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I don't have the luxury of a pantry, so I've had to think carefully about and experiment with what to stock up on given my limited shelf space. Here are what I've determined "the essentials" which I make sure to always have lying around:
Spices-- salt, pepper, paprika, hot pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, curry powder, nutmeg, cinnamon
Olive oil-- I prefer olive oil to butter in my cooking so I always have olive oil on hand for sauteeing and dressing.
Grains-- some combination of pasta, brown rice, wild rice, white rice, barley, bulgar, and quinoa. Also, quick cooking oats are my go-to breakfast most days of the week (simple and very filling).
Dried beans-- black beans, lentils (which don't need to be soaked overnight before cooking), and split-peas are my favorites for soup
Potatoes, onions, and garlic-- always good to have on hand!
Canned, frozen, and jarred food-- I'm not the biggest fan of canned or frozen food (fresh vegetables taste so much better) but it's not a bad idea to have a few things on hand if you need to throw a meal together quickly. Here's what I recommend having: canned corn, tomatoes (I like the diced tomatoes with chilies for adding a spicy flare to rice), and beans, frozen edamame, green beans, and peas, and jarred tomato sauce (making your own and freezing it is also an option... but if you buy it jarred, make sure it doesn't have added sugar)
Peanut butter-- look at the ingredients when buying peanut butter... all you need are peanuts (and trust me, it'll taste better that way). A tablespoon of peanut butter makes a quick and easy snack. For some variation, try spreading a bit in between two slices of zucchini for a bite sized sandwich.
Baking supplies-- all purpose flour (unbleached), whole wheat flour, cane sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and corn meal
I've compiled a list of the most useful utensils for college cooking. Once you have the following, you can more or less improvise the rest (I needed a rolling pin the other night and used a tall drinking glass instead, for example). Here goes:
Chopping knife-- at first, don't worry about getting a collection of knives. One good versatile knife is all you really need. I use this guy here, which comes with a storage sheath.
Cutting board-- my cutting board is 11x14 inches. It's a delicate balance between getting a cutting board that's big enough to chop an eggplant on but small enough to fit on whatever flat surface you can find in your dorm room.
Can opener-- enough said.
Sieve-- this will come in handy when cooking with canned food (wash off as much sodium as possible before using) or washing grains (make sure the sieve holes are small enough to hold rice, bulgar, quinoa...).
Vegetable peeler-- I picked up my vegetable peeler in a grocery store for pretty cheap. It's not at all heavy duty, but it does the trick for potatoes. When peeling something more challenging (like butternut squash), I prefer to chop into large chunks and then cut the skin off instead of peeling it.
Large cooking spoon-- something you can use to saute veggies, stir a soup, and serve food with.
Tupperware-- get microwave safe and a couple different containers. Separate left-overs into meal size portions to take with you for lunch and/ or quickly zap to reheat without hassle.
Mixing bowl-- I would recommend sticking with plastic for now. Since I store my cooking things in a bin under my bed, the less breakable everything is, the better.
Measuring cups-- pretty standard. It's useful to have 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup measures.
Measuring spoons-- the traditional measuring spoon has a round head (as oppose to an oval one). This makes for some tricky measuring when you need a tablespoon, say, of paprika, and the container's opening is rather small. The tablespoon likely won't fit inside, and you'll be forced to measure out three teaspoons instead. I've got a set of narrow, oval measuring spoons, and they've simplified my life because they fit in the tight spaces. Check out something like this.
Saucepan-- try to get one on the large side. Even though you may only be cooking for one, having left-overs to pack a lunch or re-use as the starting point of a new dish is a serious time-saver. If you're trying to conserve space (like I am), buy a saucepan that has a small diameter but is tall. It'll be easier to store than a saucepan with equal volume but a larger diameter. My saucepan is a Krona vented multi-pot with a straining lid (check it out here). It's terribly useful-- you can measure within the pot (there are markings for cups/ liters on the inside of the pot), the lid makes straining easy, and the pot has a lip for pouring.
Frying pan-- again, go for big volume. I love sauteeing veggies and need a large frying pan to contain everything before it cooks down.
Roasting dish-- a rectangular bake/ roast pan works well not only for roasting veggies but also as a lasagna pan, a baking sheet (think homemade pizza), brownie dish etc.
Bread pan-- besides the occasional loaf of zucchini or banana bread, a bread pan works as a small baking/ roasting dish. Use a bread pan to make a small gratin or lasagna (you won't always have enough ingredients to make a mondo version) or use to bake thick brownies.
Pot holders-- when my brother and I were little, we got a potholder-making kit for some holiday or another. For years then on, my poor parents got a new potholder at every gift giving occasion. To make matters worst, the potholders were too small to actually be functional... Get a potholder or two for your cooking collection and make sure they are thick and large enough to properly protect your skin.
So here's the deal: I'm a Princeton undergrad cooking for myself as I finish up my last two years here. I'm all about whipping up some healthy, delicious grub in the name of the joy of cooking.
Cooking in college isn't glamorous-- I share a communal kitchen that's located outside of the building I'm living in (makes for some fun in the winter), I store all of my cooking supplies in a big bin under my bed, and I have no counter space to speak of. But there are some major pluses: I love cooking, am not subject to the whim of the dinning hall chefs, and save a lot of money by not buying a meal plan. Plus, I'm a vegetarian-- what better way to make sure I'm eating what I want to eat than by preparing it myself?
So follow along, and I'll share with you the tricks of cooking your way through college.
