MathCooks!

Well, Arts cooks, Math makes messes.

Wow, it's been a heck of a last two terms! Missed me? I debated changing the title of the article to ArtsCooks, but I was informed by the editor that my article wouldn't publish with such a name, so here I am, masquerading as a mathie! (Well, I'm a graduated mathie, but still!) Anywho, a new spring term means new opportunities! I was introduced to asparagus the other day, and it was a wonderful plant if cooked properly. Now that it's a new term, I urge you all to try something new! University is all about experimenting with food, especially if you no longer live at home! Your local supermarkets pack a whackload of ethnic foods as well as fresh in-season vegetables and foods for you to try out. Here are some suggestions!

Asparagus: These little shoots are apparently very easily steamed or sautéed with some oil and garlic and go wonderfully as a side to anything. On top of that, they look like tiny spears so you can totally whack your roommate with it while yelling "flacid vegetable pe-err spear!"

Berries: Summer is the season of all kinds of berries! Try them in everything! Toss a few in with a banana to make a smoothie, or saute some with sugar to make pie filling. Mmmm!

Fresh Corn: Going with the motif of largue girthy spears, ears of corn should be coming to season any time now. I was able to buy them at 10 for $3 at the local supermarket just yesterday. These delightful sticks of awesome can be boiled and served on the cob. Awesome! (Ok, their real peak is around July, but pfft)

Strawberries: Strawberries are coming into season in May, so you can expect to see a lot of them any time now. St. Jacobs Farmer's Market is pretty good for buying them en masse. (Strangely they are grown in the States; these local farmers are really getting good at outsourcing!)

Watermelons: Who doesn't love these things? I don't think I need to tell you how awesome these are! Summer is all about the melons!

On the side of trying something new, here's a few random things I found at my local supermarket that you may or may not have tried before:

Frozen Roti: These south asian flatbreads are incredibly flaky and delicious! Just toss them onto a frying pan and heat for a minute or two, and it will sure have you going back for seconds, trust me on this.

Canned Sardines: I admit, I have never tried these canned fishes until this term, and they were wonderful. Following roughly an Alton Brown recipe, just drain the oil onto some bread and toast it, smear the result with avacado and sardines and mash away. The result is an incredibly rich and creamy texture accentuated by the saltiness of the fish. It's also very nutritious!

Random asian instant noodles: I don't know why I had the urge to buy one, but I did and it tasted good! Always fun to experiment with new instant noodles, right? We are university students, after all.

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