Students who can’t take the heat in the kitchen develop creative
survival skills
By Kimberly Mackesy
It’s 6 o’clock. You’ve just come home from a long day of
classes. You open the refrigerator and find a wasteland of wilted
veggies and mystery leftovers. To make matters worse, they are all
spotted with mold.
For many students, this scenario sounds very familiar. The
prospect of breaking out the pots and pans and cooking a meal is
enough to send many Bruins into a cold sweat. Or to a
restaurant.
"I can’t cook and I’m proud of it!" said Victoria Kalinin, a
third-year psychology student who said she lives on Frosted Flakes
and bananas. "I’m looking for a man who can cook for me."
The trend of low-energy cooking  or not cooking at all
 is one to which many students said they can relate.
"Over the summer, my whole existence revolved around tortillas
and cheese in the microwave," said Brett Levisohn, a second-year
undeclared student.
Simplicity seemed the top priority for apartment dwellers who
were unskilled in the culinary area.
"I lived in an apartment last year, and it was pretty much just
me and burritos," said Tom Hilal, a third-year communication
studies student. "I’d run out of money at the end of every month,
so I’d go mooch at my girlfriend’s house. Then, at the beginning of
the month, it was back to burritos."
Yet while some students said they cringe at the thought of
boiling water, others claimed to be masters of discovering unique
combinations in the kitchen.
"The other night we did something truly unprecedented," said
Feodor Chin, a third-year undeclared student and self-proclaimed
expert on spaghetti. "In the sauce we used not just chicken, not
just ground beef, but chicken and ground beef. It was incredible,"
he said. "It’s a combination that’s rivaled only, maybe, by peanut
butter and chocolate."
But some Bruins asserted that learning to cook is definitely
worth the trouble. Cephas Sund, a fourth-year history student,
learned to cook by helping his mother in the kitchen. He often
prepared meals for his family after his sister was born, he
said.
"It helps a lot," Sund added. "You don’t have to rely on
pre-prepared foods. You can be more creative in the kitchen."
Although many Bruins don’t have the time, inclination or skills
to cook, some students believe this shouldn’t put a damper on
creativity.
Chin said he thinks details make the meal.
"The one thing I’ve learned through cooking, or lack thereof, is
that catsup is the wonder condiment," Chin said. "It makes every
meal taste that much better."
Levisohn said that a food’s shelf life should be a deciding
factor.
"Anything that keeps forever is great. Twinkies, frozen food,
etc. I have had Oreos for about eight months now, and they’re still
perfect," Levisohn professed. "But I’m going to stick with Chef
Boyardee Ravioli. Ravioli, cold or warm, can satisfy any
hunger."