Mindful Ink     Life, Living and Productivity

As an older student I’m all too aware of what the college diet of fast food, poor cafeteria eats, beer and pizza can do to one’s body.  Age is certainly one reason you see seniors with beer bellies but a lot of it is just that sublime mix of stress (shown to contribute to weight gain) and poor eats.  And, admittedly, it isn’t easy to maintain a healthy diet under current college conditions (pardon the alliteration).  My day to day schedule is positively insane, and I know students who don’t actually seem to ever quit (and really there is such a thing as overextending yourself.  Cal Newport puts it well when he discusses “The Grind.”) Still, one must eat and there are some things you can do to help yourself, without making such drastic changes as quitting those late night trips to Taco Bell.

• Learn to Cook - I know, I know.. “Learn something else!?  Are you mad!??”  I don’t mean learn how to cook an entire East Indian dinner - but learn the basics: how to saute, grill, bake and broil.  Just TiVo Food Network’s “Good Eats” and you’ll learn a ton in just a week of short episodes.  Run across something you don’t know how to do?  YouTube it!  I learned how to best peel and cut a mango this way!  But seriously, baking cooking isn’t hard - and learning how to put some meat and marinade in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator can do wonders.  Personally, I find cooking to be very relaxing and enjoyable.  I even keep a blog of just my recipes: RecipesToGo!  

          Most of these are rather advanced recipes, but the Orange Date Couscous is both easy and delicious!  The Chickpea Curry is also a great beginner recipe.  

• Invest - I really wish someone had told me this earlier.  Don’t buy one of those big boxes of pots and pans or knife sets.  First off, you don’t need that many pots and pans, and secondly they are probably crap.  And crappy equipment generally will result in crappy food.  Always?  No.  But you’re better off buying a few good pieces of equipment that will last you forever and cook evenly and nice.  And even so, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune - just aim for quality.  I’d suggest Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen as a guide, but I’m sure you can probably find some good online resources if you look.  Here are the basics (I’ve included links where I know of a solid product in particular):
  • Sauce Pan
  • Saute Pan
  • Cast Iron Fry Pan
  • Chef’s knife
  • Bread Knife
  • Cookie Sheet (I got a set of great commercial grade ones at Sam’s Club for cheap! - but these are great, too!)
  • Electric Thermometer - it just makes your life easier.  Pick one up at the local megamart - preferably with a probe attached to a large chord.
  • Stove Top Grill/Griddle - This isn’t really an essential, but I love mine.  It’s better and more useful than a “George Foreman” type grill, and you can get a very nice one for about 50 dollars.  I have both an Anodized Aluminum and a Cast Iron one… and I really prefer the Aluminum more.  I have an electric range and it just heats more evenly, with the drawback that it can’t get quite as hot as the cast iron.  The other upside is maintenance is much easier.  Just make sure you get one that is long enough to cover your burners.
  • Crock Pot - A lot of people swear by these.  They’re cheap, you can find recipes online, throw some stuff in a pot and come home to dinner.  Aside from roast, however, I’m not overly fond of what comes out of these.  So, it’s up to you.
• Take Care of What You Invest In - Follow the manufacturer’s instructions!  Good knives are washed by hand, and so are most good pots and pans.  All of the items I linked to can last almost a life time if well cared for, so do it!
• Practice - Find yourself some recipes that look good and easy and try them out!  Learning to cook well is about 50% practice and 50% trying new things.  I don’t mind saying - I’m a pretty good cook and the only thing I did was make a concentrated effort.  And you don’t even need to be “pretty good” you just need to be “decent!”  More than that is, pardon the expression, just icing.  Perhaps find a cookbook that specializes in teaching, but keep in mind you can find just about any recipe in the world online.  Food.com is a great resource (with difficulty ratings!) but so is:
  • FoodieView
  • Cooking Light
  • MyRecipes
  • Yahoo! Food
  • Williams Sonoma