co-op cookbook

CHOOSE YOUR OWN CO-OP COOKING ADVENTURE

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CO-OP COOKBOOK

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Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................1 PROTEIN Thai Curry with Tofu..........................................................................................................5 Black Pepper Tempeh.........................................................................................................7 Kale, Tofu, Squash Lasagna.................................................................................................9 Veggie Bean Chili...........................................................................................................11 Seasonal Frittata..............................................................................................................13 Vietnamese Chicken Curry................................................................................................15 Shepherd’s Pie...............................................................................................................17 Fish Tacos.......................................................................................................................19 Plates.............................................................................................................................21 STARCH Focaccia.........................................................................................................................25 Challah..........................................................................................................................27 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice..............................................................................................29 Coconut Brown Rice........................................................................................................30 Quinoa...........................................................................................................................31 Potatoes..........................................................................................................................33 Soy Garlic Soba.............................................................................................................35 Green Onion Cornbread..................................................................................................37 Waffles..........................................................................................................................39 The Jar..........................................................................................................................41 VEGGIE Minestrone......................................................................................................................45 Peanut Stew....................................................................................................................47 Ratatouille......................................................................................................................49 White Beans and Chard..................................................................................................51 Roasted Vegetables..........................................................................................................53 Miso Brown Sugar Squash................................................................................................55 Roasted Brussel Sprouts.....................................................................................................57 Elote..............................................................................................................................59 Gardens.........................................................................................................................61

SALAD Berry Salad.....................................................................................................................65 Spring Mix with Honey Mustard Dressing............................................................................67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing........................................................................................69 Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing..........................................................................71 Arugala Salad with Yogurt Dressing...................................................................................73 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing........................................................................................75 Slaw.............................................................................................................................77 Warm Grain Salad..........................................................................................................79 Special Dinner + Brunch...................................................................................................81 DESSERT Berry Crumble.................................................................................................................85 Chai Donut.....................................................................................................................87 Earl Gray Fudge Semifreddo.............................................................................................89 Carrot Halwa..................................................................................................................91 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.....................................................................................93 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding......................................................................................95 Chocolate Beet Cake.......................................................................................................97 Que Es Eso....................................................................................................................99 6 days of Co-op Dinner.................................................................................................101 SNACK Pancake Almond Granola Clusters...................................................................................105 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola.......................................................................................107 Strawberry Salsa...........................................................................................................109 Horchata...............................................................................................................111 Thai Iced Tea......................................................................................................................112 Nectarine Chutney.........................................................................................................113 Tomato Salsa................................................................................................................115 Vietnamese Carrots........................................................................................................117 Spanish Rice and Beans.................................................................................................119 Yogurt..........................................................................................................................121 Beer Mustard................................................................................................................123 Cilantro Hummus...........................................................................................................125 Conversation.................................................................................................................127 Guide to Grains............................................................................................................137 Index...........................................................................................................................139 About...........................................................................................................................145

INTRODUCTION

In the middle of summer after college graduation, I landed an interview for an editorial internship in the lifestyle department at a major independent publishing house. I’d finally start my career in food publishing, I thought! After an anxious week of waiting for a response, I finally got “the email.” It wasn’t the email I wanted though. The other candidate was chosen over me because she was a yoga instructor and blogged about her crafty ideas, and these tangible creds were what ultimately tipped the balance in her favor.

My answer to my swiss cheese resume was to do a DIY project that would build my skills and experiences related to book publishing. The solution to my predicament of unemployment was to write a cookbook.

My friend Anna, also unemployed and eager to start her photojournalism career, entertained my wacky idea and agreed to help me with all things visual.

Lettuce make a cookbook, we resolved. I would write and cook. She would photograph and illustrate. One month and two weeks later, we produced a first draft of our cookbook.

Our book is based on co-op food and our years living in student cooperative housing during our college experience at UC Berkeley.

The Berkeley Student Cooperative is a democratically run non-profit student housing cooperative that aims to provide UC Berkeley and Bay Area students with affordable housing and a strong social community.

The BSC is composed of 17 houses and

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3 apartments of varying sizes. Members reduce their own cost of living by sharing resources, buying in bulk, and sharing chores like cleaning, gardening, cooking, and recycling. By not paying others outside of the house to fix, clean, and cook, members are able to reduce costs while increasing self-sufficiency.

To keeping things running smoothly, members rely on each other. Everyone does their part in living cooperatively with 5 hours of workshifts every week.

Food is central to the co-op community.

Houses purchase food collectively and board is included in the rent. Members have 24/7 access to a stainless steel commercial kitchen that is fully stocked with fresh, organic produce and brimming pantries of non-perishables. As part of their 5 workshift hours, a rotating crew of 2-5 members prepare nightly homemade dinners for their house. These collective meals are an important part of house culture and a daily social event.

The framework of this cookbook is a “choose your own adventure� style exploration of the 5 main components of co-op dinner cooking: at least one protein dish, one starch dish, one veggie dish, one salad, and one dessert. Start by picking a recipe in the protein section.

Cook the recipe and choose one of the three recommendations at the end of the recipe.

These recommendations will lead you to your next recipe. By the end of the cookbook, you should have a complete, well-balanced, and delicious dinner menu.

Happy adventuring & bon appetit!

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PROTEIN

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Thai Curry with Tofu Coming home to a homemade dinner is a real treat. Fortunately for co-opers, this treat is indulged on an almost nightly basis. Every Sunday through Friday night, a carefully and thoughtfully made meal is freshly prepared for the whole house to enjoy. Life is good in the co-ops.

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, medium diced 4 carrots, cut into ¼” pieces 2 jalapeno peppers, halved and finely sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 knob ginger, 2” piece, finely minced ½ teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon curry powder 2 teaspoons ground coriander 4 yukon gold potatoes 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 cup diced tomatoes 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes 1 cup coconut milk 4 cups veggie broth 2 limes ½ bunch cilantro 1 bunch asian basil

1. Brown Rice You like tried and true pairings.

And you’re exhausted from your 20 unit course load. Go to page 29.

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In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat and saute onions and carrots for 5 minutes. Add jalapenos, garlic, and ginger and cook for 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Add potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes, tofu, coconut milk, and veggie broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Squeeze in the lime juice. Chop the cilantro and basil and stir in the herbs.

Makes 8 servings.

2. Soy Garlic Soba You read Bittman waxing poetic about soba in the papers and you’re feeling inspired. Can soba really be “a beautiful, exotic and delicious centerpiece?” Go to page 35 and taste for yourself.

3. Green Onion Cornbread Because tonight’s theme is yellow. Page 37.

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Black Pepper Tempeh This recipe is all about the sauce. The key to making this sweet, salty, and very slick tempeh coating is to amply fleck the sauce with freshly ground black peppercorns.

8 ounces tempeh or firm tofu 1 small onion, medium diced 1 large bell pepper, medium diced 4 tablespoons sesame oil 6 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 2� knob ginger, finely minced 1 teaspoon chili flakes Ÿ cup honey or agave syrup 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 2 teaspoons black pepper, coarsely ground

In a wok, heat sesame oil on medium heat and saute onions and bell pepper for 10 minutes.

Add the ginger and garlic and continue sauteing for another 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, honey, soy sauce, and black pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch in the rice wine vinegar and add the solution to the wok. Toss in the tempeh.

Stir and cook for 5 minutes to heat the tempeh through.

Makes 4 servings.

1. Quinoa Follow with something a little more colorful than this tempeh dish. Page 31.

2. Brown Rice This tempeh is on the salty side so if you’re looking for a good counterpart, go to page 29.

3. Viet Chicken Curry The deli meat usually gets devoured before lunch even rolls around. Some people really like their meat, so go to page 15.

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Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna My first catering gig was for the Berkeley Student Food Collective’s Annual Harvest Gala, where I made this dish as the main course. The big challenge of feeding a large number of people is figuring out how to satisfy a melange of diets. I have learned that this filling, yet light-tasting lasagna, will please both vegans and omnivores alike.

12 lasagna noodles, or enough to make 3

layers of pasta 2 bunches kale 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 5 cups mashed butternut squash, about

2 squashes 2 cups rice milk 1 teaspoon nutmeg 2 teaspoons miso paste 24 ounces firm tofu ½ bunch basil 5 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons salt Preheat oven to 375F. Make the squash sauce. Peel, clean, and cut the squashes into large cubes. Put the diced squash into a pot of water and bring the water to a boil.

Cook squash until tender, about 20-30 minutes.

Drain and mash the squash with rice milk, nutmeg, and miso paste to make a creamy sauce.

Make the ricotta like fillin’. Blend the tofu in a food processor with basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

1. Focaccia Pesto and Espresso come from Italy; that country knows what it’s doing. Go to page 25.

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Make the kale layer. Tear the leaves off the kale stems and slice into ½” strips. In a large saucepan, saute 2 finely minced garlic cloves on low heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in 1 bunch of chopped kale. When the kale starts wilting, cover the pan and let the kale steam, about 5 minutes. Add a little bit of water if the kale gets dry. Cook the second batch of kale with the remaining garlic and oil.

Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drizzle olive oil in the pot to help prevent the noodles from sticking to one another. Drain the cooked pasta and separate the noodles on a piece of parchment paper.

Smear a layer of the squash sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish. Add one layer of noodles. Spread a layer of tofu, then squash, then kale. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering sequence. Add the third layer of noodles and top with a fourth spread of squash sauce. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Makes 9 servings.

2. Challah Who said dinners had to be themed? Page 27.

3. Quinoa Wanna make make dinner really vegan friendly? Page 31.

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Veggie Bean Chili 2 small onions, medium diced 3 small bell peppers, medium diced ¼ cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 4 jalapeno peppers, halved and thinly sliced 4 bay leaves 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon

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2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons brown sugar 3 ears of corn, kernels sliced off 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes ¾ cup pinto beans ¾ cup kidney beans ¾ cup black beans 1 12 ounce bottle pale beer 3-4 cups veggie broth or reserved bean juice

Soak the beans in 7 cups of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and add to a pot with 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer.

Cook for 1 hour or until tender.

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat and saute the onions and bell peppers for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapenos and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the bay leaves, spices, and salt. Add the corn, diced tomatoes,

1. Focaccia It’s always a crowd pleaser, especially hot and fresh out of the oven. Page 25.

cooked beans, beer, and veggie broth. Give it a big stir, bring it up to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.

Garnishes: grated cheddar cheese small diced onions chopped cilantro Makes 8 servings.

2. Cornbread Chocolate and orange. Rosewater and pistachios. Strawberries and cream. Chili and cornbread.

Page 37.

3. Waffles Kitschy sometimes works for me. Kitschy might sometimes work for you. Ladle the chili on top of the waffles. Page 39.

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Seasonal Frittata Seasonal Suggestions Spring: beans, asparagus, leeks, and basil Summer: corn, bell peppers, spinach, and parsley Fall: hard squash, collards, kale, thyme, and sage Winter: root veggies, broccoli, arugula, and rosemary 12 eggs Âź cup milk 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion 2 bell peppers 3 cups mushrooms 3 cups spinach 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried oregano s+p Preheat the oven to 400F. Medium dice the onion and bell peppers. Thinly slice the mushrooms.

Whisk the eggs and milk together. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large cast iron pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers for 10 minutes. Add the basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Pour in the eggs and stir to mix the veggies with the egg. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Place the cast iron pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the eggs aren’t runny anymore.

Makes 6 servings.

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1. Focaccia Looking to impress a certain someone by satisfying his or her’s belly? Page 25.

2. Waffles Breakfast for dinner? Page 39.

3. Potatoes A classic eggs and potatoes combination. Page 33.

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Vietnamese Chicken Curry Try buying whole chickens and butchering them at home. There’s less waste if you use the odd bits and ends, plus it’s cheaper than having someone else do it. Knowing how to butcher is both a resume builder and life skill. Note: Be sure to toast up some bread for the curry!

3 tablespoons curry powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs cut into

small pieces (or any chx cut) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons shallot, finely diced 2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced ½ teaspoon whole pepper 2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch

pieces and gently smash with the

flat side of a knife 1 2” knob peeled ginger, finely minced 2 ½ cups fresh chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth 2 tablespoons fish sauce ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk 1 onion, cut into 1/3” wedges 2 medium potatoes (about 1 pound),

large diced 5 bay leaves ½ cup asian basil leaves, chiffonaded 8 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2” pieces

Combine 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

In a medium pot, heat the oil on medium-low heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon of curry powder and stir for about 10 seconds. Raise the heat to medium, add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden brown. Add the whole pepper, lemongrass, ginger, bay leaves, and chicken stock.

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low for about 10 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces. Add the onions and potatoes.and cook for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not too soft. Add fish sauce and coconut milk.

Garnish with basil and cilantro.

Makes 8 servings.

1. Potatoes Unfailingly humble and heroic.

Page 33 will bring you the tots; always serve hot.

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2. Brown Rice Rice, no matter where and how I eat it, will always remind me of the home-cooked meals of my childhood. Rice was either leftovers in the fridge, staying warm in the rice cooker, on the table, or all three at once. Page 29.

3. Soy Garlic Soba Interested in making a dish with a similar flavor profile? If yes, then go to page 35.

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Shepherd’s Pie Call me old fashioned, but what about the meat and potatoes? As much as I adore veggies, I’m also a meat and potatoes gal and this is one dish where I can have them all in one spoonful. Mix it up a bit and throw some chaos into your veggie-phile kitchen!

6 sweet potatoes ½ cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 ½ pounds ground beef 1 large onion, medium diced 6 carrots 1 ½ cup frozen peas 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon fennel powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon allspice 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated s+p Make the mashed sweet potato top layer. Peel the sweet potatoes and add to a large pot of water. Bring the water up to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes with cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Prep the veggies. Medium dice the onion. Cut the carrots into ¼” pieces. Thaw the peas.

Make the ground beef bottom layer. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the ground beef and break it into smaller chunks.

Cook until lightly browned and almost cooked

1. Challah Round out your meat and potatoes supper with some bread.

Page 27.

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through; season with salt and pepper. Scoop the beef out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Use the fat left in the pan to saute the onions and carrots; season with fennel, oregano, allspice, salt and pepper. Add the peas, beef, and cornstarch. Mix and cook for a few minutes.

Pour the beef mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish. Spread the mashed sweet potatoes on top of the beef. Scatter the grated cheese on the potatoes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

Makes 12 servings.

