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Turn Your Dorm Into A Diner

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By BRITTANY CANASI

Tribune correspondent

Published: August 20, 2008

While I was a student at Florida State University - I graduated last spring - my dorm-room food wasn't exactly up there with the kind of food I was used to back home.

After the first few weeks of on-campus life, the word "ramen" made my stomach churn and I didn't have enough room in my small freezer for more than two TV dinners at a time. (I still can't look at microwave macaroni and cheese the same way.) There really wasn't much nutrition in what I was eating, either.

However, it doesn't take much to grill and microwave your way into the hearts of every guy and girl on your dorm floor.

For suggestions on how to pump up your dorm cuisine, I contacted chef George Duran, author of the upcoming book "Take This Dish and Twist It" and host of Food Network's "Ham on the Street" and "Secret Life Of ..." series.

To start, he says, you'll need three appliances. It comes down to a mini-refrigerator, a microwave and a George Foreman grill - my favorite. Many dorms already come with a fridge, so check ahead before you buy.

"The truth is that with these three appliances, you could essentially run a restaurant ... a small one. But it's doable," Duran says.

Before you set off to turn your dorm into a diner, Duran had a few suggestions for keeping your mini-kitchen in order (and to prevent you from being the kid who forces the whole dorm to evacuate when you set off the smoke detector):

•Don't buy everything separate from your roommate. Do you really need two tubs of margarine?

•Don't use all three appliances at once. "You are asking to blow a few breakers in your dormitory, which could anger some RAs resident assistants," Duran says.

•Don't think you're immune to expiration dates. Last month's turkey is old. Throw it away.

•Don't forget to keep a window open if things start to smoke. "It's gotten me into some trouble with the NYFD during my dorm days at NYU," Duran says.

•Don't be afraid to experiment. "Imagine poaching an egg in the microwave and then placing the poached egg between two slices of whole-grain bread with pepperoni slices, tomato slices and fresh basil, then place it straight on the George Foreman grill. You've got yourself a fantastic breakfast panini," Duran says.

FOOD TO GET YOU THROUGH DROP/ADD

To get you started, here are a few recipes to break in your new mini-kitchen.

NOT YOUR GRANDMA'S JELL-O MOLD

(Contains vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium)

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

3-ounce package strawberry Jell-O

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup canned mandarin oranges, drained

Combine pomegranate juice with 1/2 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl (cheap Gladware containers work great), and microwave on high for 21/2 minutes. Gradually stir in Jell-O mixture until completely dissolved. Add fruit and refrigerate until solid, about 3 to 4 hours.

QUADRUPLE GRILLED CHEESE

(Contains calcium)

Butter or margarine

2 slices of bread

Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Havarti cheese

Cheddar cheese

Colby jack cheese

Mayonnaise, optional

Spread a thin layer of butter on one side of each slice of bread. Coat lightly with Parmesan cheese. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the opposite side of the bread and place the havarti, cheddar and Colby jack cheese on top. Place on the George Foreman grill, Parmesan cheese-side out, and close grill for two minutes. If cheese has not melted after two minutes, add one minute at a time until all the cheese has melted.

CHICKEN RAMEN-FREDO

(Contains protein, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber)

1 package frozen broccoli

1 package ramen noodles

1 jar of alfredo sauce

1 package ready-cooked chicken breast (found in the frozen-food section of the grocery store)

3 chives

Microwave broccoli according to package directions. Set aside. Microwave crushed ramen noodles for 3 minutes in a microwave-safe bowl filled with enough water to cover the noodles. Drain noodles and place back into bowl. Spoon alfredo sauce on top, and place desired amount of chicken and broccoli on top. Microwave for 45 seconds, remove, then snip the green ends of chives with scissors (wash them first!) over the finished product.

STUDENTS OF THE DISH

Before heading back to the University of Florida this month, Tampa Tribune intern Jessica DaSilva asked college students on Facebook about their favorite food shortcuts.

Michael C. Green (Clemson University):

Take your average coffee cup, apply Pam to the inside. Insert 1 piece of Canadian bacon. Throw in some shredded cheese. Crack an egg into cup. Add salt and pepper (or some other spices you might find laying around). Put cup in microwave for 1 minute and 15 seconds or so, covered with a paper towel. Dump cooked contents from cup onto plate. Enjoy a meal that is somewhat like a cooked breakfast.

Amy Dohrer (University of Florida):

I made a lot of EasyMac, which even comes in throwaway containers - eliminating the need to do dishes. I also ate those pouches of rice by Uncle Ben's that cook in 90 seconds. When I was even too lazy to make canned soup, I had all kinds of snacks, like chips, granola bars and Goldfish.

As far as weird appliances, a Hello Kitty toaster was brought by one girl in my dorm. It actually toasted the face of Hello Kitty on the side of the bread. Another guy in my dorm brought a 10-pound bag of rice.

I wish I had my own coffeemaker in my dorm. Because I usually go to Starbucks more than once a day, it would have been a lot cheaper to have made coffee. It also would have made my dorm room smell great.

Michelle Curtis (University of Florida)

I never lived in the dorms, but I had three other roommates in my apartment, and the toaster oven that we bought for $20 at Wal-Mart has lasted us for thousands of meals and three years. Best kitchen invention ever if you don't like the way microwaved foods tastes.

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