Not every college student survives on a diet of microwave ramen and saltine crackers, and one UF student published a cookbook to prove it.
Jason Wysocki, a UF business administration junior, created a cookbook titled “4 Hungry College Boys: 101 Recipes for When Mom Stops Cooking,” to break the stereotype that college students can’t cook, he said. The 20-year-old compiled 101 recipes from ones he found online then tweaked himself and divided them into six sections: pork, poultry, pasta, beef, dessert and other.
The book released on Amazon Sept. 13 and has since sold more than 20 copies.
“Everybody thinks that you go to college and eat ramen every night, or you don’t eat at all,” Wysocki said. “I think this definitely defeats that stereotype.”
The cookbook has been in the works for about a year, after Wysocki made a deal with his roommates, he said.
At the start of his sophomore year, Wysocki agreed to do the cooking in the apartment if his roommates did the cleaning. After a few of Wysocki’s meals, his roommates suggested he craft a cookbook.
Jonathan Newman, a 20-year-old UF finance junior and Wysocki’s roommate, knew the moment he tasted Wysocki’s food that it should be shared with other people.
“My mom is a great cook and all, but for a 20-year-old kid to make meals that are as good as my mom’s, that’s something special,” Newman said.
Of his recipes, Wysocki said his favorite is the South-of-the-border burger, which is topped with caramelized onions, mangos and chipotle ranch.
Wysocki picked up most of his cooking skills from his mom, he said. Growing up, she taught him about flavor profiles and showed him how to appreciate a home-cooked meal.
“It’s like a work of art,” he said. “You’ve got to work on it and work on it and then at the end of the day you get to reap the benefits.”
The cover of Jason Wysocki's cookbook.