2. Elote Very hearty, super messy, and entirely comforting could be your dinner theme. Page 59.

3. Quinoa This pie is on the heavy side, so if you want some more balance to your meal, the quinoa dish on page 31 is a good bet.

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Fish Tacos Do-it-yourself taco dinners are always a crowd pleaser. They are usually stress-free meals to prepare and always fun to eat. Note: The fixins aren’t the only things you can get creative with; try using a savory waffle as the shell (Page 40).

6 fillets tilapia 6 limes 2 cups vegetable oil 1 tablespoon chili powder s+p Taco Additions: cabbage lime cilantro onion fruit avocado tomato

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1. Elote If it’s summer and you’re in the grilling mood, go to page 58.

3. Quinoa

2. Waffles No overly cautious person can cook. Cooking requires a penchant for risk taking, an irreverent attitude, and a disposition for the quirky. Page 39.

Season the tilapia with salt and pepper. In a large glass container, whisk together chili powder, lime juice, and oil. Add the fillets to the oil and and let the tilapia marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Want something just as flavorful, healthy, and light as these fish tacos? Page 31.

Grill on medium-high heat or bake at 375F. Makes 6 servings.

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STARCH

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Focaccia Freshly baked bread is one of my favorite smells and it’s probably no coincidence that focaccia is one of my favorite foods. Focaccia is an incredibly versatile bread that sops up flavorful soups and stews wonderfully, in addition to evoking the unique and effervescent pine fragrance of rosemary.

4 teaspoons instant dry yeast 4 tablespoons honey 1 cup warm water, about 110F. 1/3 cup olive oil ¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped 2 tablespoons salt 3-4 cups all-purpose flour, more

if needed 1 tablespoon cornmeal 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt Preheat the oven to 375F. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, start proofing the dough by dissolving the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. When you come back, there should be foam at the top of the yeast mixture. If there isn’t, then the yeast didn’t proof properly, so start the process over again.

Connect a dough hook to the mixer. Turn the mixer on low speed and drizzle in the olive oil and add the chopped rosemary. Dissolve the salt in 3 tablespoons of water and add this to the dough. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add in 3 cups of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue adding the rest of the flour, a little bit at a time, only if needed.

1. Minestrone Because soup and bread just make sense. Page 45.

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The dough is done kneading when it starts to pull off the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.

The dough should be soft and stretchy, smooth like underarm flab.

Pull out the dough and form it into a round.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

After an hour, transfer the dough to a well floured surface. Roll out the dough into an even ¾” or 1” thickness. Transfer the rolled dough onto a cornmeal dusted sheet tray or a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes. Uncover the dough and brush the top with olive oil. Dimple the dough with your fingers, and sprinkle the top with kosher salt. There’s no such thing as too much rosemary in focaccia, so go ahead and more chopped herb if desired. Double up on sheet trays to prevent the bottom of the foccacia from burning. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the tray out, rotate the tray, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the dough is cooked and the top is a light golden brown.

Makes 1 loaf.

2. Ratatouille Potlucks are always fun. Page 49.

3. Roasted Brussel Sprouts If you’re looking for a crispy texture to complement the soft bread, go to page 57.

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Challah The word “companion” comes from the suffix con, meaning “with”, and the Latin root pane, meaning “bread”. Share a meal with your companions and break some challah together.

3 tablespoons instant dry yeast ¾ cup honey ½ cup warm water, about 110F. 7 cups all-purpose flour, more if needed 5 eggs 1 tablespoons salt ½ cup olive oil 1 egg, lightly beaten coarse kosher salt + poppy seeds Preheat the oven to 325F. In the mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer, start proofing the yeast by dissolving the yeast and honey in the warm water. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. When you come back, there should be foam at the top of the yeast mixture. If there isn’t, then the yeast did not proof properly, so start the process over again. It’s cool; it’s worth it.

Connect a dough hook to the mixer. Turn the mixer on low speed and crack in the eggs one at a time. Dissolve the salt in 2 tablespoons of water and drizzle in the salt and oil. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add in 6 cups of flour, occasionally scraping down the sides.

Continue adding the rest of the flour, a little bit

1. Minestrone It’s a universal fact, everyone loves soup and bread. Page 45.

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at a time, only if needed. The dough is done kneading when it starts to pull off the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. The dough should be soft and supple, smooth like a baby’s butt.

Pull out the dough and form it into a round.

Place the dough into an oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

After an hour, transfer the dough to a well floured surface. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Roll each piece into long strips about 1” in diameter. Tightly braid three strips together.

Pinch in the ends and tuck each end underneath the dough. Make two more braids with the remaining 6 pieces of dough. Transfer the three challah braids onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg and sprinkle the tops with poppy seeds and/or salt. Double up on the sheet trays to prevent the bottom of the challah from burning. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Take the tray out, rotate the tray, and bake for another 15 minutes or until the dough is cooked and the top is a light golden brown.

Break the bread.

Makes 3 loaves.

2. Ratatouille France and Italy share a mountain; I’m sure they can share a plate too. Page 49.

3. White Beans Feeling bad about consuming all that carb? Add some more protein to your meal. Page 51.

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Spinach Cumin Brown Rice I didn’t grow up with brown rice, but I’m a full believer in the nutritional benefits of whole grains and in healthy eating. Brown rice has a slightly chewy texture and a subtle nutty taste. I now cook with brown rice whenever I can.

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 2 cups brown rice 4 ¼ cups vegetable broth 1 cup frozen spinach

Thaw the spinach.

In a medium pot, heat the oil on medium-low and lightly toast the cumin seeds for 3 minutes. Toss in the brown rice and lightly toast the brown rice for 3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and spinach and give it a few stirs to mix the rice and spinach together. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover with a lid.

Cook for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Makes 4 cups.

1. Peanut Stew Help out the stew and give it a humble foundation to bask on.

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2. Miso Squash Use a few simple ingredients and let all of them sing.

3. Roasted Brussel Sprouts If you’re running out of space on the stovetop, cook some vegetables in the oven.

Add all of the ingredients in a medium pot and give it a few stirs. Crank up the heat, bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a lid.

Cook for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Makes 4 cups.

2 cups brown rice 1 cups coconut milk 3 ¼ cup water ½ cup shredded coconut ½ teaspoon turmeric

Coconut Brown Rice 30

Savory Quinoa Learning comes from all angles in a co-op kitchen. I was introduced to quinoa in the co-ops and have since then learned that is a healthy and complete protein and most importantly, that it is the tabula rasa of grains. WIth quinoa, the flavoring and seasoning options are endless.

2 cups quinoa 4 cups vegetable broth ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons olive oil.

1 large onion 2 bell peppers 2 yellow crookneck squashes 3 cups mushrooms ½ bunch cilantro s+p

Dice the onions and bell peppers. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and slice into ¼” pieces. Slice the mushrooms. Chop the cilantro.

In a medium pot, bring quinoa, vegetable broth, turmeric, paprika, and salt to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and tender. When done, turn off the heat and set the pot aside.

While the quinoa is cooking, cook the veggies.

In a wok, heat the olive oil on medium-high 31

heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers for 10 minutes, add the squash and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper after adding each set of vegetables. Add the cooked quinoa to the wok and toss everything together to incorporate all of the ingredients.

Makes 4 servings.

1. Peanut Stew Make an easy one pot dish.

Page 47.

3. Roasted Vegetables

2. Elote The price of corn is going to rise really soon, eat now while they’re cheap. Page 59.

If you want to keep things nice and simple. Page 53.

2 cups quinoa 5 cups soy milk ½ cup dried cranberries 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cardamom ¼ cup brown sugar 1 orange, zested 1 ½ cups blackberries, fresh or frozen

In a medium pot, bring quinoa, soy milk, cranberries, cinnamon, cardamom, brown sugar, and orange zest to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes and occasionally stir the quinoa. Add

the blackberries and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and cooked.

Makes 4 servings.

Oatmeal Quinoa 32

Potatoes The humble and modest potato doesn’t have to prove itself to me. Roasted taters are more than fine by me, no fanciness necessary. The edges of these tots make contact with hot, hot oil to get nice and crispy while leaving the innards soft and dreamy.

3 pounds potatoes olive oil s+p

Seasoning Suggestions: steak seasoning paprika garlic powder rosemary dried herbs

Cut the potatoes into ½” wedges.

On a sheet tray, toss the potatoes with a few glugs of olive oil. Coat the potatoes evenly with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the tray out, carefully flip the potatoes, rotate the tray, and bake for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes are crispy and tender.

Makes 4 servings.

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1. Ratatouille Hoping to have good leftovers for lunch the next few days?

Make a large batch of ratatouille. Page 39.

2. White Beans Healthy doesn’t always equate to boring; watch the color on the chard bleed onto the beans and potatoes. Page 51.

3. Roasted Vegetables You want something dependable; go back to the basics.

Page 53.

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Soy Garlic Soba It’s just like fried rice, all earthly buckwheat noodles subtle, twirled, entangled 8 eggs 12 ounces soba noodles 5 tablespoons sesame oil 2 yellow onions 4 carrots 8 cloves garlic 4 bok choys 1 cup frozen peas 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons fish sauce, optional ½ bunch cilantro 4 stalks green onion s+p Prep the scrambled eggs. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and season with salt and pepper.

Medium dice the onions and carrots. Chop the bok choy into ½” pieces. Chop the cilantro and green onions. Finely mince the garlic. Thaw the frozen peas.

In a wok, heat 3 tablespoons of sesame oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 10 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the peas and bok choy and cook until the greens are wilted. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce,

1. Miso Squash

2. Elote

and fish sauce.

While the veggies are cooking, cook the soba noodles and scramble the eggs.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and a glug of sesame oil to the boiling water. Soba only takes a few minutes to cook, so watch carefully. Drain the soba when they are al dente. Rinse with cold water.

In a small saucepan, scramble the eggs with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Set the cooked eggs aside.

Add the soba noodles and scrambled eggs to the wok and gently toss all of the ingredients together to heat the soba noodles through. Soba noodles are fragile, so be careful to not overcook or overwork.

Want more protein? Add tofu.

Makes 8 servings.

Miso is a good sweet and earthy If you want to eat with your pairing for the nutty soba. Page hands and want to watch other 55. people eat with their hands, then go to page 59.

3. Roasted Vegetables Cause there’s no such thing as too many vegetables. Page 53.

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Green Onion Cornbread When the house is low on produce or when students are in the eye of a finals week stress tornado, my go-to, low maintainence meal is chili and cornbread. It’s a tasty and comforting combo with a low-risk of causing food poisoning.

2 eggs 1 ¼ cups milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil ¼ cup honey 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 cup green onions, chopped

Honey Chili: ½ cup honey 1 tablespoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and honey.

utes or until a toothpick comes out clean when it is pierced in the center of the bread.

Makes 10 servings.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Add the chopped green onions and gently stir to incorporate.

Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Take the baking dish out, rotate, and bake for another 15 min-

1. Roasted Vegetables Your ovens just got fixed; you might as well get the most of them before they break down again. Page 53.

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2. Roasted Brussel Sprouts 3. Soy Garlic Coba “Green” onion cornbread is a sorry excuse for eating your daily greens. Page 57.

This soba dish is kinda a double whammy, a starch and veggie dish in one. Page 35.

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Waffles Having a dinner theme is a great way to frame your meal and to give foundation to brainstorm potential dish ideas.

My favorite theme? Breakfast for dinner. Sweetness tends to reign supreme, but I have no complaints there.

Basic Waffle: 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon salt 6 eggs 3 cups buttermilk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup olive oil In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking salt, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and oil. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Careful not to overwork the batter.

Heat up a waffle iron and spray it with nonstick spray or give it a quick smear with a cold stick ‘o butter. Ladle an appropriate amount of batter into the iron and cook until the waffle is done according to the waffle machine.

Makes 2 quarts of batter.

1. Elote Jalapeno, cheddar, and corn go very well together. Page 59.

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In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Add the cheese and jalapenos to the batter.

Careful not to overwork the batter.

Heat up a waffle iron and spray it with non-stick spray or give it a quick smear with a cold stick ‘o butter. Ladle an appropriate amount of batter into the iron and cook until the waffle is done according to the waffle machine.

Makes 2 quarts of batter.

Savory Waffle: 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cornmeal 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 tablespoon salt 6 eggs 3 cups buttermilk 2/3 cup olive oil 2 cups grated cheddar cheese 3 jalapeno peppers

2. Roasted Vegetables It’s the middle of autumn, make something hearty and rustic.

Page 53.

3. Miso Brown Sugar Squash Dinner doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to be good.

Page 55.

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CO-OP MUSH

TEA

JAR COFFEE

GRANOLA the

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VEGGIE

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Minestrone Soup always serve when hot, incongrous veggie shapes all fit in one pot

1 cup white beans 2 cups pasta 1/3 cup olive oil 1 onion 3 carrots 2 leeks 1 head fennel 6 cloves garlic 12 sprigs thyme 4 bay leaves 3 zucchini 2 cups asparagus 6 roma tomatoes 3 cups vegetable broth 1 ½ cups frozen peas 1 tablespoon salt

Prep the beans. Soak the white beans in 3 cups of water for at least 8 hours.

Drain the white beans and put the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and put a lid on the pot. Cook for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.

1. Berry Salad

Drain the white beans and reserve 2 cups of bean juice.

Prep the veggies. Medium dice the onion and carrots. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and chop into ½” pieces. Finely mince the garlic.

Trim the root off the fennel, cut it in half length-

2. Honey Mustard

You might have a soup because the Pair a classic soup with a clasweather is gloomy. Perhaps brigthen sic salad. page 67. it up with some summer fruit. Page 65.

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3. Mom’s Salad Does soup make you think of comfort food and your childhood.

Well so does this salad. For me, at least. Page 69

wise, and thinly slice. Quarter the zucchini and chop into ½” pieces. Chop the asparagus into 1” pieces. Thaw the frozen peas. Stem the thyme.

teaspoon of salt. Pour the reserved bean liquid, vegetable broth, and peas into the pot and stir.

Bring the soup to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium-low heat. Sweat the onions, leeks, carrots, and fennel for 15 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and saute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and asparagus and cook for 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the the tomatoes and 1

Meanwhile, cook the pasta. When the pasta is done cooking at the al dente stage, add the pasta to the soup along with the cooked white beans. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

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Peanut Stew This peanut stew was inspired by a former co-cook’s travels in Senegal. In addition to food, he also brought back the Senegalese eating tradition of sharing one large plate between two to four people. The communal aspect of sharing a plate is both fun and thrifty. Consider the peanut stew, a warm medley with an unremarkable appearance. This stew holds captive in the minds of its eaters not because of its aesthetics but because of its curiously soothing delivery: the underlying aroma of ginger and cumin, the velvety texture, the ribbons of cabbage.

