Student Cooking 101

Being a student again is splendid! Yes, there are certain disadvantages (no more fancy gourmet restaurants, no more buying truffles or foie gras just to experiment etc etc etc) but despite the monetary constraints, being a student again offers something priceless: The opportunity to learn. A cliché but so true! As a student you have the time and the inspiration to read books and journals you never knew existed; to learn about the world around you by attending film screenings, talks and gallery openings; to learn about yourself by interacting with people who are from completely different parts of the planet, speak a different language, dress differently but who, all things aside, could be you, as you share the same passion and love: food. While dealing with various “cultural shocks” (the amount of readymade meals that exist here in the UK, the pre-cut vegetables in small plastic bags, the way Anthropologists teach and live), I am getting quite settled here in London. My University is much different than the one I attended back home and from everything I’ve ever experienced before and I am loving every minute of it. I feel like a whole new world that I couldn’t ever imagine that existed has opened its door and is inviting me in. I feel like I’m living in a dream and I cannot comprehend how I couldn’t see it before. I am fearless here. And I am myself. More than I’ve ever was. 

That said, and given the amount of studying that I have, it’s just student cooking 101 for today dear reader. With not much time to cook at the moment and with a great need to rest after a hectic year, both Mr N and myself have tasted takeout food, readymade meals and anything that can be cooked in a pan in under 10 minutes - mostly steaks and lamp chops. There is not much oven baking, no pies, no baking, braising or even boiling. However I have promised myself I will find a balance with studying because I don’t think I can go on much longer without cooking! So let me present to you Mr N’s perfect egg sandwich which we have for breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on our mood: 9 Steps to Perfection:

Toast 2 slices of white bread

While you’re waiting for the bread, start frying an egg

Spread mayonnaise on one slice of bread, ketchup on the other

Place 1 slice of cheese on the mayonnaise side, 1 slice of ham on the ketchup side

Place fried egg on top of cheese (better with a runny yolk)

Close sandwich

Pop on microwave for 1 minute so that the cheese melts (optional)

Cut in triangles (not the other way, please!)

Enjoy with crisps!