To close out the last Curious Bites column for the 2022 school year, I asked seniors what home-cooked meal they would miss the most. I wanted to know about their experience with home cooking, and how it will affect them after they graduate. Do they plan to cook when they’re on their own? Will they try to recreate meals they love so much? Or would they experiment and find something new? Let’s see what the seniors have to say. 

Shaan Sandhu recalled his dad’s homemade sushi. He told me that all the ingredients (salmon, white rice, and various vegetables) were organic, and he would accompany his dad in the kitchen when he prepared the rolls. Shaan wishes to learn about new tricks and shortcuts he can use when stuck cooking in his college dorm. 

Yahir Tapia will miss his family’s shrimp alfredo. I was intrigued the moment I heard those words leave his mouth. It sounds so good! Yahir shared that he wouldn’t attempt to recreate it, because it’s far past his ability in the kitchen, but he would still be willing to learn new cooking techniques to help him become more comfortable in the kitchen. 

Sky Staes is already an established cook, but even he has some cooking goals for the future. Sky wants to learn how to properly cook a medium-well steak. What an admirable goal! Pretty soon, Sky will be cooking up a fabulous 5-course meal. While he’s away in college, he will miss his mom’s homemade Japanese food – specifically her udon. 

Audrey Powers boasted about her mom’s veggie pasta, which is filled with various vegetables and a homemade tomato sauce. Besides that, she will also miss having a large fridge when she’s away from home. Her goal is to learn about new air fryer recipes that she can make while in her dorm. It’ll be exciting to see what she makes!

Taitum Israel wants to learn how to poach eggs. An interesting goal, but poached eggs are perfect with any breakfast food, especially avocado toast. Taitum will miss her dad’s salmon plate, which is paired with purple potatoes, baby broccoli, and garlic butter. This salmon sounds amazing, and I would also miss this home-cooked meal if I were Taitum. 

Though I’m not an expert cook by any means, I love food and I have some advice for anyone who is interested in cooking and leaving home this year – whether for school, work, or fun. 

If you know that you’ll be living in a dorm, you don’t want to bring too much cookware because you won’t have an efficient kitchen or sink (unless you’re one of the few who ends up living in a nice apartment. I think we all envy you). In that case, limit yourself to bringing one essential that you are willing to share with your roommate(s). These include either an air fryer, rice cooker, microwave, or a small pan. 

These essentials can be used in various ways and make different meals. Like Audrey pointed out, there are so many easy recipes that can be found online for these different cookwares. 

If you want to be more comfortable in the kitchen, or at least expose yourself to kitchen utensils, definitely take advantage of the summer and practice now. Cooking is all about experience and confidence in the kitchen. I touched on this in a previous edition of the column, so check it out if you want to learn more. 

Finally, one way to deal with homesickness is to make your favorite home-cooked meal. Though it may take effort and some extra money, recreating those cherished recipes can help bring comfort to someone in a new environment. Ask your family about their cooking secrets and write down the recipes on a piece of paper. Practice making it over the summer and maybe even put a little twist on it! 

Cooking and eating are signs of love and happiness. I encourage everyone to practice making at least one special meal, or one that you could make regularly with ease. These skills will come in handy when we continue to find our independence, and it will strengthen our relationships with friends and family.

Good luck to all of the seniors this year! Thank you for enjoying Curious Bites.