When I entered my first year of university, I found every facet of residence life equally exciting. My own little room! My own huge lectures! My own meal plan at my own cafeteria!
While I left my own little room with great sadness at the end of the year, and learned a lot from my huge lectures, I bid farewell to my meal plan with greater gusto than I had ever had when tucking into an actual meal at the Queen’s cafeterias.
A few weeks into first year, the novelty of ice cream for breakfast wore off and even the leafy offerings of the salad bar seemed like the same old routine. I fell into a food coma, drowsily entering the caf and filling my stomach with the “safest” foods I could find: pizza, mashed potatoes and sandwiches began to take over my diet. I lived in Carb City.
It’s not that they don’t try their best. I’m sure they do. But cooking unlimited amounts of food several times a day for large groups of students with diverse tastes is hardly an easy task, and not one that lends itself to the epicure.
That being said, not many would expect culinary brilliance to be possible given the limited resources of Queen’s residence kitchens. Though some are equipped with stoves and ovens, most feature little more than the bare essentials.
My floor in Waldron Tower boasted a kitchen consisting of a sink, a toaster, a microwave of questionable zapping power and an electric kettle.
Recently, after some careful—and delicious—experimentation, I discovered a plethora of appetizing options that can be quickly and easily made for a special meal, either because it’s too cold outside to think of walking to the caf, or because you’re taking a well-deserved break from the monotony of Leonard or Ban Righ.
Here are a few of my tried and true recipes, which, though a far cry from your Grandma’s homemade lasagna, can provide a speedy, appetizing option for the lazy scholar.
Bon Appetit!
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