Creating top-notch cuisine in a college dorm can be difficult. Between sharing a crowded kitchen and lacking access to some important ingredients and appliances, it’s easy for an undergrad to become unmotivated when it comes to cooking. With her blog, NotYourAverageCollegeFood.com, student Emily Hu addresses this problem with savvy solutions for creative, cleaner college eating.
According to NPR, Emily Hu quickly grew tired of dining hall meals after starting at John Hopkins University. After learning that her sophomore year dorm would have a kitchen, Hu saw an opportunity to begin cooking for herself. She spent the summer prior to her sophomore year taking cooking classes and studying food blogs, eventually making the necessary revisions to accommodate both her health preferences and dorm kitchen limitations.
Hu’s substitutions for seemingly essential ingredients and appliances have led her to create innovative versions of her favorite foods. On her blog, she provides fellow students with recipes for meals such as toaster oven gourmet pizza and desserts that include microwaveable Nutella chocolate cake.
Between semesters last month, Hu shared her techniques by teaching a Dorm Cooking 101 class. When asked what her number one tip for students was, Hu told NPR that she recommends devoting as much free time to grocery shopping and cooking as possible. She realizes, however, that this can be difficult as a nap is often more appealing.