The spring break that we all know and love can be traced back to the 1930s when the Colgate University swim team popularized the idea of going to a sunny and warm destination at the midpoint of the semester. From there, the concept took off, and spring break now serves as a perfect window of time for college students across the country to travel with their friends, relax and make poor decisions.
For me though, spring break brought something else: an opportunity to cook some scrumptious food in a non-dorm kitchen for the first time in seven weeks. So, while visiting a friend in Brooklyn, we whipped up a delicious meal of goat cheese and squash pasta, pesto tomato crostini and banana bread. Therefore, I present to you Dorms, Dishes and Delicacies: spring break edition.
Given that I was cooking in a home kitchen, I decided to tweak my usual criteria this week to fit the occasion. I opted to keep the typical functionality and vibes, but I am adding lighting, design and quality of the meal. With that being said, let’s get into the details.
Let’s start with the lighting. It was warm and homey, but more importantly, I could actually see what I was doing as I prepared the meal, a major upgrade compared to the cave-like lighting of some of the dorm kitchens. With the discovery of the light above the stove while I was cooking the pasta, the experience got even better. No complaints in this field.
Design goes hand in hand with functionality. The kitchen was nicely designed with a multicolor tile backsplash, a beautiful arrangement of plants, two large windows and cabinets painted a pleasant light gray color. The appliances were well placed for convenience and flow while cooking.
The sink was large and deep with a drying rack right next to it to prevent the pileup of dishes that seems to haunt every dorm kitchen at Tufts. All cooking implements were easily accessible. While counter space was limited, the table nearby provided extra room for food prep. Both the design and functionality of this kitchen were far above what Tufts kitchens have to offer.
The quality of the meal was wonderful. The crostini was perfectly crost-y. The pasta was perfectly balanced between the goat cheese and the other flavors of the squash and kale. The banana bread was perfectly moist. This is the best thing I have cooked thus far in this series… Coincidentally, this is also the only nondorm kitchen I have cooked in. Are the two related? I’ll let you decide on that.
Vibes were exquisite. There were no random passersby going through the kitchen trying to get a peek at what was going on, as there are in the dorms. (If there were, it would be grounds for concern.) We had perfectly curated music (songs randomly chosen by Siri) to accompany both our cooking and our dining. No complaints in this department, either.
Overall scores:
Functionality: 9/10
Lighting: 9/10
Design: 10/10
Meal quality: 10/10
Vibes: 11/10
Recommendations: While the experience was delicious and pleasant, cooking in a home kitchen reminded me of everything the Tufts kitchens lack (ovens, dish racks, cooking supplies — the list goes on.) Just remember to keep your expectations low when cooking in Tufts dorms.