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, medium diced 1 leek, cut into ¼” slices 6 carrots, cut into ¼” pieces 4 sweet potatoes, medium diced 2 jalapeno peppers 1 2’ knob ginger 2 teaspoons chili powder ½ cabbage head, shredded or ½ pound

brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 5 cups vegetable broth 2 teaspoons salt 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon 1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1. Mom’s Dressing

2. Kale Salad

In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat and saute onions, carrots, leeks, and salt. Add jalapenos, ginger, and spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, peanut butter, and veggie broth. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer on very, very low heat for 5 minutes. Add cabbage, cover with a lid, and continue simmering for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Peanut butter matches well with Brighten up the muddled peasoutheast Asian flavors. Page nutty stew with something 69. lemony. Page 75.

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3. Warm Grain Salad You have a big test tomorrow.

Don’t deprive yourself; eat a dinner that is nutritionally robust and boldly flavorful. Page 79.

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Ratatouille

With time, all of the colorful veggies in the stew meld together and become more harmonious.

Make a large batch and look forward to tasty leftovers. For the next couple of days, gently reheat the leftover ratatouille and you’ve got yourself a solid lunch.

1 eggplant 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions 6 cloves garlic 2 bell peppers 3 summer squash

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10 roma tomatoes ¼ cup oregano, chopped 6 sprigs thyme 1 bunch basil s+p

Medium dice the onions, bell peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. Cut the squash and cut into ¼” rounds. Finely mince the garlic. Chiffonade the basil.

1. Berry Salad Berries are fantastic all year round, fresh or frozen. Page 65.

2. Blue Cheese Salad You just woke up from a nap; just in time for dinner. Awaken your sense with some pungent cheese. Page 71.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat. Saute the onions and bell peppers for 7-8 minutes. Add the eggplant and garlic and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Add the squash and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and thyme; season with salt and pepper.

3. Arugala with Yogurt Do you think French cuisine should be on UNESCO’s World Heritage list? Page 73.

Reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the basil and stir and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

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White Beans and Chard 1 cup white beans 6 yukon gold potatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 bunch chard 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped s+p

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Soak the white beans in 3 cups of water for at least 8 hours.

Drain the white beans and put the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and put a lid on the pot. Cook for 1 hour or until tender.

1. Slaw

2. Berry Salad

3. Arugala with Yogurt

Match this soft and subtle dish A little sweetness could add with a crisp and tart salad. Page a nice dimension to this dish.

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Page 65.

Prep the veggies and herbs. Peel and large dice the potatoes. Rip the leaves off the stems of the chard and tear into small pieces.

Parboil the potatoes. Add the tots to a medium pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain.

Are you out of spring mix? Try arugula. Page 73.

In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes for 5 minutes, flip them, and cook for another few minutes. Add the beans and season with thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chard. Gently toss the mixture to cook the chard.

Makes 8 servings.

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Roasted Vegetables Roasting is my absolute favorite way of cooking veggies. The simplicity of the technique gets my attention and the intensified natural sweetness and depth of flavor keeps me coming back for more. I can’t say a bad word about the caramelizing and crisping that happens in the oven either.

6 carrots 1 head broccoli 4 sweet potatoes olive oil s+p 9 sprigs rosemary Chop the rosemary. Peel and cut the carrots in half lengthwise. Cut the stem off the head of broccoli and cut into bite-sized pieces. Large dice the sweet potatoes. Toss all of the vegetables into a large bowl with a few glugs of olive oil, enough to coat the vegetables, and add the chopped rosemary. Transfer the veggies onto a sheet tray.

Season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the veggies are slightly crisped at the edges and tender.

Makes 6 servings.

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Slow Roasted Tomatoes 8 roma tomatoes ½ cup ricotta 1 lemon 1 ½ tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon thyme 1 tablespoon oregano olive oil s+p

1. Honey Mustard Salad

Preheat oven to 375F. Stem the thyme and oregano and chop the herbs.

Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise. In a medium bowl, whisk the honey in a glug or two of olive oil. Toss the tomatoes in the honey-oil mixture. Use enough olive to just coat the tomatoes. Transfer the tomatoes to a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Sprinkle the thyme and oregano over the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Take the tray out and scoop a little ricotta over each tomato. Roast the tomatoes for another 10 minutes. Zest the lemon over the tomatoes and serve.

2. Warm Grain Salad

You want to appease the vegans Cause salads don’t deserve to with more protein. Page 67. be an afterthought. Page 79.

3. Blue Cheese Salad You haven’t gone out to eat a nice dinner in a while. Treat yourself to something refined.

Page 71.

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Miso Brown Sugar Squash Fall leaves adorn squash skin, hearty cheers to season’s harvest piles of sweet squash flesh

2 acorn squash 3 tablespoons miso paste ½ cup warm water ½ cup brown sugar s+p ½ bunch cilantro

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Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and cut it into ½” slices.

In a medium bowl, make a slushy with the miso paste and warm water. Toss the squash with the miso slushy.

Transfer the squash to a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Sprinkle brown sugar over the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender. Chop the cilantro. Sprinkle the cilantro over the squash when ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings.

1. Mom’s Dressing Miso marries well with mirin.

Page 69.

2. Kale Salad This savory salad stands up well to the savory squash. Page 75.

3. Warm Grain Salad The squash is quick to make; you have some time to spend on a complicated salad. Page 79.

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts solid half-moon greens tucked underneath warm blankets of golden crisp cheese 1 pound brussels sprouts ½ pound Parmesan cheese olive oil 2 teaspoons paprika s+p

Preheat oven to 425F. Grate the Parmesan cheese.

Trim the stems of the brussels sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Toss them in a medium bowl with a glug of olive oil and paprika.

Toss and evenly coat the brussels sprouts with

1. Honey Mustard Salad Both the sweetness of honey and the spiciness of mustard cut the richness of Parmesan very well. Page 67.

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oil. Transfer the veggies to a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over each brussels sprout. Roast for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

2. Arugala with Yogurt You just a got a fatty dairy delivery. Go wild. Page 73.

3. Skip to Dessert Forget the greens. Who cares about having a balanced meal?

Indulge. Pick any dessert.

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Elote Special Dinner is a themed social event that happens once a semester where an extravagant amount of food is prepared and served potluck style for the house to enjoy. It’s not uncommon for there to be two dozen dishes and a smorgasbord of obscure and hard-to-find ingredients. The whole drunken ordeal is a celebration of good food and friends. At my most memorable Special D, housemates Sean and Dylan, set up a grill on the porch and cranked out elote as an appetizer while the rest of the house was busy decorating the dining room and cooking up a storm.

8 ears of corn ½ cup cojito cheese 1/3 cup chili powder ½ cup crema ½ cup butter, melted 2 limes Preheat oven to 375.

Place the ears of corn on a sheet tray with the husks intact. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until the corn kernels are soft and tender. Remove the corn from the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes. Peel the husks and coat the corn with any or all of the toppings.

Makes 8 servings.

1. Slaw Have a picnic-style dinner on the roof or on the porch. Page 77.

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2. Kale Salad Focus on sauces tonight. So many condiments can go on corn and so many flavors can go on kale. Page 75.

3. White Beans You have salad every night.

Change it up today and make two veggie dishes. Page 51.

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SALAD

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Berry Salad You know summer has arrived when you see start to see strawberries at your favorite stands at the farmers’ market. You can look forward to leaving your shopping trips laden with strawberries and blackberries for the next couple of weeks.

Salad: 12 cups spring mix 3 cups fresh berries, sliced ¾ cup gorgonzola cheese 2 cups candied walnuts

Berry Dressing: 3 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon mustard 1/3 cup berry vinegar ½ cup walnut oil s+p

Preheat oven to 325F. Make the candied walnuts. Evenly distribute the walnuts on a sheet tray and toast for 15 minutes.

In a small sauce pot, add and stir together the rest of the ingredients on medium heat. Dissolve the sugar and cook for 10 minutes. Take the sugar off the heat and toss the walnuts in the sugar mixture. Spread the walnuts on a parchment paper lined sheet tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Take the tray out and let the walnuts cool. Store in an airtight container

1. Semifreddo Try this dessert out. Totally worth the effort. Page 89.

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Candied Walnuts: 2 cups walnut halves, shelled 1/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon clove 1 teaspoon cardamom 1/3 cup soymilk

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard. Add and whisk in the berry vinegar. Slowly drizzle and vigorously whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the spring mix, berries, crumbled gorgonzola, and candied walnuts in a large bowl. Drizzle the salad with half of the dressing. Lightly toss to evenly coat the lettuce with the dressing.

Add more dressing to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Unusual flavor pairings are fun.

Page 93.

3. Rice Pudding If you made quinoa for your starch, give this dessert a shot. Page 95.

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Spring Mix with Honey Mustard This nutritionally packed and multi-ingredient salad would make for a great light meal for several people to prepare together. One person can tackle the beans, another can whisk-up the dressing, a third can prep the greens and avocados, and a fourth can make the eggs and croutons.

Salad: 12 cups spring mix 1 cup alfalfa sprouts 2/3 cup chickpeas 2/3 cup kidney beans 4 tomatoes 3 ripe avocados 9 hardboiled eggs 4 cups croutons

Dressing: 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons mustard 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 2/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons salt

Soak the beans in 4 cups of water for at least 8 hours.

Drain the beans and put them in a medium pot with 8 cups of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce, and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are cooked through.

Slice the tomatoes in ¼” wedges. Thinly slice the avocados. Quarter the hard boiled eggs.

gether honey and mustard. Add and whisk in apple cider vinegar. Slowly drizzle and vigorously whisk in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the salad by making it look like a pie chart.

Makes 8 servings.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk to-

1.Semifreddo It’s a really hot day. So hot you spent 5 minutes in the walk-in “looking for the darn carrots”.

Page 89.

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2. Beet Cake

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Your house probably thinks they’ve eaten veggies in every way possible. Challenge ‘em.

Page 97.

Spring is in the air and allergies are attacking. Clear peoples’ sinuses with something spicy.

Page 93.

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Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing Yup, you guessed it. This is my mother’s famous salad dressing. The red onions are macerated in rice wine vinegar and get dunked in a lemony and peppery dressing.

Salad: 12 cups spring mix 2 cucumbers 6 tomatoes 9 hard boiled eggs

Vietnamese Vinaigrette: 8 tablespoons rice vinegar 8 tablespoons lime juice 8 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 small red onions, thinly sliced

Peel and cut the cucumbers into ¼” quarters.

Cut tomatoes into 1/3” wedges. Quarter the hard boiled eggs.

Make the dressing. Whisk all of the ingredients, except the thinly sliced red onions, together.

Add sliced red onions to dressing 15 minutes before tossing on to the salad.

Toss the spring mix, veggies, eggs, and half of the dressing together in a large serving bowl.

Add more dressing to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

1.Carrot Halwa Ice cream is in the house and it’s a big deal. Eat it with this dessert.

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2. Chai Donut

3. Rice Pudding

“Jess: Okay fine, tonight Indian food, but tomorrow Saturday Night Fever and Thai food.”

Gilmore Girls

It’s a cold day and it will be a long night of studying. Nurse a bowl of puddin’ with that Bourdieu.

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Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing The Berkeley Student Cooperative has a large collective buying power and is able to support small-scale farmers and increase demand for organic produce. Food, such as this salad, packs a punch when cooks give the same care and attention to preparing their meals as farmers do to growing and harvesting their crops.

Salad: 12 cups spinach 4 beets 2 cups walnut halves, shelled 1 large head cauliflower ½ cup blue cheese

Preheat oven to 325F. Prep the walnuts. Evenly distribute the walnuts on a sheet tray. Toast the walnuts for 15 minutes. Set the walnuts aside.

Raise the oven to 425F. Remove the stem of the cauliflower and cut the head into 1” wedges. Transfer the cauliflower wedges to the sheet tray used for the walnuts.

Pour a glug of olive oil over the cauliflower and toss the cauliflower around to get them evenly coated with oil. Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes

1. Que Es Eso Too much gluten lately? Page 99.

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Blue Cheese Dressing: 1 shallot 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons mustard 1 lemon, juiced 1/3 cup champagne vinegar ¾ cup blue cheese ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped s+p or until they are cooked and slightly crisp at the edges. Set the cauliflower aside.

Prep the beets by trimming the roots and stems.

Put the beets into a medium pot and add enough water to submerge the beets by 2”. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beets for 20 minutes or until fork tender.

Drain the beets and let them cool. Using a towel, peel off the skin of the beets. Cut the beets into ½” wedges.

2. Beet Cake

3. Berry Crumble

Do something different with the never ending amount of beets you get delivered to the house.

Page 97.

Started your dinner workshift late? Save some time with this easy peasy dessert. Page 85.

While the beets are boiling, make the dressing. Finely dice the shallot and put it in a small bowl with the champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Let the shallots macerate for 15 minutes.

In another small bowl, mash the blue cheese with the back of a spoon until it resembles a thick paste. Add the shallot and vinegar mixture. Whisk the blue cheese with the vinegar to incorporate. Slowly drizzle and vigorously whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsification.

Add the herbs to the dressing.

Toss the walnuts and beets in the dressing.

Transfer the walnuts and beets to a large bowl of spinach. Chop the cauliflower and add to the salad. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss to incorporate. Add more dressing according to taste. Crack some more black pepper over the salad.

Makes 8 servings.

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Arugala Salad with Yogurt Dressing In the midst of a powerhouse flavor battle between peppery arugula and tangy yogurt, sweet relief comes in the form of candied walnuts and crisp and cool cucumbers.

Salad: 12 cups arugula 1 cup alfalfa sprouts 3 cucumbers 2 cups candied pecans, follow can died nut recipe on page 65 2/3 cup feta, optional

Yogurt Dressing: 2 tablespoons honey 3 lemons, juiced ½ cup yogurt 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper ¼ cup dill, chopped

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lemon juice. Add and whisk in yogurt. Add cumin, salt, and black pepper.

Gently stir in the dill.

Skin the cucumbers and quarter them lengthsise; cut them into ¼” pieces. In a large bowl, toss the cucumbers with the arugula and alfalfa sprouts.

