it some more, while stirring/breaking the eggs in the frying pan before finally adding the cooked pasta (half a box), add some soy sauce and white pepper for flavor and, ta-daa, I have myself a dish that will last me for several meals. Since I don’t always feel like eating the same thing, I vary my ingredients by taking out the corn and instead use pickles, peanuts, broccoli or other things I think would make an okay combination with the pasta and eggs. You should try it. It is quite tasty!
Believe it or not, but cooking is fun. You might not be great at it, but just get a couple of your friends and try it. You’ll make a mess together, clean it up together and, of course, eat the meal together. In any case, you will have a fun time. Cooking is also a useful too to impress the opposite sex, because who isn’t impressed by a guy or girl who is a great cook? No matter how you may rate your cooking skills, it’s never too late to improve. Grab a box of Rice-a-Roni or Pasta Roni and follow the directions. As you get better, you can start cooking from fresh ingredients so that your meals contain less sodium than things like pre-packaged rice boxes. Learning how to cook also gives you the chance to ask your parents for cooking tips. Whenever you get the chance to go home, try to cook a meal with your mom, dad or siblings. It’s never too late to learn.
Pascale Ngo is a senior mathematics/education student. You may e-mail her at [email protected].