Blog 1: Preparing for Takeoff

Welcome to Carson’s College Eats, you’re go-to spot for all things cooking while in college. My goal is to be your right-hand man in getting you off the ground at the beginning of your cooking journey.

Before we dive into fun recipes, we must first cover kitchen essentials and basic ingredients.

Kitchenware:

Let’s be clear, you are not working in a five-star kitchen. Very likely, all you have in your college place is a stove, oven, microwave and toaster. Through decades of set routines, parents tend to overestimate the extent of kitchenware their offspring will require while in their hole-in-the-wall bachelor pads or Greek-life dwellings. See this diagram for the true *bare minimum* kitchen equipment to bring our college-friendly recipes to life.

Note: Utensils are not included, but they are necessary!

1: Strainer/Colander: For use when draining freshly cooked pasta.

2. Oven Mitts: For use when handling anything hot -> but specifically oven utensils.

3. Baking Sheet: For use when baking -> make sure to use parchment paper or PAM.

4. Measuring Glass: For use when measuring liquid ingredients.

5. Bowl: Versatile, for use tossing salads or combining ingredients.

6. Meat Thermometer: For use in measuring the internal temperature of various meats.

7. Cutting Board: For use cutting ingredients. Ideal to have more than one, but not required.

8. Scissors: Might be a surprise, but I use kitchen scissors at least once a day.

9. Tongs: For use tossing salads, combining ingredients and flipping on a stove/baking sheet.

10. Pot: For use boiling on the stove -> The cover aids with the simmering process.

11. Frying Pan: Without a good one of these, your kitchen is nothing.

12. Measuring Cups/Spoons: For use measuring dry ingredients.

13. Can Opener: Pretty self-explanatory. Make sure to take care; cans can be sharp.

14. Kitchen Knife: For use in cutting/dicing ingredients. Ideal to have a set, but not required.

15. Spatula: For use tending to ingredients on the stove. Ideal to have more, but not required.

16. Perforated Soup Spoon: For use in stirring and serving soup and pasta.

17. Pirex: For use baking casseroles in the oven. Make sure to use parchment paper or PAM.

While 17 items may seem like a lot more than the bare minimum, you’ll quickly find that all of these items are decisive to continued success in the kitchen.

Just an FYI, navigating a tight budget will be a defining theme of our blog. It’s my goal to get you cooking while saving as much of your cash as possible for tuition, room, board, beer, game tickets and all those other pesky college expenses expenses.

The first place I’d look is your family. I got the majority of my kitchen essentials as hand-me-downs and rejects from my parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles and their friends. If you require it, Facebook Marketplace is a great resource for finding cheap kitchenware. I’d like to reiterate that this is not a gourmet experience. Lightly used is perfectly acceptable at this stage of your culinary journey.

If you’re willing to spend a little extra dough (see what I did there), wholesalers like Target, Costco and Walmart will be your best bet for new gear. If you’re an online guy/gal, here are a few links to inexpensive kitchen essentials:

Frying Pan Set of Three

Meat Thermometer

Knife Set

With your kitchenware set, you’re ready to get moving on basic and fundamental ingredients.

The First Shop:

1. Condiments: If you’re like me, half your fridge will be taken up by condiments.

2. Bread: A staple for breakfasts and lunches.

3. Chicken Broth: A key ingredient in many pastas, casseroles and stews.

4. Panko/Breadcrumbs: The key to healthy frying!

5. Heavy Cream: Add to any pasta or chicken dish to get that creamy texture.

6. Beef: Cheap & Easy!

7. Rice: A plug-and-play- side dish.

8. Flour: Key baking ingredient.

9. Lunch Meat: A quick and easy lunch.

10. Margarine/Butter: To spread and grease a pan.

11. Sliced Cheese: You’ll use it more than you think. Unless you’re weird and don’t like cheese.

12. Parmesan Cheese: The best pasta topping. Unless you're weird and don't like cheese.

13. Milk: Don’t overbuy, it will spoil quickly.

14. Eggs: Not just used in breakfast recipes!

15. Minced Garlic: Not gourmet, but it will save you time and money!

16. Maple Syrup: Surprise, I’m Canadian. Best way to get a sweet flavour.

17. Baking Soda: To put in your fridge. Not sure why, but that’s what my mom said.

18. Shredded Cheese: Another key topping. Unless you’re weird and don’t like cheese.

19. Chicken: I prefer boneless/skinless. I’d say 3 out of every five of my recipes use it.

Between these kitchenware and food essentials, you should be all set to embark on your college cooking journey. Obviously, it helps to plan your meals in advance to ensure your shops are as efficient as possible. From recipe to recipe, you’ll build more and more ingredients to add to your cabinet.

Next week, we’ll get into our first meal type - chicken. I look forward to seeing you then!