Winter Lock Down Food

With the weather dipping below zero, us Boston University students do not want to go outside, ever. By stocking your pantry with these seemingly basic items, you can keep yourself fed and warm for weeks.

1. Bread and Sandwich Accoutrements

A good, hearty loaf of bread can last one person well over a week, even when that person eats about a sandwich a day. I always buy whole wheat bread, and sift through the selection at the supermarket by choosing the loaf with the furthest expiration date. Even though it expires later, just to be safe, I keep my bread in the fridge, because nothing is worse than going to make some toast and realizing that your bread is completely covered in greenish blue mold. For the fillings of my sandwiches, I stick with the classics (which may seem obvious) but you can never go wrong with tuna salad or peanut butter and jelly. For the tuna, I select solid white Albacore, and make a big batch at one time, so that I don’t have to do so much work with each sandwich. Most importantly, when mixing tuna, add mayonnaise and salt. Never add black pepper to canned tuna. I like to top tuna sandwiches with pickles, lettuce, and tomato, but if you have it, arugula is even better than lettuce.

2. Pasta and the Like

You should always have some dried pasta around. I always have two boxes handy, because you never know when some unexpected guests might show up. My personal go-to is angel hair, but with boxes of pasta costing about $1.00 each, you can stock your cabinets with all different shapes and sizes. To go along with the pasta, I always keep garlic*, olive oil, tomatoes (fresh or canned), parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. (Fresh basil is wonderful, too, but it tends to wilt within a few days.) First, boil the pasta, and place some crushed garlic into a frying pan with olive oil over low heat. When the pasta is cooked, drain it (but reserve some of the pasta water) and place it in the garlic and olive oil pan. Toss in chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and any other vegetables you have around. Top with parmesan cheese. This method is so easy, I refer to it as my “Plan-A Pasta”.

*A note on garlic: Fresh garlic is far superior to the pre-chopped, jarred variety. It stays fresh for most of the semester, and you don’t even have to chop it–just smash a clove and pick it into pieces.

3. Tea and Honey

Never underestimate the power of a good cup of tea. Especially if it’s cold outside, boiling a kettle of tea warms up the area around your stove for a little while. If you have a cold, add some honey for some warm, sticky throat soothing.

4. Eggs!

Eggs are possibly the most versatile ingredient in the kitchen, and the best part is that very little is needed to turn a couple eggs into a full meal. Scrambled eggs always work for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (as long as you eat a vegetable on the side), and a fried egg can be placed on anything from a piece of toast to some roasted asparagus. Then there’s egg salad. To hard-boil eggs, place them in a pot with cold water covering them, then place the pot over high heat with no lid. As soon as the water boils, place the lid on the pot, turn off the heat, and let them sit for 20 minutes. Peel your hard-boiled eggs and mash them with mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. (It makes a great sandwich on some whole wheat bread with sliced cucumbers.)

(Also good to have around: Butter, for sautéing and spreading on toast, and balsamic vinegar for making salad dressing.)