Culinary Repertoire

When I first applied to Sussex University, I discovered that my room and board did not include a money-stealing meal plan scheme. In effect, I would be forced to buy and prepare my own food. This could have turned out in one of three ways: either I would get extremely lazy and buy only pre-processed foods; I would prepare eat the plainest, simplest foods possible; or I would learn to cook. The results have been a combination of all three possibilities: I do buy a good deal of pre-processed foods, but actually many less than I ate in the States (I was just unaware of how much pre-processed food I ate there before I came over here). I also eat a lot of plain food (rice with soy sauce, steamed vegetables, tuna from the can, chickpeas with salt, etc.), but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because I like plain foods.

Also, I have become a better cook. I say this not only because what I have made for myself and others actually does taste better, but also because I can cook without recipes (successfully, that is) more capably now than ever before. That is a sign of improvement, in my opinion. I can also make a few more dishes than I could before, and because I have made them successfully several times with makeshift ingredients, I consider my “cooking repertoire” to have expanded. Here is a small list of my new “specialty” dishes:

Ratatouille—a slightly spicy vegetable dish made of eggplant (i.e. “aubergine,” as the English term is), zucchini (i.e. “courgette”), peppers, and tomatoes; served over rice

Stir fry—made with whatever I happen to have, best with broccoli, cabbage, peppers, garlic, ginger, and (if I have it) chicken

Indian Chickpeas—a spicy chickpea-tomato dish

Curry Cabbage—exactly how it sounds: cabbage with a dressing of lemon juice, curry powder, and salt; sometimes served with onions

Curry Rice—basmati rice boiled with curry powder

Fruit Salad—with fresh and canned fruits, this can be particularly yummy

Salsa—I make this myself and then eat it with pita bread (which, needless to say, I do not bake myself)

Pasta Sauce—vegetarian-style thanks to the influence of my friend Fluf; made with soya mince that you’d never know was not meat!

Chicken Noodle Soup—I can’t claim this recipe as my own, but I’ve made it successfully and even taught it to a friend (Angela), so I feel justified in including it

See what a repertoire I’ve built up? Unfortunately, I’ve had no opportunity to do any baking here (too difficult having to buy a sack full of flour for just a cup’s worth, unreliable ovens, etc), but I look forward to resuming that activity when I return home. Thus, if you’re ever hungry and want to test my newfound culinary abilities, just ring me up and make a dinner date!