Pour half of the dressing over the salad and lightly toss. Add more dressing according to taste. Sprinkle candied pecans and feta on top.

Makes 8 servings.

1. Chai Donut This is the only fried thing in the book. Page 87.

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2. Que Es Eso

3. Berry Crumble

Running out of time, but are hankering for something sweet?

Make this. Page 99.

It’s always dependable and it has the unwavering ability to make you look good. Page 85.

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Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing I feel like a kid when I cook. There are so many bright and colorful fruits and veggies to transform, relish, and play with. I’m fond of using my hands, the best cooking utensils, and I’m not afraid of getting messy. Kale is a wonderful superfood with many hot and cold applications. The kale in this salad is adorned with roasted carrots, radish slivers, and a sprinkle of pinenuts and is rounded out with a nutty and tart dressing.

4 bunches kale, stems removed, sliced into

½” strips 5 carrots olive oil s+p 1 cup pinenuts ¾ cup capers vegetable oil for frying 12 breakfast radishes 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese Make the dressing. Mince and mash the garlic into a paste with a pinch of salt. Transfer the garlic into a small bowl. Add the tahini and mustard. Whisk well. Slowly drizzle and whisk in lemon juice, soy sauce, and water. The consistency should be runny and creamy.

Preheat oven to 325F. Toast the pinenuts.

Spread the pinenuts on a sheet tray and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Set the pinenuts aside.

Raise the oven to 425F. Prep the carrots. Peel

1. Rice Pudding Co-op mush is usually savory.

Change things up with some sweet co-op slop. Page 95.

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Lemon-Tahini Dressing: ½ cup tahini ¼ cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons dijon mustard 3 cloves garlic 3 tablespoon soy sauce ½ cup water and cut the carrots into 1/3” pieces. Transfer the carrots onto the sheet tray used for the pinenutes. Pour a glug of olive oil over the carrots and toss the carrots around to get them evenly coated with oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until cooked through and slightly crisp at the edges. Set the carrots aside.

In a small saucepot, add vegetable oil to a depth of 1” and heat the oil on medium-high heat until it reaches 325F. Carefully add half of the capers to the hot, hot oil and fry until the salty little buggers become crispy. A good indicator of when the capers are done frying is when the bubbles around the capers start to

2. Beet Cake

3. Berry Crumble

This dessert ain’t a piece of cake to make, but it’s an interesting one. page 97.

Don’t crumble to the stress of cooking a dinner for 50+ people. Page 85.

subside. The fried capers should resemble a blossomed flower and should definitely be crunchy not soggy. Fry the second batch. Set the capers aside.

Thinly slice the radishes.

Put the kale in a large bowl. Pour ½ of the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, massage the kale with the dressing.

Add a shower of roasted carrots, toasted pinenuts, fried capers, and radishes to the kale. Toss the ingredients around to get an even coat of dressing.

Add more dressing to taste.

Makes 8 servings.

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Slaw Have a picnic every now and then and bring this slaw along. A crunchy and colorful salad like this holds up well as an accompaniment to any al fresco dining party.

Peel off the outer layer of the brussels sprouts and trim off their stems. Shred the brussels sprouts and cabbage. Peel the carrots. Grate the carrots. Thinly slice the red onion. Slice the apples into ¼” wedges.

Slaw: 2 pounds brussels sprouts 4 carrots ½ head purple cabbage 2 green apples 1 red onion 1/3 cup dill, chopped Vinaigrette: ¼ cup pickle relish ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup red wine vinegar 2 lemons, juiced 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons mustard 2/3 cup olive oil 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

1. Kale Salad If you’re watching your diet, then so is the rest of the house.

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Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard. Add and whisk in apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle and vigorously whisk in the olive oil.

Toss the veggies, onion, apples, and chopped dill with ½ the dressing. Add more dressing according to taste. Let the salad rest in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie

3. Semifreddo

Chocolate makes everyone happy and tonight’s council is gonna be a long one.

This dessert is on point.

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Warm Grain Salad I hold the theory that individual wellness inspires community wellness. Making thoughtful and healthy food choices facilitates people’s ability to reach their physical and mental potential. Those choices can also be as colorful as this salad too!

Warm Grains: 1 ½ cups farro 1 cup green lentils 5 cups veggie broth 1 ½ cups almonds 4 ripe avocados 6 ears of corn

Caramelized Onions: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 small onions 1 tablespoon worchester sauce 1 tablespoon balsamic vin egar

Preheat the oven to 325F. Prep the almonds.

Evenly distribute the almonds on a sheet tray and toast them for 15 minutes. Let them cool and chop ‘em up.

Cook the farro. In a medium pot, bring the farro and 3 cups of veggie broth up to boil. Reduce, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the farro is cooked.

Cook the lentils. In another medium pot, bring the lentils and 2 cups of veggie broth up to a boil. Reduce, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.

While the farro and lentils are cooking, start caramelizing the onions. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on low. Add onions and saute for 20 minutes. Occasionally stir the onions.

Add a few tablespoons of water if needed. Add the balsamic vinegar and worchester sauce and

1. Carrot Halwa

2. Chai Donut

Dressing: 3 cloves garlic ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes,

not packed in oil ¾ cup olive oil ¼ cup almonds 2 lemons

continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the onions are nicely caramelized. Set onions aside.

Slice the kernels off the corn cobs and into a very large bowl. Dice the avocados and add them to the bowl of corn.

Make the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. In a small pot, heat the oil, garlic cloves, and sundried tomatoes on low for 15 minutes. Dump everything into a robo coupe or food processor and puree away. Juice the 2 lemons into the processor. Throw in the almonds.

Toss the farro, lentils, almonds, avocados, and caramelized onions in the large bowl the corn are sitting in. Scoop small dollops of the sun dried tomato vinaigrette over the farro salad.

Makes 12 servings.

3. Que Es Eso

All of the parts to the hobart Seemingly complex, but actually Your gluten free friend is commachine are clean. Take advan- easy. Page 87. ing over for dinner. Page 99. tage of this rare event and grate away. Page 91.

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Special Dinner

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DESSERT

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Berry Crumble The prospect of cooking for several dozen housemates for the first time was terrifying. My nascent cooking style in the early days could have been aptly described as bemusing and verdant. I would spend the first hour chopping onions and was a faucet spouting off a never-ending stream of questions. The one thing that saved me from getting kicked out of the kitchen was this berry crumble. In my opinion, it’s a classic co-op dessert that always impresses.

For the fruity, gooey innards: 9 cups (24-30 ounces) frozen blackber- ries 1 teaspoon cardamom 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced 1 cup powdered sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 lemons, zested 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch

For the crumble topping: 1 cup rolled oats 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour ¾ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cardamom 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon salt ¾ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.

dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Prep the fruity innards. Completely thaw the blackberries in a large bowl.

Take the blackberries out of the oven after they have been baking for 30 minutes. Carefully and evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the hot blackberries. Place the baking dish back in the oven and bake for another 50 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, powdered sugar, brown sugar, salt, zest, cardamom, and ginger.

Dump the dry ingredients over the blueberries and stir to combine. Pour the blueberry mixture into a 9” x 13” baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

While the berries are baking, make the crumble topping.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients but the butter. Drizzle the butter over the

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Let the crumble cool and rest for two hours.

Makes 12 servings.

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Chai Donut Holes Using one’s hands and playing with raw ingredients in order to craft something greater than the sum of its parts is deeply satisfying. I can take more flagrant liberties when I build and create than when I buy. These cakey donuts have a delicate crumb and are easy to make from scratch.

Note: Be careful of the skin-rupturing oil sputters. Don’t fry in the buff.

4 cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup sugar 4 tablespoons chai tea leaves, (or 1 tbs

ground ginger + 2 tbs cardamom

+ 1 tbs cinnamon) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 egg 1 egg white Ground the chai tea leaves in a coffee or spice grinder.

Prep the donut batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ¾ cup sugar, 4 tablespoons ground chai tea, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the egg and egg white until frothy. Whisk in the buttermilk and melted butter.

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. Gather the dough and transfer it onto a well floured cutting board.

Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to an even ½” thickness. Using a floured pastry scraper, cut the dough into 1” x 1” squares. Transfer the dough squares to a parchment paper lined sheet tray; create some space in between the dough squares. Put the donut holes in the fridge 87

1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons butter, melted vegetable oil for frying Chai-Sugar: 2 cups sugar 6 tablespoons chai teaves, (or 2 tbs

ground ginger, 2 tbs cardamom, 2

tbs cinnamon) to chill for at least 30 minutes.

Make the chai-sugar. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and 6 tablespoons of ground chai tea.

Pour canola oil into a cast iron pan to a depth of 2”. On medium-high heat, bring the oil temperature to 325F. Fry the dough squares in small batches, flipping the dough once or twice in the oil, about 3 minutes of frying time. When the donuts are done frying, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the bowl of chai-sugar. Try to drain the donuts over the hot oil when taking them out of the frying pan. Toss the donuts in the chai-sugar.

Makes about 40 donuts holes.

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Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo Creamy and decadent, this half-frozen dessert is the closest thing you’ll get to ice cream and without the hassle of using a machine. The whimsical layers of fudge highlight the light earl grey custard texture as it slips around your tongue and melts in the heat of your mouth.

2 cups heavy whipping cream 5 tablespoons earl grey tea leaves 6 egg yolks 4 egg whites ¾ cup sugar, divided into ½ cup and ¼ cup ¾ cup chocolate chips 1/3 cup heavy cream Steep the earl grey in heavy cream.

In a small pot, bring the cream and earl grey tea leaves to a gentle simmer over low heat.

Simmer for 10 minutes, careful not to scald the cream. Pour the cream in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the tea leaves steep for 20 minutes. Strain the cream and press the tea leaves into the sieve to extract all of the liquid.

Let it cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Make the whipped cream component.

In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 1 ½ cups earl grey-infused cream on medium speed to form soft peaks. Put the bowl in the fridge to keep cold.

Make the egg custard component.

In another medium bowl, beat together egg yolks and ½ cup sugar. Set the bowl over a pot with simmering water and continue to vigorously beat the egg yolks until the thermometer reaches 160F, about 4-6 minutes. The yolks should be thick, creamy, pale yellow, and doubled in volume. Put the bowl in an ice water bath to cool down the yolks.

Make the chocolate ganache component.

In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate chips 89

over a sauce pot with simmering water. Once melted, whisk in 1/3 cup heavy cream and remove the bowl and set it to the side.

Make the beaten egg whites component.

In a clean medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and slowly pour in ¼ cup sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites until they become stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes.

Make the put-it-all-together component. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap. Gently fold in the early grey-infused whipped cream into the egg yolks. Then gently fold in the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Streaks are okay.

Pour and spread 1/3 of the chocolate ganache into the bottom of the loaf pan. Pour and spread 1/3 of the semifreddo mixture into the pan.

Drizzle 1/3 of the melted chocolate over the mixture. Take a fork and rake the surface of the semifreddo a few times to evenly marble the chocolate. Pour another 1/3 of the semifreddo mixture into the pan. Drizzle the last of the chocolate ganache and marble again. Pour in the last of the semifreddo mixture. Cover the top with plastic wrap Freeze the semifreddo for at least 6 hours. To serve, invert the semifreddo and peel off the plastic wrap and slice. Or skip the formalities and spoon the semifreddo right out of the pan and into your lover’s mouth.

Makes 6 servings.

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Carrot Halwa One of my favorite aspects about the Berkeley Student Cooperative is that it only purchases organic fruits and vegetables. Co-opers have constant access to the season’s best produce and in a year’s time will have eaten an innumerable range of produce varietals. Carrots are one of the few veggies that can be found in the fridge all year round. To prevent carrot boredom, new uses for the ubiquitous root veggie are perpetually emerging from the kitchen. People get really creative with veggies, and this halwa is no exception. Note: Great drooped over vanilla ice cream.

3 cups carrots, peeled and grated 2 cups coconut milk ½ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cardamom Bring carrots and coconut milk to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for about 20 minutes. Add sugar and cardamom and simmer on low until most of the liquid has absorbed and evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups.

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Habanero Glaze This habanero glaze was inspired by a fellow cook who was concocting all sorts of experimental spirits and nosh using ghost peppers. Some of those things included a ghost pepper infused vodka and a ghost pepper buttercream. The communal aspect of cooperative living inspires the sharing of new ideas.

Cookie Dough; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 ½ cups brown sugar ½ cup butter, softened ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups rolled oats 1 cup chocolate chips Habanero Glaze; 2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup milk 3 habanero peppers, thinly sliced

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Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon.

In an electric stand mixer, on medium speed, cream together butter, sugar, and oil. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract.

Slowly dump in the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and continue beating for a few for seconds. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips, careful not to overwork the batter.

Drop large spoonful amounts of batter onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Make sure to leave some space in between each cookie.

Bake in the oven for about 12-15 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, make the glaze.

In a very small pot, combine milk and peppers, seeds included. Simmer the milk on low for 10 minutes; be careful not to scald the milk. Strain the milk and press the peppers against the sieve to extract all of the liquid.

Let the milk cool and cover the container with plastic wrap. Pull away the film floating on top.

Whisk 4 tablespoons of milk into a small bowl of powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies.

Makes about 18 cookies.

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Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with Poached Figs Eating is not just about the food. My favorite aspect of dinner isn’t what’s on the plate but rather socializing with housemates over our plates. The social element of co-op dinners really promotes a healthy and vibrant community.

Puddin’; 3 ½ cups soy milk 3 ½ cups coconut milk, divided into 1 ½ cups + 1 cup + 1 cup 2 cups brown rice 1 large orange, zested large pinch of salt 1 tablespoon cardamom ½ cup brown sugar 2 cups coconut milk, extra In a medium pot over medium heat, stir together soy milk, 1 ½ cups coconut milk, rice, orange zest, salt, cardamom, and sugar.

Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat to very low, and cover.

Cook until rice has absorbed the liquid and is steaming and creamy, about 30 minutes.

Add 1 cup coconut milk and stir to incorporate. Cook covered for another 10 minutes or until rice is cooked. Take the pot off the heat and serve with the poached figs and the extra cup of coconut milk.

Makes 8 servings.

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Poached Figs: 24 ripe figs 1 cups sugar ½ teaspoon salt 4 cups water In a small pot, bring the figs, sugar, salt, and water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with the lid slightly ajar for about 30 minutes. Make sure liquid level doesn’t go below the fig level.

