I first became interested in cooking in high school and came to UF (pursuing a degree in art) with ideas and recipes that have helped me cook healthily for myself while staying on a budget. Because I am on often cooking on the fly for one, I have to remain flexible; thus I developed an improvisational attitude towards cooking. As I see it, if you become familiar with a particular ingredient, technique, or basic recipe and learn how to play with it, it can become so much more than one involved, rigid recipe ever could.
Through this blog, I will share what I am currently exploring as I work my way from the fridge to the stove to the plate and what I find to be indispensable techniques and flexible recipes that should be apart of every college student's repertoire.
Here are a few examples of the types of topics that I want to cover:
- variations on baked russet and sweat potatosbasics on cooking, storing, and freezing soups
- oatmeal: what can't you do with one of the most economical breakfast items?
- salsas and chutneys and the many things that you can do with them once they are made
- how to roast vegetables: a flavorful alternative to hum drum steamed broccoli
- how to use up overripe bananas
- what to do with dried beans
- the best way to eat chicken: braised chicken thighs
- how to dress up salads
- variations on rice
I would like to stress that I am not a "foodie" - just someone who enjoys and would like to share ways to make simple, delicious food that is easy to make.
Feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions about the blog or food. Also, if you have suggestions for topics you would like to see covered, just let me know! You can e-mail me at: cehart@ufl.edu.
Come visit again and in the mean time, happy eatings!