Quck answer
Cooking in a small space like a dorm room or a first apartment can be challenging, but with some creativity and the right tools, it is definitely possible. Here are some tips to help you cook in your dorm room, first apartment, and beyond:
1. Invest in essential cooking appliances: A mini-fridge, microwave, and a portable electric burner or hot plate can go a long way in helping you prepare meals.
2. Utilize space-saving cooking equipment: Opt for compact and versatile kitchen tools like a toaster oven, blender, or an Instant Pot that can perform multiple functions.
3. Plan your meals and grocery shopping: Make a weekly meal plan and buy only the necessary ingredients to minimize waste and save space in your small kitchen area.
4. Cook simple and easy recipes: Stick to recipes that require minimal ingredients and preparation time. One-pot meals, stir-fries, and sandwiches are great options.
5. Get creative with storage: Use stackable containers, over-the-door organizers, and hanging racks to maximize storage space in your kitchen area.
6. Embrace meal prepping: Prepare meals in advance and store them in portion-sized containers in the fridge or freezer. This will save time and make it easier to have home-cooked meals throughout the week.
7. Clean as you go: Since space is limited, clean up spills and wash dishes immediately to keep your kitchen area organized and functional.
With these tips, you can successfully cook delicious and budget-friendly meals in your dorm room, first apartment, and beyond. Enjoy your culinary adventures!
Sam Sifton is here to share his favorite recipes and provide advice on what you should and shouldn’t buy for your first living space.
I have no intention of opening a five-star restaurant anytime soon, but after my first year of college when I actually lost weight, I realized that I couldn’t just ignore food that I didn’t like. So far, I’ve been quite creative in the dining hall, but eventually, I’ll need to learn how to cook food that suits my taste and needs.
But where do I start? What tools and easy recipes are suitable for a dorm room or my first apartment? To find some answers, I reached out to Sam Sifton, the food editor of The New York Times.
Amanda Gorman: When did you first learn how to cook?
Sam Sifton: I grew up in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s, and my parents got divorced. My mother was an excellent home cook, and we used to have wonderful dinners when she was married to my dad. After their split, I had to start cooking for myself after school. When I went to college, I needed money, so I got a job at the Harvest on Brattle Street in Harvard Square.
AG: I know that place!
SS: Yeah! During that time, I thought to myself, “Wow, I think I know how to cook now.” But in reality, I didn’t and still don’t think I could be a chef. However, when I became a journalist, I found a way to write about food no matter what job I was doing.
AG: So, I’m living on campus at Harvard. What cooking tools should I have?
SS: All you really need is a mini fridge, maybe an electric kettle, and if possible, a toaster oven. Although, some places might not allow toaster ovens.
AG: I don’t even know what I would cook.
SS: You can make really good ramen, as I learned from a Korean American chef named Roy Choi in Los Angeles. He described the ramen he had as a child, and it seems like the perfect dorm food.
You just add an egg to the prepared ramen, and it cooks in the heat. You can also add American cheese, which melts and creates this stringy deliciousness. Sesame seeds or the Japanese condiment furikake can be added as well as some chopped scallions. And there you have it, you’ve just cooked something better than it was before.
Image Credit:
Illustration by George Wylesol, © 2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES
AG: Wow, that sounds amazing.
SS: If you have access to a toaster oven, you can make a variety of open-faced grilled sandwiches. I’ve even cooked a chicken leg in a toaster oven. It’s simple! Just season it with salt, pepper, and some oil, place it on the tray (not the rack), and bake it at 425 degrees until the dorm room smells like home.
AG: Really? In a toaster oven?
Cooking Tips and Kitchen Essentials
When cooking at 425 degrees in a toaster oven, the type of food doesn’t matter much. Whether it’s broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, or chicken and carrots, as long as they are roughly the same size, they will cook at a similar speed.
The truth about cooking, which is often not emphasized enough, is that there are only about 11 basic recipes in the world. It’s not as complicated as it seems. You can broil, roast, steam, or reconstitute (in the case of ramen) your food. The broiler in a toaster oven can be very versatile.
Image Credit:
Illustration by George Wylesol, © 2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES
A Conversation on Kitchen Essentials
Interviewer (AG): What kitchen tools should everyone have in their own apartment?
Expert (SS): Here are the basic essentials you should have in your kitchen. Wirecutter, a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products, also has budget-friendly options for these:
– Chef’s knife: This is the main knife in the kitchen, usually around eight to nine inches long, suitable for cutting anything.
– Paring knife: A smaller knife for trimming tasks.
– Bread knife: Serrated to slice bread more thinly.
– Sauté pan (9 to 11 inches): Avoid nonstick pans and opt for a cast iron or stainless steel pan, which are easier to work with and clean.
– Pot: A heavy-bottomed pot with a lid for boiling water or making stews. Enamel cast iron pots are great if you can get one, but you can always upgrade later.
– Cutting board
– Dish towels: Keep a supply of dish towels handy for cleaning, instead of relying solely on paper towels. Placing a dish towel under the cutting board prevents it from sliding.
– Big spoon
– Spatula: Essential for flipping burgers, fish, and steak. A fish spatula or offset spatula works well.
– Tongs: Opt for basic restaurant-style tongs.
– Sheet pans: Have a couple of these in your kitchen.