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Chocolate Beet Cake with Basil Ganache How keen are your taste buds? The fun part about this cake is having people guess where the peculiar veggie taste comes from. The beets and avocados give this dessert a healthy veil and make the cake super moist.

Cake Batter: 4 small beets ½ cup butter, softened 1 ½ cups brown sugar 2 eggs 2 ripe avocados, mashed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup cocoa powder 1 cup buttermilk 2 cups all-purpose flour

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Ganache: 1 cup chocolate chips 1 cup heavy whipping cream ½ cup basil, roughly chopped and bruised In a small saucepan, bring cream and chopped basil to a gentle simmer over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, careful not to scald the cream.

Pour the cream in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let the basil steep for 20 minutes.

Strain the cream, and press the basil leaves into the sieve to extract all of the liquid. Let the cream cool down, then refrigerate.

Prep the beets by trimming off their roots. Place them in a small pot filled with water. Boil them for 30 minutes or until the beets are tender. A fork should be able to easily pierce through the center. Drain and let the beets cool down. Using a towel, peel off the skin of the beets. Grate the beets.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9” x 13” baking dish.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Using an electric stand mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy. At high speed, add the eggs one at a time. Mash the avocados and add them to the mixing bowl.

Slowly pour in 1/3 of flour mixture. Slowly pour in 1/3 of buttermilk mixture. Repeat two more times. Scrape down the sides and beat for a few more seconds to thoroughly mix the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Rotate the cake halfway through baking.

While the cake is cooling, make basil ganache.

Put the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Reheat the basil-infused cream in a small saucepot. Pour ¾ cup cream over the chocolate and whisk to melt the chocolate.

Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Pour the ganache over the cake.

Makes 12 servings.

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Que Es Eso Que es eso translates to “what is it?”. The namesake of the recipe comes from not knowing what to call these shape shifting gluten-free cookies. Even though I have made this chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness dozens of times, I have never come up with a suitable name to give it, so que es eso always seems to stick. ½ olive oil 1 ½ cups brown sugar 5 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup soy milk or almond milk 1 cup crunchy peanut butter 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 3 cups rolled oats In a medium pot, heat the oil on medium heat.

Stir in the brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt, soy milk, and vanilla. When everything is incorporated, add the peanut butter and rolled oats.

Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients together.

Take the pot off the heat. Drop large spoonful amounts of batter onto a parchment paper lined sheet tray. Put the cookies in the fridge to chill and firm up for at least 30 minutes.

Makes about 30 cookies.

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SUNDAY Teriyaki Tofu Stir-fried Broccoli + Mushroom Couscous with Almonds + Raisons Rice + Squash Casserole

MONDAY Waffle Fried Tofu Fried chicken Cole Slaw Gumbo

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Eggplant Stew Mashed Beets + Potatoes Roasted Sweet Potatoes Vegan Pot Pie Baked Falafel

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY Coleslaw Captain Crunch Chicken Hot dog Mac n Cheese Barbeque Tofu Beet Salad PB&J Crumble

THURSDAY

Naan Kugel Potato Patties Roasted Bell Peppers + Tomatoes Spinach with Goat Cheese Roasted Zucchini + Onions

FRIDAY

Green Bean Salad Everything in a pot Quinoa Plum + Rhubarb Crumble 102 Cornbread with Bananas Spinach Salad

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SNACK

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Pancake Almond Granola Clusters The secret to these clusters is the pancake syrup. The one of a kind maple flavor enriches every granola nook and cranny and goes down the gullet with a sweet touch. Using oat flour and compressing the oats before they go into the oven helps the granola become hefty chunks. These clusters and their endless cavity of baked oats are ideal for anytime and anywhere snackage.

6 cups rolled oats 1 ½ cups oat flour 2 cups almonds, chopped ½ cup olive oil 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup pancake syrup ¼ cup agave syrup 1/8 cup vanilla extract 1 tablespoon salt

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Preheat oven to 325F. Very lightly oil a half sheet tray In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, and almonds.

In a small pot, over low heat, whisk together the rest of the ingredients until well combined.

Pour the warm sugar and oil mixture over the dry oats. Using your hands, combine the ingredients to create an evenly coated and sticky mixture.

Pour the oats onto the sheet tray and press the oats into one even layer. Bake for 1 hour, rotating the tray every 15 minutes. After 1 hour, take the tray out and cut the granola into small 4� squares using a pastry blade. Do this quickly. Put the granola back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Take the granola out and let it cool completely before storing it in a container.

Makes about 7 cups.

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Cinnamon Cardamom Granola Homemade granola is a life saver. Granola is a great study food, snack food, pre-dinner tideyou-over food, and you’re-too-lazy-to-prepare-anything-decent food. Note: Try mixing granola with frozen blueberries, chocolate chips, and yogurt!

6 cups rolled oats ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup olive oil ½ cup agave syrup ¼ cup brown rice syrup 1/8 cup vanilla extract 1 tablespoon salt 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon 1 ½ tablespoons cardamom Preheat oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats and brown sugar.

Make the lava hot sugar mixture. In a small pot, over low heat, whisk together the rest of the ingredients until well mixed.

Pour the hot sugar and oil mixture over the dry oats. Using your hands, mix the two together to create a mixture that is evenly coated and sticky.

Pour the wet oats onto a lightly oiled quarter sheet tray. Bake for 45 minutes -1 hour, flipping the oats around every 15 minutes to get an even toastiness.

Makes 6 cups.

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Some Fun Additions: shredded coconut sesame seeds flax meal flax seeds citrus zest nuts dried fruit chocolate chips (immediately add to the granola after it is completely done cooking in the oven, combine the melting chocolate with the granola by stirring the warm mixture together)

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2 pints strawberries ž pint cherry tomatoes 4 green onions 1 jalapeno pepper 1 lime, juiced 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 tablespoon honey 4 tablespoons mint, chopped s+p Core and dice the strawberries. Halve or quarter the tomatoes. Thinly chop the green onions.

Finely dice the jalapeno.

In a medium bowl, combine the diced strawberries, diced tomatoes, and chopped green onions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the jalapenos, lime juice, cinnamon, honey, and mint.

Pour the wet ingredients over the strawberries and gentyl toss to combine. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Makes about 3 cups.

I’m totally into well executed fruit and meat pairings. There’s something romantic about naturally sweet and ultra fresh fruit coupling with perfectly seared and super moist meat.

Strawberry Salsa

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Grind the rice in a spice grinder. Put the ground rice, water, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla in a large container and let it soak in the fridge for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, strain the rice and top off the horchata with milk to taste Makes 8 servings.

The kitchen is the heart of the house. At any hour of the day, you can always find someone in the kitchen in the midst of a saute or a leftover reheat.

New dishes are constantly being created and old dishes are continually being refined. Horchata is a never ending exercise in finding the perfect balance between cinnamon, sugar, and milk. Make a large batch and imbibe with others.

Horchata 111

16 cups water 8 cups white rice 8 tablespoons cinnamon 4 cups sugar 4 tablespoons vanilla extract milk

Thai Iced Tea 16 cups water 1 cup black tea leaves (or Thai

tea leaves) 4 star anise 2 cinnamon sticks 4 cardamom pods ½ cup honey 2 cups evaporated milk 2 cups coconut milk

Iced cubes on hot days, thai tea will quench your yearning for sweet heat relief

In a large pot, bring water, spices, and honey to a boil. Throw in tea leaves and continue to boil for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the tea leaves steep for 20 minutes. Strain and cool.

If you are using Thai tea leaves, then omit the spices. In a measuring cup, stir together evaporated milk and coconut milk. To serve, pour tea over ice and top off with milk mixture.

Makes 8 servings.

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Nectarine Chutney Last summer nectars, a chutney to bridge from sweet warmth to first autumn spice 8 ripe nectarines 2 jalapeno peppers 1 cup apple cider vinegar 8 green onions 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and

finely minced 4 tablespoons brown sugar ½ cup water

Cut the nectarines into 1/3� segments. Finely dice the jalapenos. Thinly chop the greens onions.

In a medium pot, stir together all of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat down to a low simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Occasionally stir the nectarines.

Makes 3 cups.

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Tomato Salsa Chunky and loaded with bright flavors, this sauce is perfect scrambled in eggs for breakfast, over a steamy bowl of rice and beans for lunch, scooped up on tortilla chips for snack, and nestled in tacos for dinner. Sleep, heat, and repeat.

3 pints cherry tomatoes 1 small red onion 1 bunch cilantro 2 jalapeno pepper 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon honey 2 limes, juiced s+p Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Small dice the red onion. Stem and roughly chop the cilantro. De-seed and finely dice the jalapenos.

Gently toss all of the ingredients together. Season to taste with the lime juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 6 cups.

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Vietnamese Pickled Carrots The wonders of pickling extend beyond the cucumber. Pickling brines are a fascinating medium that preserves and infuses fruits and veggies with a high voltage sour and salty kick. Pickled foods are great for cutting through rich foods and piquing interest. Pickled carrots are splendid in banh mi sandwiches and marvelous as a fixin on eggs-in-a-basket.

6 carrots 2 teaspoons salt 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup rice wine vinegar 1 cup water

Julienne the carrots and throw them into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar. There should be enough liquid to submerge the carrots. Let the carrots marinate in the brine overnight. Store the carrots with the vinegar brine in jar in the fridge.

Makes about 4 cups.

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Spanish Rice and Beans Having a store of rice and beans in the fridge is key to surviving busy days, laziness, and/or a shortage of pantry staples and produce. It’s tasty, filling, and packed with carbs and protein.

1 cup black beans 4 bay leaves ¼ cup of olive oil 2 yellow onions, medium diced 2 bell peppers, cored and medium diced 2 garlic cloves, finely minced 2 jalapeno peppers, finely diced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups brown rice 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes,

about 1 ¾ cups 2 cups veggie broth 1 lime ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Soak the black beans in 3 cups of water for at least 8 hours.

Drain the black beans and put the beans in a medium pot with 6 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce, simmer, and cover with a lid.

Cook for at least 1 hour.

Drain the black beans and reserve 2 cups of bean juice.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Sweat the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and jalapenos for about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in the brown rice, cook for another 5 minutes while continuously stirring. Pour in the cooked black beans, the can of undrained diced tomatoes, veggies broth, and 2 cups of reserved bean juice. Give it one big mix. Bring to a boil, reduce, simmer, and cover with a lid. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Squeeze in the lime juice. Throw in the chopped cilantro and mix.

Makes 5 cups.

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Yogurt Yogurt can have a lot of varying characteristics such as tartness, thickness, creaminess, and smoothness. Making homemade yogurt and other kitchen staples are a lot more cost effective and a lot less wasteful. Note: How your homemade yogurt tastes depends on how the starter culture tastes. For a thicker yogurt consistency, hold off on the stirring the yogurt until after you scoop off the solids that collect at the top during incubation and leave a little liquid behind. Or incubate for a few more hours for a thicker consistency. Texture is a result of the process and the milk fat content. Whole milk will yield a thicker yogurt than non-fat milk.

1 gallon milk ½ cup yogurt starter 2/3 cup milk powder Equipment: 2 gallon stainless street pot with a lid ≥ 2 gallon aluminum pot with a diameter no more than 3” larger than the diameter of the stainless steel pot candy/frying thermometer whisk tongs 2 blankets that insulate well Basic Recipe: Boil water in the 2 gallon stainless steel pot and sterilize the thermometer and whisk in the boiling water.

Pour the boiling water from the stainless steel pot into the aluminum pot.

Pour the milk into the stainless steel pot. Use the aluminum pot as a double boiler to heat the milk.

Heat the milk to 180F. Cool the milk in an ice bath until is reaches 125F. Remove the milk from the ice, whisk in 2/3 cup milk powder and add ½ cup starter yogurt.

Cover with aluminum pot with a large sheet of foil. Put the lid over the foil and on the pot.

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In the morning, stir the yogurt, pour it into smaller containers, and refrigerate.

Honey Chamomile Yogurt: 6 tablespoons chamomile tea 3 tea bags ½ cup honey

Tangerine Yogurt: 4 tangerines (zest of one tangerine per quart of yogurt)

Pack 2 tablespoons of chamomile into each tea bag and make sure to tie the tea bags securely.

After the yogurt is done incubating overnight, add in the zest of four tangerines and stir.

After you whisk in the milk powder and yogurt starter, throw in the tea bags and honey.

Tightly wrap the blankets around the pot.

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Beer Mustard In the co-ops, we favor the DIY attitude and make foods from scratch whenever we can. It keeps the processed foods and their chemicals out of the pantry. Mustard is easy peasy to make. This recipe makes a huge batch and gives your sandwiches a dynamic sweet, spicy, and earthy twist.

Note: Other unusual DIY homemade treats you can venture into making next could be bacon, beer, and jams.

1 cup yellow mustard seeds 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 1 12 ounce bottle of chocolate stout (or

any stout or pale ale beer) 3 tablespoons honey (or more) 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper ½ teaspoon cardamom ½ teaspoon cloves

Dump everything into a sealable jar and stir.

Tightly seal the mustard containing vessel.

Let the seeds sit for 2 days at room temperature.

Transfer the mixture to a robo coupe or food processor. Process for 15-20 minutes and occasionally scrape down the sides.

Put the mustard into a sealable jar and stick it in the fridge.

Makes 2 cups.

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Cilantro Hummus Hummus is a fantastic quick to grab, filling, and versatile snack. Awesome with veggies and filled in sandwiches, hummus is full of protein and wholesome flavor.

2 cups chickpeas 1 ½ cups tahini 2 lemons, juiced 4 cloves garlic, mashed into

a paste with salt 1 tablespoon cumin 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon

baking soda 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed salt olive oil paprika

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In a large container, soak beans in 6 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda for at least 8 hours in the fridge.

beans are soft and tender. Drain the beans and reserve some cooking liquid. Let the beans cool for 5 minutes.

Drain the beans. Pour the beans in a large pot with 12 cups of cold water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce, simmer, and cover. Cook for at least 1 hour or until

Put the beans into a food processor or robo coupe and pulse. Pour in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt to taste. Continue to pulse until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1 tablespoon of bean juice at a time if the hummus is too thick.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a dust of paprika.

Makes 3 cups.

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The Unscripted, Unabridged, and Unapologetic Conversation between four seasoned co-opers who consider the kitchen their second home and enjoy the taste of canned beer a little too much. Please meet Max, Meggie, and Adam.

Max has an alcohol collection too large for the cardboard box they are stored in and owns the Modernist Cuisine, a 6 volume series written by Nathan Myhrvold on the “art and science of cooking�.

