Avoid the Ramen Diet

Lots of college students and young people living on their own eat like crap. Just own up to it, no excuses. Some people are pretty empty pocketed at this stage in their life, which is understandable, but no one can stay healthy on ramen and tap water. I like to budget thinking that some of my monies destine to entertain myself get added into food. I kinda find some zen in cooking for myself, and get healthy and tastey results. Well… at least vegetables and identifiable protein sources are involved kinda healthy.

If you were never taught how to cook at home, it might seem like a high mountain to climb. But you can always start with a basic cookbook, and just start making things that sound good to your tummy. Here is a great list of cook book recomendations from the NYTimes (free to sign up for if it prompts you for a log in). Steal/beg/borrow from the library, scrimp and save, just please for all that is tasty avoid eating ramen more than twice a week.

On Omelets and Life

Today was a rough start for me. I woke up feeling rather stupid after having drank way more than I should’ve, and had a horrible headache. Even after chugging a Propel fitness water, I felt like poo. “Store…”, I squeaked to my boyfriend, “We have to go to the store. I need Aleve…”

Trader Joe’s Pork Gyoza: Cheap and Filling

Mmm…Dumplings

Like any college student, I occasionally don’t have any money. On this particular occasion I also had a somewhat violent craving for Pork Gyoza, so I had my boyfriend Jim pick some up from Trader Joe’s on his way home. Way too many gyozas later, I was stuffed full, and all for about 1.75 a person. These dumplings are really good, especially for the price. While we had made a feeble attempted at ordering dumplings from our local horrible Chinese restaurant, they were horrible. And expensive, at 6.00 for much less food than we’d gotten from Trader Joes. To go alongside these I whipped up a quick dipping sauce from soy sauce, apple cider vinegar (I had no rice wine vinegar), and a tiny squirt of Hoisin sauce, plus some chives and red pepper flakes for color.

These make a filling, cheap, and delicious dinner, so I give them a 5/5.

Photo and Text by Jess.

East Tokyo Hibachi and Sushi Review

This review originally appeared in the Ramapo News, March 20 2008

Jess: Poor college kids. Half price sushi, what could go wrong? A lot could go wrong. Things you couldn’t imagine could go wrong. The things I’ve seen gone wrong with raw fish. At East Tokyo Hibachi and Sushi’s half price sushi night nothing actually went wrong. It was all delicious, cheap, nutritious, and—dare I say—fun? Every Thursday at East Tokyo, there is a special menu of selected half priced rolls and sushi.