Food: College Kitchen Essentials

College is a time of learning, both in and out of the classroom. I didn't have much cooking experience before starting school, and the dining halls were a blessing my first year, but as a sophomore I found myself with an apartment, no meal plan, and a kitchen. So, as college kids move into new apartments this month and learn to cook for themselves instead of eating fast food every night, I decided to make a list of helpful items for a collegiate kitchen. Does NOT include the microwave; you can survive without it.

A handy Magic Bullet meal in a jar.

1. Magic Bullet.

We've all seen the infomercials for this handy little blender, but it really is awesome. I make everything in here. Chicken salad, smoothies, pancake batter, pasta sauce, even margaritas. It comes with everything you need to make each of these meals and recipes for more. Regular blenders are huge and a pain to wash; the Magic Bullet is perfect for a college kitchen and I use mine every day.

2. Crock Pot.

Another must-have for lazy college kids, crockpots greatly simplify dinner and eliminate the temptations of take-out after a long day. Before you leave, you just dump everything into the crock pot, and when you get back you have a home-cooked meal ready for you. I especially love making soup in my crock pot in the winter; it's great to cozy up in front of the TV with a bowl of home-made soup after walking around campus all day in the cold.

3. Egg pan.

This tiny pan is great. I use it to make little pancakes (I'm not so talented at making round, pretty ones), fried eggs for breakfast sandwiches, and any sort of little amount of something you need. Cooking for one, I usually have to cut recipes into 1/4 or 1/8 of the normal size so I can eat it all. This little plan is great because you don't get a large skillet dirty for one hamburger, garlic clove, etc.

4. Hand grater.

I use this for EVERYTHING. Zesting citrus, grating cheese, heck, I even get lazy and grate butter sometimes. I shred chocolate bars into my oatmeal. I even bought a second one because mine was hanging out in the dishwasher too often. It's so easy to use and clean.

What are your must-haves for a dorm or apartment kitchen?

Other: My Favorite Book

The other day, I was missing Paris pretty terribly so I took a trip to Barnes & Noble to buy Ernest Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. The book chronicles Hemingway's life in Paris in the 1920's, and it really captures the spirit of the city, especially the Quarter Latin. I particularly enjoyed the book because of its attention to detail: I loved that I would recognize street names, I could taste the wine and oysters he had for dinner, and the scenes where he strolled through the Luxembourg Gardens were wonderful because that was my favorite Parisian pastime.

Several lines made me tear up, and the older Hemingway's reflections on the mistakes he made in his first marriage and how Paris reminds him of those were poignant and real. If you've ever visited Paris, or lived there, especially, this book is a must-read. It takes you back to the cobblestones boulevards and sidewalk cafes, while capturing a portrait of creative life there before it became a tourist staple.

If you've never been to Paris, save money and go immediately. Read this book while you're there, and visit Hemingway's old haunts.