Meggie likes making popcorn and has the tendency to dribble off on some multi-dimensioned and acutely perceptive observation while bantering about a broken toaster and other such nonsense.

Adam dreams of whiskey in his sleep and owns an enviable collection of plaid shirts and cardigans.

Cameo appearances by Shirin and Shane.

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The four of us have been members of the Berkeley Student Cooperative for a combined 8 years and have lived in a total of 5 different houses. All of us started our first semester in the co-ops either in the spring or fall of 2010. We have all cooked co-op dinners as our workshift and have all been guilty, at least once or twice, of feeding our housemates something we would not eat ourselves.

The dining room air is thick with a post-dinner haze resulting from gluttonous third and fourth helpings and reluctant sweeping and mopping. We decide to transition into the night by shooting the shit over a leftover peanut butter & jelly crumble and numerous lukewarm cans of Coors Light. Here is a window into the star-spangled world of co-op food.

08.07.12 | 08:30pm | Castro’s Dining Room1 Max and Ben cooked dinner tonight.2 The theme was “white trash”. The meal consisted of a beet salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, Vegenaise coleslaw, corn saute, hot dog mac and cheese, vegan barbecue tofu mac and cheese, Cap’n Crunch fried chicken, and a peanut butter & jelly crumble. Dinner is served at 7:00pm 6 days a week (Sunday through Friday) and they are always made by two members of the house. Cooks place the dinner they make on a long table in the dining room and people serves themselves by standing in a moving line on both sides of the table. Every semester, each pair of cooks gets a $30 budget to spend however they want. Max and Ben chose to spend their money on beer, hot dogs, and Cap ‘n Crunch cereal.

Max: I was definitely the nerdy kid in high school.

Meggie: I was in the belly dancing club.

Max: I started the fencing club and was president of the chess club.

Adam: I did a few clubs. I had two crowds. I did all these extracurricular activities and then I’d go with the bad kids and ditch, and do graffiti, and get in fights and shit.

Meggie: It was a good dinner Max. Heather: Yeah, thanks for the dinner.

Adam: And thanks for this second round of beer.

Max: Thanks guys. I was hoping there would be some mac and cheese left.

Meggie: Any left?

Max: No, all gone.

Meggie: Too classic to be leftovers.

Meggie: What inspired this dinner of yours?

Max: I’ve been wanting to do a fratty dinner for awhile.

Heather: What does that mean?

Max: Exactly. It would just be beer battering everything. Or something to that effect. Hot dogs and stuff. And then we decided to take it a step further and do white trash. I dated a girl who was kinda trashy. She’s from Stockton and she introduced me to Cap’n Crunch fried chicken and we had to make that.

Adam: Ooohh shit.

Max: And we tried to make the meal well rounded, so hot dogs, mac and cheese.

Shirin: I really liked the mac and cheese, Max.3 Max: It was good, yeah? It kind of worked.

Shirin [pointing at the pb & j crumble]: I didn’t like this.

Meggie: Oh, I loved this. I love gimmicky food like this.

Heather: Gimmicky like popcorn. That’s right up your alley. You make popcorn all the time, at least once a day, and at any time of the day for that matter.

Shirin: I think it was very authentic white trash. I guess the problem is is that I don’t like white trash food. I’m too brown to handle it. No, I’m jk-ing. I really liked the mac and cheese. I liked both versions of the mac.

Max: Right, so one had tofu and one had hot dogs.

The tofu and barbecue sauce was like caramelized barbecue.

Meggie: So what did you do? Take barbecue sauce and put sugar in it and heat it up?

Max: Nahh, I just cooked it a long time. I reduced it a lot so it became a thick paste. Like , like a barbecue, grilled, pasty tofu thing.

Heather: Did you put the tofu in with the sauce when you reduced it?

Max: It was onions, garlic, paprika, and then tofu, fried that up, then got the barbecue sauce on it so it was like fried all ready and then had sauce around it.

Adam: Fresh.

Meggie: All good things.

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over all. The peanut butter & jelly crumble thing, though. I really enjoyed that.

Max: So all the white trash things you liked. Everything else was normal co-op food.

Shane: Exactly. Fuck the beets.

Meggie: Kyra, Kyra was so happy. She was in the line and she said all excitedly, “Why didn’t they say there were beets here?!”

Max: Because we started them at 7:10pm (dinner is supposed to be served at 7:00pm). I just made a salad by cutting them up them really fast and dumping them on some lettuce.

Heather: Kyra was really appalled when she heard about the white trash dinner theme tonight. She was really unhappy. She was like, “Mmmm, didn’t we have that a couple of days ago?”

Meggie: Ohh, it was the politics of it?

Heather: No, it was just that she wanted vegetables and not the fried food things.

Max: We went through like 5-6 sticks of butter and 4 cups of Veganaise.

Meggie: 4 cups of Veganaise?!

Max: We played some beer pong before, too.

Adam: Were you wearing sunglasses the whole time you were cooking?

Max: I wanted to buy a beer, then I thought I should Max: Yeah, well no, just part of it. get Ben. I got Ben and we were just going to buy Meggie: So you were setting the mood. Yeah the beer. Ideally, we would have made everything with whole chicken and waffles thing is really popular, beer in it. We wouldn’t have made salad, but peoI feel like. ple would have been angry.

Max: I didn’t want to make waffles.

Heather: You wouldn’t have made “Ideally, we Heather: 50 waffles is a lot. “soup”.

Max: It was supposed to be gravy. would have Max: It’s a lot, it’s a lot.

Heather: Sometimes you feel ambitious and Heather: Haha, I know.

Shane: Are you guys recording your made every- want to do a whole lotta stuff, and other conversation?4 thing with times you want to keep it simple.

Meggie: I’ll never forget the night when a Max: Yeah, you’re in it. beer in it.” certain someone got off of work and didn’t Shane: Ohh, cool, what’s the topic? feel like cooking anymore and so she just Meggie: Food. made one large dish of everything. She was like, Max: We’re talking about tonight’s dinner.

“I’m putting everything in it and I’m putting it in the Heather: What’d you think about the food tonight? biggest thing we have.”

Shane: I enjoyed the hot dog pasta. It was like mac Adam: Was that you? and cheese but with meat. The fried chicken things Heather: Yeah. were sweet like honey. l enjoyed that. I have the Meggie: It was awesome. unfortunate habit of not being able to control eatHeather: But the thing though, is that it was planned ing appetizers as I go through the dinner line, so the night before. I said, “Let’s just make one single by the time I exit the dinner line I already had two dish with every single vegetable and every kind of servings of coleslaw. produce we have. Everything in one pot.” And I All: Hahaha. told my co-cook that this is what I wanted to do.

Shane: I couldn’t eat anymore, which hurt the meal Meggie: Yeah that corn was that classic, like lunch, like hot lunch at school corn.

Heather: Oh man, that was forever ago, where you had to fork open the plastic wrap.

Adam: Did you ever have the plastic milk packets where you had to pop it with a straw?

Max: Like Capri Suns.

Adam: I used to throw them at kids. We were bad, yeah.

Max: You were like a really shitty kid, weren’t you?

Adam: I was part of the rugrat gang.

Max: Oohkay.

Adam: 24-7 Meggie: I’m not surprised.

Adam: And then fake it in the front, going to class, doing that shit. Just making it happen. And then getting away with stuff.

Meggie: Getting away with shit.

Max: I never get away with shit. Today, I parked over there for 2 ½ hours and didn’t get a ticket.

That’s actually a big deal.

Adam: Yeah, they’re always on point.

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I mean, I planned to do this. He was dubious the entire time. He thought I was joking. Even during cooking he was still unsure whether this was going down or not. I was like, “Why not?”

Adam: So it was a stir fry with all types of shit in it.

Heather: It was in one or two pots, but it was only one single dish.

Adam: This summer right?

Heather: No, this spring. It was quinoa with everything you could think of.

Meggie: Don’t get me wrong here. Don’t get me wrong. Mark my words. I walked in and I was like, “Noooo. Yes? YES!” And then I put a huge pile on my plate. It was an insult to the courses of a meal. It was degenerate cooking, and I was so into it.

Adam: What was the meal made of exactly?

Heather: I don’t remember, I don’t know. Basically the goal for me was to use every single kind of produce we had. That was the goal. Put it in one pot.

Put it in one dish.

Max: What did you guys season that with?

Heather: Everything; sriracha, chili sauce...

Adam: Nutritional yeast.

Max: How do you decide what works when you have all that?

Heather: It was the epitome of co-op slop. And it was the easiest recipe: Everything.

Max: But when you have to use celery with apples...

Adam: That’s a dish right there.

Max: ... with grapefruit peel, then what do you do?

Heather: Then you’ve probably never had it before and that’s why you can’t wrap your head around it.

I mean you’ve had attempts at co-op slop, but they were all trying to do something else. This was no imposter.

Adam: Have you heard of this place called ‘wichcraft?

Heather: Yeah, I’ve been there before.

Adam: I went there today. It’s a cool joint. Sandwich and salad joint.

Heather: Yeah, it’s Tom Colicchio’s place.

Meggie: Was it like Ike’s?

Heather: No. Adam: It was nicer sandwiches.

Heather: Ike’s has huge, big, tasty sandwiches but this place is a tad bit more refined. Not massive sandwiches.

Meggie: Answer this question. Answer this, yes or no. Did they have aioli?

Adam: Yes. Meggie: It’s like the “aioli effect”. When there’s aioli somewhere, it says a certain thing about the place.

Max: We don’t use mustard. We use aaiooli...

Heather: But all aioli is, is that it has garlic. It sounds fancier. Some people don’t know what it is.

Meggie: It’s good.

Heather: People love fancy. Like you Max, you like fancy.

Meggie: But you can do white trash too. It’s an admirable trait.

Max: Haha, very, very well rounded.

Meggie: I went to this hot dog stand in the financial district this one time. Really funny place. The people there just don’t give a shit about you. I‘m pretty sure I asked for a veggie dog, and I’m pretty sure they give me a real dog. I think they give everyone who orders veggie dog a real hot dog, just to spite them.

Heather: Did they even smirk?

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would joke and tell us to put ketchup on it because Meggie: No, they have done it so many times probwe think it’s natural to put it on everything. It’s like ably.

Americans think ketchup is an actual tomato. “Don’t Max: It just takes one asshole on the line. worry, use ketchup! There’s your vegetable for the Meggie: Today, you eat meat! I ate it. Whatever. day!” he’d say. He kept being a snob and saying Heather: The customer is not always right. that we slather everything with barbecue sauce and Meggie: The thing that I was thinking about was the he was not into it. According to him we use ketchup condiment thing. They had a curry ketchup. Crazy. and barbecue sauce way too much.5 Heather: So currywurst, the German snack food.

Meggie: Sometimes I forget that It’s this sausage that’s slathered in this curry ketchup; it’s a typical street food “I walked in and I these things exist. Maybe it’s the there. was like, “Noooo. nature of being in a co-op. But sometimes I’d be like, “Oh yeah, I Meggie: That’s where they got it then.

Yes? YES!” And could put barbecue sauce on it and Max: There’s this one place that was then I put a huge then it would taste good because trying to be the most american restaurant. What is american food like? pile on my plate. It that is a familiar taste to me.”

Heather: It’s kind of incredible how Hamburgers, hot dogs, fried food, but was an insult to the many ingredients we have and that all of them use ketchup. So they just came up with this restaurant that had courses of a meal. we could really just whip up any30 kinds of ketchup. There’s an old It was degenerate thing. But people tend to have their school anchovy ketchup, a normal to- cooking, and I was go-to quick fixes…

Max: Saves time. mato based one, a plum based one. so into it.”

Heather: …when they pack their Heather: Where was this? lunch or whatever. So Jenny today, Max: I don’t know. I heard about it a she just had this one huge, long jar and had these while ago. three carrots in it that were poking out almost and Meggie: That would be so much fun. then she proceeded to put in every leftover we had Heather: You take a kid there... so it created this strata of leftovers.

Meggie: Or take me there.

Max: You know, like one of those souvenirs with Heather: Nico kept joking about our use of ketchup different colored sands in a jar. Yeah, it was one while he was here. Anytime we had a dinner withof those. out a lot of vegetables or a lot of green on it, he Heather: Yeah, but with three carrots that pierced through all levels; there was hummus, couscous, and everything else. And these things completely engulfed the carrots.

Meggie: So the carrots were holding down the structure of these strata? There’s a name for that.

There’s a dessert like that, that’s layered...

Heather: A parfait? A trifle?

Meggie: A parfait, yeah, yeah. Something like that.

Heather: At first I thought she was going to pickle the carrots.

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“Are you going to pickle that, Jenny?”

- Heather “No, no I’m not going to be here for dinner.” - Jenny

and my mom was like, “Meggie, they’re just gonna feed you potatoes and pasta because they want to brainwash you!”

Max and Heather: Hahaha.

Meggie: They gave me carbs all day and you’re like so blehhh. Oh, I’m always wary of that. The Heather: Then I turned away for a moment and co-ops, are they just secretly giving me potatoes to looked back and saw that she had five other things brainwash me? I don’t even know. in it.

Heather: And that has just stuck with you.

Meggie: That’s cool. That’s so great that we live in Meggie: It’s kinda true. It’s just true out of utility. You a place like this. don’t buy the soft tofu because we need something Heather: Leftovers in a jar, otherwise known as dinhearty to feed lots of people. It’s just a weird social ner. control thing that enters in when you’re feeding lots of people at once. That’s why it’s so important we Max: I feel like raw food is just not okay. It’s like a have some many cooks. salad. It’s what a salad is. If you eat raw food as Max: It’s just that what I make for my house is so your meal, it’s not satisfying. different than what I would make for myself. When Heather: It’s not at all.

I cook for myself, I cook weird things. I also like Meggie: I’ve tried. I’ve tried. At first, when I first unusual pairings. joined the co-ops I was really into that because we Heather: That’s kind of the opposite for me. One of had so much. Did you go through that phase, too? the things I absolutely, absolutely love about cookHeather: I think I did. I tried out being vegan for a ing for the co-ops is that I can experiment and I take month. It was my first semester at Cloyne and I was full advantage of that because… cooking a vegan night and I had noticed we were Meggie: People eat everything. eating a lot of tofu and vegetarian food. I simply Heather: …people eat everything and I love experisaid, “Why not? I’ll try it out and see how long I menting. can do this.” I did it for a couple of weeks and told Max: I just feel bad. myself I could stick it out for a whole month. And it Heather: But I don’t feel bad. l like challenging really wasn’t that hard because you don’t have that people. I like putting it out there and challenging much meat in a co-op. That’s it. You have a lot of people. tofu. You have a lot of vegetables.

