With the winter break quickly approaching, the past couple of weeks have been nothing but pure chaos. Each week has seemed to fly by and in the blink of an eye, we are already in the month of November with Thanksgiving in a week and Christmas around the corner. Somehow, I have managed a tight schedule of basketball practice, coaching, and classes. However, in the hubbub of school and basketball, cooking has been my mental oasis. Aside from sleeping or watching threads of cooking videos on Facebook (a lot of Gordon Ramsey snippets) in my free time, I love spending time slicing and dicing in the kitchen. I literally feel the stress melt away as I buzz around the kitchen. My time vegging out to Gordon Ramsey videos has even taught me a few new recipes and techniques. I made a stuffed mushroom appetizer I saw online that was every bit as good as it looked in the video! Along with cooking, I find it fun to just be in the kitchen since all of my hallmates cook at the same time as me. Some people may find a full kitchen to be crowded and stressful but to me, it’s a fun social hour. What I love most about cooking with everyone are the different styles and dishes I discover by seeing what everyone makes. My hall has two students from India and so everything they cook is intensely spiced and always looks and smells delicious! Over the time I have spent with them, I found out that a pressure cooker is THE essential kitchen tool to have when making Indian food. Along with a pressure cooker, you must have garda masala and turmeric in your spice cabinet. Then I have a vegetarian hallmate that cooks with healthy alternatives to meat and dairy that I’ve never seen before. My most favorite dish of hers is a breakfast meal she makes after spin class in the morning. There are four simple ingredients: sweet potato slices topped with mashed avocado, chopped up cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkle of vegetarian cheese powder called Engevita. I know… vegetarian cheese powder? All I have to say is don’t be so quick to judge until you try one of these delectable delights. She is so innovative in her cooking and has taught me that you can eat a lot without consuming a ton of calories. Experiences like these have really grown my recipe book as I get to sample all the new foods they make. I like to think that I’ve expanded their palettes with a few of my recipes as well! Hopefully, before I leave, I’ll be able to add a few traditional Irish recipes to my personal menu. While I have been enjoying my time here in sunny Dublin, cooking has certainly been what has kept me sane these last few months.
If anyone has any fun (affordable) recipes that I could try, please feel free to share them with me! Thanks a million!!
