The Dorm Chef

Hello everyone, I hope you all like the new look of the site.  However, this isn’t just an aesthetic change.  I actually switched over from using blogger to hosting my site on my own and using Wordpress.  That might not mean anything to most of you, but what it allows me to do is create new pages which will allow for an easier way to navigate the site.

I realized one problem with my site is that most people who visit only look at the first page and not at anything else.  This is ok if you’re a frequent visitor, but if this is your first time then chances are you’re missing out on a lot!  So if you’ll notice at the top right of this page, there are a few links which will bring you to pages that will show you everything this site has to offer.

Recipes: This page will show you an index of all the recipes organized by each posts’ tags.

Resources: This page will show you an index of all the posts I’ve made in the past that provide various cooking resources from other recipe websites, nutrient information, new cooking appliances and technology, and even more.  It’s all here!

Articles: This page will show you an index of all the posts I’ve made describing updates to the site, reviewing other websites, etc.

Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys the new layout and please let me know if there are any other changes you would like to see here at The Dorm Chef!

Sorry I haven’t made any posts in the past week or so. I have one week left of school and I’m trying to study for finals and get things settled before I leave town for the summer.

The recipes should probably start up again in about a week and a half, around the 10th of may. I’ll be home for the summer, so I might throw in a few normal recipes that aren’t made using just a microwave or grill, but I haven’t really decided yet. I just wanted to let everyone know that I’m still around and this blog isn’t dead yet.

Sorry for not posting more updates, but I appreciate that you all keep coming back.

Thanks,

Thomas

Hello to all, unfortunately I just found out that the wireless internet at my home in Houston has gone out. We tried to buy a new router and that didn’t fix the problem, so the next step is to try a new modem, hopefully all goes well.

I just wanted to let everyone know there probably won’t be many updates this week, if any. I apologize, I just don’t think I’ll be able to commit the time this week.

Don’t worry though, check the site out again towards the end of the week and the beginning of next week and you’ll surely see some new recipes!

Sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve been trying to pass my physics 2 class. I had my last test this morning and now I’m free for a week as our school lets out for Spring Break, so expect lots of updates in the upcoming week.

I’ll be posting two relatively simple recipes tomorrow that are packed full of flavor. They’re both foods that my mom would cook for me when I was younger and she didn’t feel like making a big huge meal for the family. So be looking out for that tomorrow afternoon!

I have a few things on my mind and I’m really just hoping I’ll get a little bit of feedback so I can make this site more catered to the viewers rather than me just throwing up a recipe for whatever I feel like eating that day. Please take a minute and drop a comment so I can try and get this site headed in the right direction. I want to post stuff you all care about!

So I’m starting to realize some of the stuff I’m making probably doesn’t appeal to everyone. I think the most popular recipe so far has actually been the spaghetti and sausage which kind of surprised me. I’m not sure if that means you all enjoy spaghetti, sausage, or what. I’m thinking maybe it has something to do with the fact that it only has three ingredients and doesn’t really involve much preparation or cooking knowledge.

So the first question is what kind of dishes would you like to see recipes for? Do you want to see something simpler than the past few (the jambalaya and the soup)? Do you want things that are more complex? Do you want things that are cheaper (ramen type dishes)? Do you want healthier recipes? Would you prefer if I took existing recipes I find online and convert them to a recipe you could use in the dorm?

Lastly, has anyone actually tried any of the dishes I’ve posted so far?

Please take a second and leave a comment so I can try to improve the site.

Thanks again to all those who keep coming back, I hope you’re enjoying the recipes.

A lot of people have been questioning whether or not I’m actually coming up with my own recipes or if I’m getting them from other sources. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am creating these recipes as I go along. I’m basically winging it from day to day actually. I haven’t looked off of any cooking blogs or websites to find any of the recipes on my site. I’m sure if you looked out there hard enough you would probably find similar recipes, but unless I’m making fish ice cream tacos or something, I’m probably not going to have anything 100% original.

The whole point of this blog is to show people that they can cook with limited resources. I’m not just talking about money, but a lack of cooking skills or appropriate appliances should not hinder you from having a great tasting meal. I’m trying to get across to everyone that you can adapt almost any recipe to be made in a dorm room setting. On the same note, you can convert almost any recipe I create here into something you can make in a household setting. All you have to do is replace the microwave with an oven and the grill with a stove top and then adjust for heat differences and cooking times. It really is that simple!

Now I thought I’d give people a little bit of background on how I started cooking in the first place, since some people have been asking me that as well. I probably started cooking when I was around 15, which was five years ago. I started out by just hanging out with my mom in the kitchen and watching what she would do. From there I asked if she could teach me how to make jambalaya and gumbo since those are my two favorite dishes. So she showed me step by step how to make it, and after watching her do it two or three times I ended up trying it out myself.

After that I learned the basics of cooking meats, which is the core of most of the meals I eat. I began to realize that cooking really isn’t that bad once you know some basic steps, and from there as long as you know the terminology used in recipes you can make just about anything.

It actually got to the point before I left for college that I was the one who was cooking most of the meals in the house. My mom and dad both worked and I got off around noon my senior year, so I would get bored and just cook a meal.

You know how some people can hear music and be able to play it back instantly without seeing any of the music in front of them? Well I’ve gotten to the point where I can recreate most thing’s I’ve eaten in the past with my own spin on it, without using recipes as a guide. Granted, this does end up going horribly wrong some times. I’ve made things before that I had to force myself to eat because I didn’t want to throw it away, but that kind of stuff happens when you are experimenting.

Summary: No formal background in cooking, everything on my website is my own creation, or inspired by my mom’s cooking. It got to the point where I knew what mixes well and what doesn’t mix well and I just started making my own meals.