Max: Yeah, okay.

Max: I hate tofu.

Meggie: You hate tofu?!

“The co-ops, are Heather: You know, hey, try out this cinnamon and cauliflower.

Max: I hate tofu.

Meggie: As a vegetarian who doesn’t they just secretly Like, why not? really give a shit about food politics… giving me po- Meggie: Like when you put coffee everything.

Max: I like soft tofu. tatoes to brain- in Heather: Yes! Meggie: You do?

Max: I do. wash me? I don’t Max: When I experiment, the food ends up really bad.

Meggie: I think soft tofu soaks up flaeven know.”

Heather: There’s definitely a risk vors nicely. There’s something about it. to it, for sure. For example, if Heather: Soft tofu has a very decadent you’re trying a technique you’ve never done betexture to it. Silky. Custardy. fore, there’s a greater chance of messing up. MessMeggie: Custardy. ing with spices and flavors can be more forgiving.

Heather: But we’ve never gotten it, ever. And why, Sometimes the new technique won’t even work at I’m not sure. Perhaps because it’s more difficult to all. The dish won’t cook or it will burn. make and therefore more expensive?

Max: That’s what we were talking about earlier. I Meggie: It doesn’t last that long. It’s not that carby. love food pairings.

And then that addresses my whole concern. I went Meggie: So the experimentation happens at the off to this weird teen institute when I was younger 132

Max [shouting across the room]: Let it cool and soplanning stage? Or while you’re actually cooking? lidify and scrape the butter off the top of it!

Max: A lot of it is impromptu. I’m not going to do Adam [shrugs his shoulders]: All the flavor is in the weird things. fat.

Meggie: Ha, just broil this butter.

Heather: He wants the butter.

Heather: Broiled butter, haha. But let’s be real, it’s Heather: I really like experimenting when I cook probably been done before. dinners. I try to cook things I’ve never made before.

Meggie: I love broiling things. And I love butter.

Max: Making the same dinner sucks.

Let’s broil butter!

Adam: At Kingman, I cooked with a lot of other All: Haha. people, head cooks and assistant cooks. It’s great Meggie: Texture, right? to cook with others. You get different ideas.6 Max: I mean I’ve never made anything that I’ve made today before, except the salad. But I don’t Heather: I’ve learned a lot from all really consider that experimenting.

“It’s just that of the people I’ve cooked with over Heather: There are a couple of things that I really try to do when I what I make for the last couple of years. I’ve cooked with someone who liked to cook recook. 1) Experiment with flavors. 2) my house is so ally, really simple dishes. Roast this Try not to cook anything I’ve made different than vegetable, roast that vegetable. Anbefore. But I’ve definitely broken this other person I cooked with at Cloyne one because there are some things what I would also bussed tables at Chez Panisse that I really like to make. I happen make for myself. and would come home super into really like making focaccia; I’ve made it at least once every semester When I cook for spired by the family meals she ate there. She was w ambitious and so I’ve cooked. myself, I cook was I. So what ended up happening Max: For the most part, I try to cook things I’ve never made before. weird things. I with us was that when we cooked dinner together she was often in her Heather: I think it helps. I learn a lot. also like unusual own world and in her own corner In a way I’m learning but at the risk working on her thing. I would do the of what the house is eating. I get in pairings.” same and just focus on my own dish. what’s needed though. You get your It wasn’t as collaborative with her as protein. You get your starch. with the others cooks I’ve worked with. It was a lot Max: Right now, I like to make things that you usumore collaborative with Eliya. Eliya and I would ally buy. Like today, we made our own grape jelly. come up with the meal together and do the dishes It wasn’t that good. together. She would do a part of it and I would do Meggie: It tasted like jam. That’s remarkable that I a part of it.7 could actually recognize the taste of it. It was homeShane [rolls eyes and scoffs]: And oatmeal every made. I feel like flavors tend to dissipate when you week. do that. It was good, I liked it.

Heather: Haha.

Max: It was like a pb & j. Breadcrumbs and butter Shane: Oatmeal mush every week! and peanut butter and jam. That’s it.

Adam: Like grits or just oatmeal?

Heather: What was in the “soup”?

Heather: It was this thing called “que es eso” which Max: We put 2 sticks of butter and a bunch of flour means “what is it?” Eliya was gluten free, which and tried to make a roux. was a huge challenge for me because I didn’t want Meggie: Anything cathartic happen? to cook anything she couldn’t eat. The “que es eso” was this no bake cookie. It had lots of oats in it, so (Adam has left the table and is nuking his cup of no flour or anything like that. She made that once soup in the microwave.) and she really liked it, so I said, “Yeah let’s do (Max knows how much butter went into that “soup” that every single week.” And every single week we and is trying to prevent him from eating his own made that. Sometimes we had an extra dessert in doom.)

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addition to that, but we also had that “que es eso”.

We made sure we had that; it was a complete meal if we had that.

Adam: That was another one of the challenges I encountered. It was adapting recipes to people’s allergies. I made a lot of gluten-free dishes.

Shane: I thought the “que es eso” was no cool. Because when you’re cooking for groups it’s so much work that there’s a tendency to just not care. To say, “I don’t care. Screw it, I don’t care about my customers” is rude because they’re your customers.

Max: The business major speaks again Shane: On the other hand, don’t screw with your people like that and provide a novelty week in and week out. I can say in the last week, I applaud you for your consistency and I thought the consistency itself provided a lot of the humor, but week in and week out, I thought, “Why?!”

Heather: Some people liked it, some people didn’t like it. But it was really for Eliya who was glutenfree. We also sometimes had a real dessert. The “que es eso” was something we always whipped up in the last 10 minutes.

Adam: What is a gluten allergy?

Max: I think it’s a virus and your body goes fucking crazy and you go into anaphylactic shock a lot of the times.

Adam: I thought it was a gas.

Max: That’s an intolerance like lactose intolerance

but this is a legitimate allergy your immune system can’t take.

Meggie: Celiac disease is when your intestines can’t process it. They didn’t even know about it until …[looking at Shane shove four books under the sling protecting his fractured arm]..that arm is really broken. My dad has celiac disease and he can’t process it.

Max: I couldn’t live like that.

Adam: There was someone in the house at Kingman who had a whole list of things she couldn’t eat. She would throw olives in her oatmeal. She would do shit like that to get her protein in her meals.

Meggie: Fuck that.

Adam: She would make sandwiches in seaweed wrap.

Meggie: I’m sorry, but that is a lifestyle change!

That fucks with your dopamine levels when you don’t get the same happiness out of food that you usually do.

Heather: That’s true.

Meggie: That’s fucking scary ass shit.

Max: There’s that story of that one chef who got tongue cancer and who couldn’t taste anything.

Heather: Oh, that’s Achatz. He has one of the most renowned restaurants for molecular gastronomy.

Adam: No tongue?

Max: He talks fine, yeah.

Meggie: Who went deaf? The musician?

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Max: Beethoven.

Max: I mean if you ate and plugged your nose, you probably wouldn’t like it as much. You could still Meggie: Yeah, he still composed. There’s still hope. eat it but...

Max: But yeah, it’s kinda interesting. With Meggie: I mean, I know I can’t smell very well. I Beethoven, nothing really changed though. He have a deviated septum. [looking at Adam] You knew what everything sounded like. He was just have one too right? making the same sounds basically.

Max: Too much cocaine Meggie: You think food making is different?

Meggie: It just got pushed over… clogged one.

Max: Well, Grant Achatz started doing weird stuff.

Anyways.

He does molecular grastronomy, so it’s all about Heather: I try to eat slower. novelty and pairing food in different ways and you Max [referring to the empty beer cans on the table]: focus on texture and doing things very precisely Want another one? and the best that could be done. And obviously flaMeggie: No, I shouldn’t, thanks. You try to eat slowvor is really important but it’s a very different way er? You actively try to eat slower. of approaching food.

Heather: I know I eat faster than I would like. I scarf Meggie: Do you mean it’s not as bad as it sounds? down food too often. I would like to just sit down for Max: He’s still okay. No, well, it’s pretty terrible I a moment in the day and enjoy the meal very slowthink. You can’t taste things. If you taste each morsel. But also have “I need to stop ly, make something new maybe you a nice time in the day to sit down, can really appreciate the texture or stabbing my fork relax, and enjoy good conversation. something but you can’t taste it. in two different Adam: I do that. I do that with my Meggie: So it’s all about the differbreakfast. I’m a slow a breakfast things at once.” eater. Just sit down, drink coffee. ent, new combinations.

Max: I’m sure he approaches food Heather: I’ve done that a lot more differently now. this summer.

Heather: If you lost your sense of smell, how much Meggie: It sounds like you want to pay more attenwould that affect eating? tion to the newspaper and the people around your Max: Huge. food.

Heather: Do you just look at a plate of food and Heather: Yeah, that’s a lot of it. I need to stop stabjust pick the most nutritionally valuable food bebing my fork in two different things at once. cause taste doesn’t really matter? If you can’t enjoy Adam: Okay. a hot dog, then why ever eat it again?

Heather: I think that’s how it was for a lot of people Meggie: Well smell isn’t all taste either because I at Cloyne because at Cloyne you serve dinner on can’t really smell that well. the tables and people would jump on each other to Max: It’s like 80%. You taste things but smell adds grab any food they could get.8 all the complexity to it. Smell prepares you for the Adam: Pure savagery at its best. taste. Smell kind of frames everything that you taste.

Meggie: The first time you cooked a dinner at Meggie: I disagree. Sometimes I like to eat foods Cloyne, were you flattered? Were you scared to as fast as I can. In fact, I usually eat foods as fast death? as I can; that is how I eat food and I don’t smell it.

Heather: I was really, really nervous the first few I smell things just to make sure they’re not rotten. times I cooked. I didn’t know what to cook and Max: Even when it’s in your mouth though. Anydidn’t know how to portion things properly. I had to thing that’s volatile, you’re not tasting it, you’re ask Michael, my co-head cook, how many onions smelling it technically. You’re not really tasting as to chop up. 9 And when we served dinner, I would much as you’re smelling, kind of. immediately leave the dining room and run away.

Meggie: So even when it’s in my mouth? When I’m I couldn’t handle watching people eat my food. I just shoving things in my mouth, I’m smelling it too? touched everything that was going into people’s Max: Yeah. mouths. Nope, I couldn’t handle it. Now, I feel a lot Adam: Haha. Deep stuff. more comfortable. I have an idea of what I want to 135

cook and know how to portion things. Cause now, I really want to know what people think of the food that I cook. I wish there were a way for people to be more vocal about what they think. Having something like VOC’s for cooks or something like that, that could be good.10 Max: I know I really like rich foods and a lot of people don’t. Actually, I don’t know if I want people’s feedback.

Meggie: We used to do that at Hoyt during tempweek for cooking workshifts.

Heather: Davis does that too.

Meggie: The kitchen managers would take feedback on every meal and would make decisions on who the cooks were going to be based on the feedback. So if people really didn’t like it, they would voice their opinion.

Heather: Have a little competition.

Max: People just have different styles of cooking.

I could make really light vegan food but I’d rather not cause I couldn’t cook it as well. And when I’m co-op cooking, I like cooking for myself too.

Meggie: When I cooked at Hoyt, I remember I was so giddy about making food. It was just a chemistry with my cook kind of thing. We just tried to make really strange meals. Every meal had a theme. Our most famous meal was called “topsy turvy”. It was very complicated. It was so hard to explain that we stopped explaining it to people and we’d just say, “Just come to the meal.” We would put all of the forms of different things with different dishes. It’s like genre versus instruments. We took the pasta, the lasagna, and put them into cupcake tins. We served a salad like meat, like slabs of cabbage.11 Adam and Heather: Okay.

Meggie: It was so bad. It was so bad. But we did shit like that all the time. Wicked stupid things.

Heather: Haha, I love doing that. But it does depend on who you’re cooking with and how down they are. I like coming up with more experimental things but it totally depends because some people are “Yeah!” and some people are expecting a more balanced dinner.

Meggie: Yeah, that’s the thing. Stop with the fucking fanciness! My final opinion on it after living through this for 2 ½ years is: Do not fuck with my dinner. Just give me good dinner. I like the experimental stuff but if I had me as a cook two years

ago, I would say, “Get out of the kitchen! What are you doing? What are you doing right now?”

Heather: Did you ever get any feedback?

Meggie: It was a house of girls. I don’t really know.

I don’t really know what was going on.

Adam: It was just Hoyt.

Meggie: It was Hoyt.

Meggie: If people didn’t like your food, they would just straight up not get in line and make a bagel and put like cheese and ice cream on top of it and leave. They would eat it in their room. They would not even give a shit if you saw them.

Meggie: One time I put salt instead of sugar in a bread pudding…

All: Oooohh, haha.

Meggie: …everyone was all crowded around me.

When you take something out of the oven, everyone gets so excited. Everybody has their spoon, they’re eating it, and everybody who tries it makes this face…

I’m thinking, “Oh my god, what?”

They’re like, “It’s suuuuper salty.”

And I’m like, “Fuck....”

Meggie: …and I start freaking out and by the time I look up to see what’s happening next they were all crowded around the ice cream. They didn’t give a shit and I was like, “What?”

1 Castro: A 56-person co-op on the south side of campus 2 Ben: Max’s co-cook at Castro, summer 2012 3 Shirin: Opinionated eater and Castro resident, fall 2010

and summer 2012 4 Shane: Impatient eater and Castro resident, spring

2010 - fall 2012 5 Nico: French foreign exchange student and Castro

resident, spring - summer 2012 6 Kingman: A 50-person co-op on the north side of campus 7 Eliya: Heather’s co-cook at Castro, fall 2011 8 Cloyne: A 149-person co-op on the north side of campus 9 Michael: Heather’s co-head cook at Cloyne, fall 2010 10 VOC = Vote of Confidence. Online polling system used

to give house members the ability to dish out

anonymous feedback to house level managers.

