Knock-off Crepes
Source: Noelle Simoneaux, current IU 2nd year – Self-documentation; Mar 29, 2021
Text:
How often did you cook your meals compared to eating dining hall food?
I mostly ate dining hall food for lunch and dinner but usually made my own breakfast in my room.
What kinds of meals did you eat in the dorm?
I usually made simple breakfast foods like cereal, yogurt parfaits, and peanut butter toast. On some occasions I would “cook” knock-off crepes, a recipe I created myself from using tortillas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and whatever fresh fruit was available.
How did you find ideas for what to make?
I often scrolled through Pinterest looking at recipes from others marked as simple, quick, and easy. Because I was usually making breakfast, I needed foods that were optimal to make before class without hassle. Posts from other college students proved especially helpful because they usually had similar ingredients and equipment to me. Sometimes I would also watch YouTube videos for more in-depth tutorials for meals.
Did your parents or relatives pass down any dorm-friendly recipes from their college days?
My family did not pass down any specific recipes but often emphasized the importance of resourcefulness. They told me to optimize materials from the dining hall and attend as many free food events as possible. I often got seasonings, condiments, and utensils without spending extra money. I also kept my eyes open for changing fresh produce; random fruits and veggies were put out for sale and I tried to stock up on my favorites when possible.
Did dorm life teach you any useful kitchen skills?
Living in a dorm taught me that there’s plenty of recipes that you can make with limited ingredients and a microwave. Dining halls typically have the cooking basics and it doesn’t take much skill to create meals that are delicious and simple, even though they may never amount home cooked meals.
Texture: When making breakfasts in my room, I ate many common college student meals like cereal, yogurt, poptarts, and protein bars. However, one dish I made on special occasions where I had a bit more time in the morning was knock-off crepes. I found inspiration for this meal one morning when I was lacking cooking materials and wanted something sweet to eat. I noticed I had tortillas, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and fruit so I began creating; I had made traditional crepes many times before in high school French club and recognized that I could somewhat recreate them. By using these few ingredients, my microwave, and utensils/dishware from the dining hall, I created a new recipe for myself with only my immediate resources.
Context: I came up with my knock-off crepe recipe in my dorm room and have only made it in this one location. Even having enjoyed this meal many times during my dorm days, I have not created it again since moving out. I shared my recipe with a few friends, also college students, who eventually made it on their own time. I told my parents about my creation but having access to more desirable ingredients and higher quality cooking equipment, they never made it. I feel as if now that I have outgrown my dorm days, it would seem silly of me to revert to this simplistic survival method of cooking now that I have the means to create more advanced meals.
Interpretation: I feel my knock-off crepe example relates to the core concept of community in that my creation brought me closer to my friends and gave me an opportunity to bond with others. Sharing our struggle to find inventive meals to have in our dorms, gave us common ground and eventually led us to triumph as we got to make my recipe together and fine success in establishing a new food favorite. Connecting over this simple food sparked interest in researching more dorm recipe possibilities, and even though none of them proved as favorable, we still joined together and created meaningful experiences and had thoughtful conversation regarding the matter. My encounter demonstrates how college students tend to flock together to overcome the awkward difficulties of living away from home.