When it comes to using a sheet pan, the possibilities are endless. Whether you want to bake cookies or cook any other dish, a good quality sheet pan is essential. I personally bought mine on Delancey Street after graduating college, and even though it was a nonstick one and not the best quality, I held onto it for 30 years. So it’s worth investing in a sheet pan that you really like, because it will last you a long time.
AG: What are some easy recipes I should learn once I have my own place?
SS: One recipe you should master is roasting a chicken. You can do this by using your sauté pan in the oven.
Another recipe you should try is making pasta with tomato sauce. For this, you’ll need a large pot and a saucepan or smaller pot. Marcella Hazan has an incredible recipe for plain tomato sauce that is known to be one of the best. It’s really simple too. You just need high-quality canned tomatoes, one-half of a peeled onion, a stick of butter, and let it simmer for about half an hour on low heat. Add some salt and pepper, and the sauce will taste absolutely delicious. Then you cook the pasta and combine it with the sauce. Serve it with some bread, a glass of wine, and a candle because you’re in your own apartment and can enjoy the ambiance.
Image Credit:
Illustration by George Wylesol, © 2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES
AG: What’s your top advice for cooking on a budget?
SS: Rice and beans. Every time. You can prepare the beans in 18 different ways and get creative with the rice. If you’re not a vegetarian, you can add pork products to the rice, and if you are a vegetarian, you can add spices and herbs. It’s a high-protein and super delicious meal that is also very affordable.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
LET’S FIGURE IT OUT
Laura Masgula, a recent graduate from N.Y.U., sent us a problem to figure out this week:
I’m interested in hearing how recent college graduates are managing their work, friends, family, exercise, extracurricular activities, etc., while still trying to eat well, get enough sleep, and stick to a budget. Personally, it has been a challenge for me to handle everything, so I would find it valuable to receive some advice or hear from others.
Several contributors to The Edit have recently graduated. Here’s what they had to share.
Nushrat Rahman:
After being out of school for more than five months, I now realize how much school consumed my life. I had to juggle community organizing, internships, friendships, and family commitments all at once. This took a toll on my physical health, causing my acne to worsen, and my mental health took a hit as I constantly felt anxious. People around me could see the impact it had on me. My spirituality also suffered.
Now, I am cautious not to fall back into the same habits from a few months ago. One valuable advice I received from a mentor was to commit to less and overdeliver. I try to live by this mantra every day. I make sure to prioritize the basics like food, sleep, and daily prayers. Everything else is then organized around these three elements, whether it’s work, freelancing, or community organizing.
Robbie Harms:
The most valuable lesson I’ve learned since graduating in 2015 is the importance of setting aside some uninterrupted time for myself every day. Personally, I achieve this by going for a run. Regardless of how busy I am or how little time I have, I make it a point to run approximately seven miles every day. Sometimes it’s a wonderfully refreshing experience, while other times it’s not very enjoyable. However, without fail, I always feel glad that I did it.
Perhaps you enjoy drawing, reading, watching TV, or simply sitting and talking. What I’ve come to realize is that the key is to engage in your chosen activity consistently, ideally every day. This way, it becomes ingrained in your daily routine, much like brushing your teeth. On another note, I deactivated my Facebook account on January 1st and I haven’t missed it yet.
Karina Balan Julio:
I’ve come to accept that there will be weeks where I am more productive in certain areas of my life than others. No matter how well I plan my days, some tasks will take longer than anticipated. For instance, there are weeks when I have to work extra hours to get everything under control at my job, causing me to exercise less and postpone other planned activities. In other weeks, I’m in great health and everything is going well with my extracurricular studies and work, but my apartment may be a bit messy and unexpected expenses may arise. However, sleep is non-negotiable for me. I feel the need to get at least six hours of sleep every day; otherwise, everything else suffers.
Ian Caveny:
I’ve been out of undergraduate school since 2013, married since 2014, and a parent since 2016. I’m starting to realize that one of the truths of this stage of life is learning how to “surf.” Having a balanced life doesn’t mean trying to keep everything still; it’s about acquiring the skills necessary to stay on the surfboard when there are big waves.
Some of these skills are practical, such as creating a weekly or monthly budget, or using task management apps like Wunderlist to stay organized. Others are more internal, and can only be learned through trial and error.
Omar Pablo:
I’ve found that I am much more productive when I set small daily goals and ask myself, “What do I need to accomplish today?” Breaking tasks down into smaller parts makes them easier to complete, and even if the entire goal is not achieved, you still have a sense of accomplishment.
I emphasize the importance of tasks that you have to do, but it’s equally important to consider your wants. For example, although I love reading, I used to feel guilty because I felt like I wasn’t reading enough. As much as I enjoy reading, there are times when I’d rather have dinner with a friend, watch a guilty pleasure TV show, or experience the excitement of going on a date. To truly balance your life, you need to understand that there is no “right” way to live. Your life is not an Instagram feed or a timeline. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone except yourself.
Ebony Miranda:
Feel free to not fill up all of your time! It can be challenging to adapt to the slower pace of life after college, but the advantage of not being in school is that you have more control over your schedule. Don’t forget to take some time for yourself.
When it comes to tracking expenses, in the past I used to write down every purchase in my planner. However, I eventually switched to using the Mint budgeting app, which has proven to be very helpful. With this app, you can create monthly budgets for various types of expenses. If you’re looking to save money on food, I recommend meal prepping for the week as much as possible to avoid the temptation of eating out.
© 2018 THE NEW YORK TIMES.
