Looking Ahead in 2013

This blog will be going down a different track for the next few months. I am studying abroad in Europe  and have no intention of doing any of my usual crafts. Instead, I will be focusing on cooking.

I became interested in cooking my sophomore year as I grew increasingly disinterested in my college's meal plan. I was certain that I could make better food than Dining Services, and I could do it for cheaper too.

I was right. I spent that fall making stir-fry, pasta and meatloaf. Eventually, I wanted more variety and started looking online for recipes.

I've always found it frustrating when I read cooking sites and I can't make many of the recipes. It has nothing to do with skill - I had never poached eggs before trying a recipe I found - but rather, lack of equipment. In the best possible scenario, I'm at my college apartment with a large fridge, plentiful shelf space, a working stove and oven, plenty of pots and pans and knives, and a hand-held mixer, courtesy of my roommate. I don't have a grill or a blender or a food processor or a bread machine or a car to drive groceries home. I do have a Food Lion within walking distance and an adequate bus route.

Of course, things aren't always so rosy. Last summer I was in Texas with limited fridge space and no car. I relied on my friends with cars to get me to the store (closest one was 2 miles away) and relied on food I could keep in my closet. I made a lot of egg-on-toast and three-bean salads in those days.

Now I am in Europe with several supermarkets within walking distance, with limited fridge space, one frying pan, two or three other pots and pans, and what appears to be two knives. If there are measuring cups or tablespoons, I haven't found them yet.

So until May, I will be focusing on writing up recipes that I've found and tried. I can't promise that they will all be good, but I can and will write down the recipe, my modifications, and the cost.

It's sure to be a fun ride.