Since Jell-o was mentioned...

I read something about Jell-o that was posted earlier and thought I should elaborate on the topic. I happen to know several things about Jell-o (among a lengthy list of other random facts).
One: some fruits float and some do not. I was once able to find a list of this on the internets, but this great list seems to have vanished.
Two: some fruits, when added to Jell-o will make result in a gross-nasty mess of mush, for example, raw kiwi. Now, personally, I cannot think of a good reason for adding kiwi to Jell-o, but I guess if that's what you're into... There is a scientific reason for this and it has to do with enzymes. Kiwi, papaya and pineapple each contain an enzyme that does not work with gelatin. In fact, these enzymes break down (hydrolyze) the protein in gelatin. If these fruits are cooked (or canned), the enzymes will be broken down in such a way that they will not result in mushy Jell-o. And that is most definitely a good thing.
Three: The truth about gelatin. Yes, it is made out of animals. In the US, it is mostly from hogs' skin.
Four: Allow gelatin mixtures to set at room temperature for a bit before chilling. This will actually result in a quicker gelation time. If you force a gelatin to set by subjecting it to very cold temperatures, your mixture will melt more readily at room temperatures.
Just in case anyone was curious.

Book Recommendation: James Lileks' The Gallery of Regrettable Food

It is my firm belief that every college student ought to have a copy of this book. Not only because it is wildly funny, but when you have sunk so low in your cooking, when you have let your flan collapse and your burgers burn, you can look at this book and say "Well, it could be worse."

Because it could be worse, friends. It could be so much worse. "How?" you ask tearfully from the ruins of what promised to be a week of wonderful meals. It could be worse if you were trying to make this:

(borrowed from the online version of the book, The Gallery of Regretable Food)

Blogosphere, meet Jello Monster. Jello Monster, meet Blogosphere.
Cooks of all ages, take note: every kitchen ought never to produce one.


And so that's why everyone should have James Lilek's The Gallery of Regretable Food. Because even when you do screw up, you can laugh it off with Lileks' outrageously funny commentary on the terrible food stylings of the 1950s and console yourself with the idea that  however badly your latest project turned out, at least you weren't encasing whatever it was in Jello.

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Haven't gotten enough funnies from the first go-round? Have no fear! Gastroanomalies is here! And it's just as funny as its predecessor.

The Event! Plus: It's Easy..it's tasty... it's Bruschetta!

Hey Guys!

So I was asked to cover a rather awesome event held at our college this weekend. It was put on by our events council and allowed us to cook a meal in the school kitchen with our dining center chefs! Free food…good company (an entire platoon of College Students Cook bloggers was there)… lots to learn… what’s not to like!?  This brings me to my first point:

If you like to cook, Keep Your Eyes Open for cooking events on your campus

Events, like the one mentioned above, are a bit rare but they do happen! Keep your eyes on your e-mails and you’ll probably find some cooking-related things going on at your own institution. For example, our school library also offers an annual Edible Book Festival for culinary artists.  Don’t hesitate to sign up for these events (even if they cost a couple of dollars), they are a great way to meet people and have fun doing one of your favorite things. There may also be a cooking or food related club on your campus that regularly offers such events to its members. However, if there isn’t one, don’t be disappointed…consider forming a club of your own! 

 mmm Triple Sec

So we were off to the kitchen! It is pretty cool to see so much food and fancy cooking gear in one big place. The chefs were all set up for us with knives, cutting boards, and, most importantly… food! We were to cook a four part meal consisting of appetizer (bruschetta) salad (spinach greens with caramelized almonds) main dish (pasta with sautéed veggies) and dessert (raspberry sherbet topped with sweetened berries)

We learned some things that may be useful to you:

HOW TO PROPERLY CHOP SOMETHING:

-Hold the knife however is most comfortable in your dominant hand, a lot of people like to steady the blade with their index finger on top, I like to pinch the top of blade between my thumb and index finger, right before the bolster (aka hilt).

