It is not a stretch to claim that most college students are dirt poor, and finding affordable food for preparation in the dorm can be difficult at times. One might be used to having home-cooked meals prepared by parents, but when the semester starts, it is a different ballgame. While Aramark provides meals in the Gorham cafeteria, sometimes students just need to chill out in the room and cook for themselves.
Any student with a microwave, blender and cone filter at his disposal can become a master chef in no time. And with a few simple ingredients from the local grocery store dorm cooking can become a gourmet art. Aside from the stand-by’s such as Easy Mac and Ramen Noodles, meals can be created with little effort and with simply mouth-watering results.
Due to fire hazards, some cooking utensils are prohibited in the dorms, such as George Foreman grills and coffee makers. This shortcoming can easily be remedied by the use of the dorm kitchen if it is available. Some dorms, such as Robie-Andrews Hall on the Gorham campus, have a kitchen on the first floor available for residents to use, complete with a stove and refrigerator.
With a creative mind any USM student can make the dorm room not just a place to sleep, but also a place to live, and this includes using the little amount of cooking tools allowed to create an enjoyable meal experience outside of the cafeteria. One must always keep an open mind to the possibilities of imaginative food creation in the dorm rooms. And, if all else fails, the Gorham House of Pizza is only a five minute walk from campus.
MICROWAVE PIZZA
Microwave pizzas require English muffins, some pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings one might be interested in. Simply spread the sauce on the sliced English muffins, spread a layer of cheese, then apply toppings. Microwave for about two minutes or until the cheese is nicely melted, then serve. If you are having a party in your dorm room or meeting some classmates for a study group, slice the English muffins into four quarters and serve as party food.