11 Hoyt: A 60-person all women’s co-op on the north side

of campus 136

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Index

6 Days of Co-op Dinner, 101

a agave Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 alfalfa sprouts Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 allspice, 17 almonds Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Warm Grain Salad, 79 apples, 77 apple cider vinegar Beer Mustard, 123 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Slaw, 77 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 arugula, 73 Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 asparagus, 45 avocado Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Warm Grain Salad, 79

b baking powder Basic Waffle, 39 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Savory Waffle, 40 baking soda Basic Waffle, 39 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Cilantro Hummus, 125 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

139

Habanero Glaze, 93 Savory Waffle, 40 balsamic vinegar, 79 Basic Waffle, 39 basil Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Ratatouille, 49 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 bay leaves Minestrone Soup, 45 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Veggie Bean Chili Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 beans Minestrone Soup, 45 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 White Beans and Chard, 51 beef, 17 beer Beer Mustard, 123 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Beer Mustard, 123 beets Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 bell pepper Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Ratatouille, 49 Savory Quinoa, 31 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Berkeley Student Cooperative Carrot Halwa, 91 Conversation, 127 Book Introduction, 1 Personal Introduction, 145 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Berkeley Student Food Collective, 9 Berry Crumble, 85 Berry Salad, 65 berry vinegar, 65 beverages Horchata, 111

Thai Iced Tea, 112 Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 blackberries Berry Crumble, 85 Berry Salad, 65 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 blue cheese, 71 bok choy, 35 bread Challah, 27 Focaccia, 25 broccoli, 53 broth, chicken, 15 broth, veggie Minestrone Soup, 45 Peanut Stew, 47 Savory Quinoa, 31 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice, 29 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Warm Grain Salad, 79 brown rice. See rice brown rice syrup, 107 brussels sprouts Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 57 Slaw, 77 butter Berry Crumble, 85 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Elote, 59 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 buttermilk Basic Waffle, 39 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Savory Waffle, 40

c cabbage Peanut Stew, 47 Slaw, 77 capers, 75 cardamom, ground Beer Mustard, 123

Berry Crumble, 85 Berry Salad, 65 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs Carrot Halwa, 91 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 cardamom, pods, 112 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with Poached Figs, 95 carrots Carrot Halwa, 91 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Minestrone Soup, 45 Peanut Stew, 47 Pickled Vietnamese Carrots, 117 Roasted Vegetables, 53 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Slaw, 77 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Carrot Halwa, 91 cauliflower Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Challah, 27 champagne vinegar, 71 chard, 51 cheddar cheese Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Savory Waffle, 40 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 cheese Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Berry Salad, 65 Elote, 59 Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 57 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Savory Waffle, 40 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 chicken, 15 chickpeas Cilantro Hummus, 125 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 chili flakes, 7 chili powder Elote, 59 Fish Tacos, 19 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Peanut Stew, 47 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 chocolate Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93

Chocolate Beet Cake with Basil Ganache, 97 cilantro Cilantro Hummus, 125 Miso Brown Sugar Squash, 55 Savory Quinoa, 31 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tomato Salsa, 115 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 Cilantro Hummus, 125 cinnamon, ground Berry Salad, 65 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Horchata, 111 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 Peanut Stew, 47 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 cinnamon, sticks, 112 cloves Beer Mustard, 123 Berry Salad, 65 cocoa powder Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Que Es Eso, 99 coconut milk Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Carrot Halwa, 91 Coconut Brown Rice, 30 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Thai Iced Tea, 112 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 coconut, shredded, 30 Coconut Brown Rice, 30 cojito cheese, 59 condiments Beer Mustard, 123 Cilantro Hummus, 125 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Tomato Salsa, 115 Vietnamese Pickled Carrots, 117 Conversation, The, 127 coriander Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 corn Elote, 59 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Warm Grain Salad, 79 cornmeal Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Savory Waffle, 40

cornstarch Berry Crumble, 85 Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 cranberries, 32 crema, 59 croutons, 67 cucumber Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 cumin, ground Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Cilantro Hummus, 125 Peanut Stew, 47 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Tomato Salsa, 115 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 cumin seed, 29 curry Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15

d dill Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Slaw, 77 dressings

e

Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 eggplant, 49 eggs Basic Waffle, 39 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Challah, 27 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Savory Waffle, 40 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Elote, 59 evaporated milk, 112

f farro, 79 fennel, 45

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fennel powder, 17 feta, 73 figs, 95 fish, 19 Fish Tacos, 19 fish sauce Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 flour, all-purpose Basic Waffle, 39 Berry Crumble, 85 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Challah, 27 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Focaccia, 25 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Savory Waffle, 40 flour, oat, 105 flour, whole wheat pastry flour, 85 Focaccia, 25 fruit Berry Crumble, 85 Berry Salad, 65 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Tangerine Yogurt, 121

g Garden, The, 61 garlic Cilantro Hummus, 125 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Minestrone Soup, 45 Ratatouille, 49 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 Warm Grain Salad, 79 ginger, fresh Berry Crumble, 85 Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Peanut Stew, 47 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 ginger, ground, 85 gorgonzola cheese, 65

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Grains Guide green onions Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Green Onion Cornbread, 37

h habaneros, 93 heavy cream Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 herbs. See herb names hoisin sauce, 35 honey Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Beer Mustard, 123 Berry Salad, 65 Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Challah, 27 Focaccia, 25 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Slaw, 77 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Thai Iced Tea, 112 Tomato Salsa, 115 Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Horchata, 111

i ice cream yes, please

j jalapenos Nectarine Chutney, 113 Peanut Stew, 47 Savory Waffle, 40 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tomato Salsa, 115 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Jar, The, 41

k kale Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 kosher salt Challah, 27 Focaccia, 25

l leeks Minestrone Soup, 45 Peanut Stew, 47 lemon Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Berry Crumble, 85 Cilantro Hummus, 125 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Slaw, 77 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Warm Grain Salad, 79 lemongrass, 15 lentils, 79 lime Elote, 59 Fish Tacos, 19 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tomato Salsa, 115

m maple syrup, 105 milk, dairy. See soy milk or rice milk Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Tangerine Yogurt, 121 milk powder Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Tangerine Yogurt, 121 Minestrone Soup, 45 mint, 109 Miso Brown Sugar Squash, 55 miso paste Miso Brown Sugar Squash, 55 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9

mushrooms Savory Quinoa, 31 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 mustard Berry Salad, 65 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Slaw, 77 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 mustard seeds, 123

n nectarines, 113 noodles, 9 nutmeg Berry Salad, 65 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 nuts Berry Salad, 65 Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Warm Grain Salad, 79

o Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 oats Berry Crumble, 85 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Que Es Eso, 99 oils. See oil names olive oil Basic Waffle, 39 Challah, 27 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Focaccia, 25 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Minestrone Soup, 45 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Peanut Stew, 47 Que Es Eso, 99 Ratatouille, 49 Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 57 Roasted Potatoes, 33 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Roasted Vegetables, 53

Savory Quinoa, 31 Savory Waffle, 40 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Slaw, 77 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice, 29 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 Warm Grain Salad, 79 White Beans and Chard, 51 onion Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Minestrone Soup, 45 Peanut Stew, 47 Ratatouille, 49 Savory Quinoa, 31 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 Warm Grain Salad, 79 onion, red Slaw, 77 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Tomato Salsa, 115 orange Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 oregano Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Seasonal Frittata, 11 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 White Beans and Chard, 51

p pancake syrup, 105 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 paprika Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 57 Savory Quinoa, 31 Parmesan cheese, 57 pasta Minestrone Soup, 45 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 parsley, 71 peanuts, 47

peanut butter Peanut Stew, 47 Que Es Eso, 99 Peanut Stew, 47 peas Minestrone Soup, 45 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 pecans, 73 peppercorns Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 pickle relish, 77 pickling, 117 pinenuts, 75 Plates, The, 21 poppy seeds, 27 potatoes Roasted Potatoes, 33 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 White Beans and Chard, 51 potatoes, sweet Peanut Stew, 47 Roasted Vegetables, 53 Shepherd’s Pie, 17

q Que Es Eso, 99 quinoa Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 Savory Quinoa, 31

r radish, 75 Ratatouille, 49 red wine vinegar, 77 rice, brown Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Coconut Brown Rice, 30 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice, 29 rice, white, 111 rice milk, 9 rice wine vinegar Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Pickled Vietnamese Carrots, 117 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 ricotta, 54 Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 57 Roasted Potatoes, 33 Roasted Tomatoes, 54

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Roasted Vegetables, 53 rosemary Focaccia, 25 Roasted Vegetables, 53

s Savory Quinoa, 31 Savory Waffle, 40 Seasonal Frittata, 11 sesame oil Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 shallots Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 Shepherd’s Pie, 17 Slaw, 77 soba, 35 soup, 45 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 soy milk Berry Salad, 65 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 Que Es Eso, 99 soy sauce Black Pepper Tempeh, 7 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Soy Garlic Soba, 35 Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Special Dinner and Special Brunch spices. See spice names spinach Seasonal Frittata, 11 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice, 29 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 Spinach Cumin Brown Rice, 29 Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 spring mix Berry Salad, 65 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Spring Mix with Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 squash, winter Miso Brown Sugar Squash, 55 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 squash, summer Minestrone Soup, 45 Ratatouille, 49 Savory Quinoa, 31 star anise, 112 stock, chicken, 15

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strawberries Berry Salad, 65 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Strawberry Salsa, 109 sugar, brown Berry Crumble, 85 Berry Salad, 65 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Carrot Halwa, 91 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Miso Brown Sugar Squash, 55 Nectarine Chutney, 113 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 Oatmeal Quinoa, 32 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Que Es Eso, 99 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 sugar, powdered Berry Crumble, 85 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with

Habanero Glaze, 93 sugar, white Basic Waffle, 39 Berry Salad, 65 Cardamom Orange Rice Pudding with

Poached Figs, 95 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 Horchata, 111 Pickled Vietnamese Carrots, 117 Savory Waffle, 40 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 sweet potatoes. See potato

t tahini Cilantro Hummus, 125 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Que Es Eso, 99 tangerines, 121 Tangerine Yogurt, 121 tarragon, 71 tea Chai Donut Holes, 87 Earl Grey Fudge Semifreddo, 89 Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Thai Iced Tea, 112 tempeh, 7 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Thai Iced Tea, 112 thyme

Minestrone Soup, 45 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese Dressing, 71 White Beans and Chard, 51 tofu Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 Tofu, Kale, and Squash Lasagna, 9 tomatoes, fresh Minestrone Soup, 45 Ratatouille, 49 Roasted Tomatoes, 54 Spring Mix Honey Mustard Dressing, 67 Spring Mix with Mom’s Dressing, 69 Strawberry Salsa, 109 Tomato Salsa, 115 tomatoes, canned Spanish Rice and Beans, 119 Thai Curry with Tofu, 5 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 tomatoes, sun-dried, 79 Tomato Salsa, 115 turmeric Coconut Brown Rice, 30 Savory Quinoa, 31

v vanilla extract Basic Waffle, 39 Chai Donut Holes, 87 Chocolate Beet Cake Basil Ganache, 97 Cinnamon Cardamom Granola, 107 Horchata, 111 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

with Habanero Glaze, 93 Pancake Almond Granola Clusters, 105 Que Es Eso, 99 vegetable oil Fish Tacos, 19 Green Onion Cornbread, 37 Kale with Lemon-Tahini Dressing, 75 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

with Habanero Glaze, 93 Veggie Bean Chili, 11 Vietnamese Chicken Curry, 15 vinegar. See vinegar names

w walnuts Berry Salad, 65 Spinach Salad Blue Cheese, 71 walnut oil Berry Salad, 65

Warm Grain Salad, 79 White Beans and Chard, 51 white rice. See rice white wine vinegar worchester sauce, 79

y yeast, instant Challah, 27 Focaccia, 25 yogurt Arugula Salad with Yogurt Dressing, 73 Honey Chamomile Yogurt, 121 Tangerine Yogurt, 121 Yogurt, 121

z zucchini, 45

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Confessions from a co-op cook.

Confession #1 I was a dinner cook for all 5 semesters that I lived in the co-ops. In fact, every workshift I ever did dealt with food in some way. In addition to cooking dinner, I either made granola as a snack workshift, picked up produce twice a week, or grew grub as the garden manager. Luckily for me, my weekly five hours of contribution to the house never felt like a chore, and creating order and good grub from sometimes chaotic situations was a rewarding challenge.

Confession #2 I rarely use recipes. I prefer to use recipes as references or sources of inspiration. I usually cull the ingredient ratios and basic steps and techniques from a recipe. I suggest using the recipes in this cookbook as guidelines and recommendations. Consider them as a foundation from which you can flavor to your own personal tastes. I’d rather guestimate amounts than fumble through unorganized bins looking for ¼” teaspoons and ¾” cups.

Measuring out each and every ingredient can be tedious and cleaning all of those spoons and cups is even more cumbersome. Plus, cooking intuitively allows for more creativity.Take oatmeal, for example. A basic oatmeal recipe consists of oats and milk, but no two oatmeals ever taste the same. I like my oatmeal with soy milk and lots of fruit while my mother makes hers with lots of honey and cinnamon.

Confession #3 I learned to cook in the co-ops. In less than one week of living in my first co-op, I went from having no real kitchen primer to cooking for 150 housemates. The more dinners I cooked, the more my approach ripened.

Confession #4 I believe everyone can cook well. Cooking is a simple matter of pleasing the senses and learning about one’s likes and dislikes. Honing techniques, similarly, is about learning from mistakes. My motto is to cook everyday and stay curious.

Confession #5: I cook for the smile. Cooking as a craft and creative outlet is great, but the best part about cooking is the moment when a smile appears on my friend’s face after taking a bite of my food. I love cooking because it’s a real and tangible way for me to contribute to and build community.

Peas and carrots, Heather Do Wanna really know About Me? Let’s share a meal and talk.

University of California, Berkeley, 2012 B.A. Urban Studies and Anthropology Cloyne Court Hotel, 2010-11 Andres Castro Arms, 2011-12 145

I came to the co-ops in fall 2009 drawn by the opportunity to paint on the walls and found the alternative culture I’d been missing all freshman year. Not a single workshift of mine revolved around cooking food. I scrubbed many a pot for my five hours of workshift. My favorite workshift was delivering food to the houses, first non-perishables and then bread. You can tell a lot about the character of a house from what kind of food they order. Some of the best food I will ever eat in my life will have been made in a co-op.

Even though we’ve both left the co-ops we’ll still continue some food traditions. I will continue to eat scrambles out of saucepans on rooftops at sunset and put sriracha on just about anything.

Anna Vignet Hasn’t graduated yet but probably will at some point.

Hoyt, Fall 2009 Stebbins, Spring 2010 - Summer 2011 Kingman, Fall 2011 - Spring 2012

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