- Use your other hand to hold the object to be chopped, taking care to curl your hand into a claw, with fingertips pointed inward

-Using your knuckles as a guide, bring the blade up and down in a gentle rocking motion. If this is your first time chopping, of if you are uncertain, go SLOWLY…nobody wants to lose a fingertip

Garlic:

Take out your anger on garlic! (It smells good too...) 

Mincing garlic is a special case. The stuff is a PAIN to de-skin if you try to peel it, and even more difficult to chop because individual cloves are small, round, sticky and slippery, so use this trick to conquer it!

1.     Place a single garlic clove on a hard, sturdy surface (cutting board on a table is good)

2.     Square the flat of your knife over the garlic clove

3.     Slam your palm into that sucker!

4.     The skin should separate, and the clove should be flattened, yay!

5.     Get rid of the skin and mince the squished clove

APPETIZER: Bruschetta

Looks fancy to your friends and tastes great, but takes almost no effort at all to make!

Gear Requirements: Oven, serrated bread knife, large knife for dicing, cutting board, small bowl, cookie sheet, basting brush

Difficulty: *  Prep Chef

Serving: 6 hungry college kids

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Blogger Note: I modified this recipe from the one we made at school, which had only tomato and olive oil…to one of my personal fave recipes. Feel free to add your own flair, but always keep the olive oil! 

Ingredients:

1 Parbaked (bread or dough that is baked to about 80%, then rapidly frozen) French or Italian baguette

5-6 Roma tomatoes (diced into small cubes)

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette (I like this for the kick, but it is optional)

¼ cup of fresh basil (chiffonnade-style aka cut into thin strips, with stems removed)

¼ teaspoon of salt (kosher is best)

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400, (or other temp as specified on the bread package, a lot of grocery stores will put heating directions on their parbaked breads, so use those for heating rather than follow my directions )

2. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, ¼ cup of olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, basil, salt, and pepper

3. Put the mixture aside and let it sit for 6-10 minutes (the longer these things sit together, the stronger the flavor will be, so plan accordingly)  

4. While that is sitting, slice your bread into ¾ inch pieces. You’ll want to cut at a slight diagonal so that one side is slightly thicker than the other

5. Arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet

6. Fill a small bowl with another ¼ cup of olive oil and brush a thin layer on the top of each slice using the basting brush.

7. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or follow directions on the packaging, (you want your bread to be golden brown on the top and sides.)

8. Spread the tomato mixture evenly on top of the slices

9. If you are feeling adventurous… add some shredded mozzarella cheese by sprinkling it on top and baking another 2 min.

Bruchetta for the Dorm Student

You can alternatively toast slices of bread (not parbaked, but fully baked) in a toaster, or drizzle with olive oil and microwave for 30 sec, then add the toppings mentioned above. Be sure to cut down the recipe depending on how much of the bread loaf you are using. You can also use the microwave after you’ve added the toppings + cheese for a melty treat. Be forewarned that cooking in the microwave will not result in a crunchy bread.  

Thanks for reading, I'll be back with more recipes (and hopefully some pictures) later!  
-The Cat

Frame>By>Frame Baking (Irish Soda Bread)

After a few years of recipe hunting, I have come to the conclusion that I am way more likely to make something if there is a picture of the final result.

I just picked up the cook book titled, Frame>By>Frame Baking, by the Staff of Love Food. The contents include recipes for cake & traybakes, pastries, small cakes & cookies, and breads, and just as the title suggests, the entire book gives frame by frame instruction on many different baking recipes. I really like how the book displays how easy it is to bake and I feel this would be a great resource to anyone learning to bake or interested in baking some wickedly delicious looking desserts. Warning: These pictures will make your mouth water.

I tried the recipe for Irish Soda Bread and it turned out great and looking mostly like the picture that was included, minding the fact the oven provided to us by the University is not the best. Now while I am much more of a yeast bread person, I thought this was perfect for making later in the evening when you don’t have time to let your bread rise.

