College dorm iron chef

[chemprof]

So, after talking to students about cooking in the dorms (partly sparked by our recent kitchen reno, and the fact that I was cooking in the dining room), two of my students who are RA's asked me to do a program for them. The theme? Cooking good food in your dorm room. The catch? No exposed elements..you can have a George Foreman grill (small) and a rice cooker and a "hot pot" (possibly a Crockpot, but I didn't go there). You can also have a micro, but I didn't use it, in part because the one in the lounge was nasty, and I feel like you have to figure out a new micro every time you encounter one.

My menu?

Soba and veggies with spicy peanut sauce (rice cooker)

This was very popular. I made a quick peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy, rice vinegar, brown sugar, siracha), boiled the soba in the rice cooker while steaming the veggies above (a frozen asian mix). Mixed it all together and they gobbled it down.

Hoppin' John (also in a rice cooker)

This took a bit of time, but they liked it. It gave me an opportunity to demo how to chop an onion. They were also intriguied because a number of them didn't know what it was (I explained it as "Southern beans and rice"). I sauteed onion and garlic in the rice cooker (a $14 target six cup model), added the canned blackeye peas and chicken broth, frozen sliced peppers, and rice, and cooked until done. Very popular with extra hot sauce.

Panini of all sorts, cooked in a George Foreman with a heavy textbook on top. I tested recipes with an organic chemistry text, we ended up with an Anatomy and Physiology textbook, which worked very well (a $200 multitasker!).

I bought a good loaf of bread at the store, already sliced. Made two panini (bread buttered an thinkly sliced).

Ham and cheese

Brie and apricot jam

A dessert panini (adapted from a recipe by Giada de Laurentis)

Pound cake, thinly sliced, nutella and banana.

There was a core group that stayed for the whoe thing, and one or two packs of students that wandered in out out, just eating the samples. It was fun, so I thought I'd share. I have ideas for more things to make in these cooking devices, so I hope they'll have me back. I know it's not Zkitchen, but it may be more accessible. Maybe it will at least keep them from easting 3/$1 frozen burritos!

Please share any ideas you might have!

[nakji]

Panini of all sorts, cooked in a George Foreman with a heavy textbook on top. I tested recipes with an organic chemistry text, we ended up with an Anatomy and Physiology textbook, which worked very well (a $200 multitasker!).

For $200, it should do the dishes afterwards, as well!

I love minimal-tool cooking. What about something simple, like takikomi-gohan? Asian food is a rich source, since most kitchens in Asia lack an oven, although they do have the luxury of an element of some sort. Or you could do fajitas nicely on a Foreman grill, just marinate and grill the meat, and have toppings on the side - a great idea for a floor party, tequila optional! (if you're on an American campus, and the students are underage).

[MGLloyd]

Hmm, a panini press with an organic chemistry text on top. I wonder if I can finally get some additional use out of my 25 year old copy of Morrison and Boyd......

[KarenDW]

cool demo idea! I'll have to try that one next semester.

One of the common complaints over here is the lack of access to good "ingredients" on campus. A lot of dorm students are using cafeteria food for ingredients (i.e., veggies from the salad bar, extra meat portions on an entree, etc)

Please keep sharing your ideas which involve minimal tools or prep.

[Malkavian]

Fantastic! I was lucky enough to have an apartment off campus rather than having to make do in a dorm, but I've spent quite some time talking with friends about how to manage decent meals with only a microwave and a crockpot (or similar)