Back to basics
Welcome to my column of domestic bliss where I will introduce you to a range of recipes from the basic yet tasty to the downright sinful. My first year at Imperial introduced me to some pretty hopeless cooks and I hope some of these recipes will help them make it through this year without overloading on MSG and Saccharine.
It's easy to pick up ready-made meals from the supermarket yet they are both pricey and unhealthy and should only be reserved for emergencies. Ask any medic about the effect of excessive salt on your blood pressure and they'll be happy to tell you negative feedback + too many acronyms on your timetable= bad news for your ticker. Occasionally I'll have a Phoebe rating (if she's not too busy with clarinet practice and gossiping about the latest dolls-house trend) or, failing that, I'll just have to rate it myself.
Student basics
| Olive oil (for cooking): 1 litre | £2.62 |
| Extra virgin olive oil: 500 ml | £1.74 |
| Pure vegetable oil: 1 litre | £0.43 |
| Coarse sea salt: 500g | £0.74 |
| Black pepper mill: 100g | £1.59 |
| Mixed herbs: 18g | £0.25 |
| Granulated sugar: 750g | £0.76 |
| 12 Veg or chicken stock cubes: 71g | £0.69 |
| Mild chilli powder: 50g | £0.89 |
| Mild curry powder: 80g | £0.55 |
| Wholegrain mustard: 280g | £0.43 |
| White wine vinegar: 350ml | £0.73 |
| Mayonnaise: 500ml | £0.58 |
| Value plain flour: 1.5kg | £0.27 |
| Spaghetti: 2kg | £0.85 |
| Penne pasta: 1kg | £0.49 |
| Basmati rice: 1kg | £0.90 |
| Value chopped tomatoes: 400g | £0.17 |
| Bulb of garlic: | £0.24 |
| Onion: 1 | £0.16 |
All together this comes to about £15, when shopping at Tesco, so try to get mum and dad to pay for it before they drive off. Pick up good quality reduced meat for the freezer and try to cook for two or three to make life easier and share the load.
