If you ever get the amazing opportunity like I had this past summer to cook for yourself, the first thing I suggest you do is buy a cookbook. You'll be amazed how much you can pull off using this one simple tool! Betty Crocker can't teach you everything, though, and if you're not careful then you may end up going totally overboard or ruining some of your favorite foods! Here's a few I suggest you never try to make in a dorm.
1. Dishes that require too many ingredients
Not only will making complex dishes put strain your limited budget, but chances are that they'll also require you to use ingredients that you'll never be able to find a use for again. I could be wrong and you might be able to find a second use for every ingredient you buy, but if you're un-creative like me or prefer non-challenging food (cooking can get ARDUOUS after awhile), then you should keep it simple.
2. Dishes that require bizarre spices
Resist the urge to buy a spice that you're unsure you'll be able to use more than once. Those little bottles are expensive! Instead, buy simple spices like basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon you can use for a variety of dishes.
I would also avoid picking dishes just to coincide with whatever spice you want to buy. Ask yourself before you buy that saffron or fennel pollen if you have all the ingredients you would need to make those dishes. Spices are a supplement and you should, for now, treat them as such.
3. Bulk pasta and grains
I cannot stress enough how much I regret making as much pasta as I did last summer. Since it was easy to prepare, I ended up making a lot of it the first. I then found out later that our mini fridge wasn't large enough to accommodate my storage containers. I had to get rid of it fast but I couldn't find anyone willing to eat my experimental pasta dishes.
As it turns out, pasta and grains go bad pretty fast once you cook it, even if you keep it at cool temperatures. It will keep for a long time in your pantry but not after you've prepared it. Don't make my mistake.
4. Cakes
I love cake. Who doesn't love cake? Who doesn't love making cake? They're so simple, delicious (licking the spoon and bowl is still a guilty pleasure for me), and diverse that they might seem like the perfect desert to make in your dorm. If you make a whole cake just for yourself, though, like I did once, you'll end up with an even bigger problem on your hands. Full cakes are huge and they somehow become bigger once you realize you have to eat the whole thing by yourself. You'll soon be asking yourself: how many more pieces ARE there?
Fortunately, you can still have your cake and eat it, too. Buy a small pan and do the math to scale down your ingredients if you want to make yourself a reasonably-sized treat. If you think it's too tedious, then try making cookies. They're much easier to give out, anyways, if you make too much!
I hope this talk about food has peaked your curiosity as well as your ravenous college appetite!