Irish Soda Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
Butter, melted, for greasing
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 ¾ cups buttermilk

>1. Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
>2. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, pour in most of the buttermilk, and mix well, using your hands. The dough should be very soft but not too wet. If necessary, add the remaining buttermilk.
>3. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and Knead until smooth. Shape into an 8-inch/20-cm round.
>4. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheet, cut a cross in the top, and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 min.

Alteration possibility: Try adding raisins, or if your feeling lucky add Craisins to the mix!
Best served in slices with butter and a sweet or savory topping.

Kitchen Equipment For the New Cook

So, you're off to college. You've got your laundy bag, your new sheets, your textbooks...and you're going to want some stuff to cook with, too. Here's what we recommend:

-1 stock pot (4-5 quarts) -- you'll use this to make soup or (if you're up to it!) popcorn for the masses.

- 1 sauce pan (1-2 quarts) -- useful for steaming veggies or heating sauce. If you're up to it, this can be of the fait-tout, or 'do everything' variety. (The sides slope so you can saute in it as well)

-1 frying pan -- it doesn't have to be huge and it doesn't have to be cast iron. Useful for stir frys, pancakes, eggs, and french toast.

-ceramic bowls – heating in plastic is inefficient and bad for you.

-tupperware -- lots of it, and in different sizes. My tupperware also doubles as mixing bowls on occasion.

-large mixing bowl

-knives – one or two paring, one serated

-can opener

-spatula

-dry measuring cups and spoons

- wet measuring cup – These two things measure differently and should not be used interchangeably. If you’re measuring oil, the wet works. For flour and sugar, use the other set.

--cutting board

-- cookie sheet – because who doesn’t like cookies?

-- loaf pan or 9x9 cake pan -- becuase you need something to make that boxed cake mix in

- microwave – You can do a lot more in a microwave than heat up HotPockets. NOTE: Some universities (like ours) don't allow microwaves, toasters, or anything that might be a fire hazard in their dorms. Check with your Residential Life people to see what's allowed and what's not. If you live somewhere where devices like this are not allowed, find a common area where you could potentially cook or get to know someone in an apartment.

- toaster oven – great for making toast or the occasional hot sandwich, and doubly great for substituting for an oven in a pinch.

-an apron

-Dish towels

- a Crockpot – Yeah, bet you didn’t think you’d see THIS on this list. But seriously, a crockpot is wonderful for the time strapped college student. I got one for Christmas and I can't use it enough. And chances are your mother already makes a lot of things in it you like.

-- actual tableware. This includes plates, bowls, cups and silverware. I have a collection  for four people, which is generally enough. If you’re expecting more, tell everyone to bring their own forks.

Do you need to unload a ton of money on this stuff? Absolutely not. We here at College Students Cook have sourced our kitchen supplies from garage sales, secondhand stores, and our parent’s kitchens. Oh, and some freebies at cooking demos.  Free food, free advice and free stuff? We are totally there.

Anyone Can Cook

Amusing title, Anyone Can Cook... What's even more amusing is that Gusteau actually seems to believe it.

I, on the other hand, take cooking seriously. And, no, I don't think anyone can do it.

- Anton Ego, Disney-Pixar's 2007 Ratatouille

-*-*-*-

When it comes to food, college students get a bum rap. The words "college food" conjure images of hastily thrown together sandwiches, boxed macaroni and cheese, and half-squashed bags of chips with salsa. Not exactly the haute cuisine that the characters in Ratatouille aspire to, in other words.

We, the writers and contributors to this blog, are part of the small (but growing!) percentage of college students who don't subsist on packaged pizzas and ramen noodles after we move away from the loving reach of our mothers' and fathers' spatulas.

We've taken it upon ourselves to extend our repetoire far above the freezer, as it were, and we're hoping that sharing our stories, our recipes and our experiences here will help you, whether you are actually a college student struggling with dorm life or someone at home who just wants an easy meal on a Friday afternoon. Between us we've cooked on three different continents in kitchens large and small, working with a myriad of ingrediants for a variety of palates and getting help from people at all kinds of skill levels in the kitchen.

But perhaps most importantly, we're college students, and we're telling you that if we can do it, so can you.