You are probably not confuddled about the title of this post. Yes, I will be explaining what I ate in the past month.
What you are likely wondering is why on earth I would think this would matter to you.
The answer is, good eats bring me happiness, little floating petals from the plant of joy in my soul. I would like to share that with you, since visuals can arouse emotion.
In only my second full month living in a dorm, cooking has become a solace, because of how rarely I do it. Any food that comes from outside of the dining hall is a pleasure at this point. My point here isn’t to complain—I appreciate all the options available to me and the hard work the cooking staff does—but a desire for variety is natural. So, here you go; the highlights of food in my life during September 2023!
Injera, Cabbage, Lentils and Lentil Sambusa – the dough was incredible. Injera ended up not being my thing, but the thin, soft, airy texture of the bread had me craving crepes for the rest of month.
A tiny little part of me was hoping that since it was African food, I would find it familiar, tasty and comforting. Meanwhile, the wary, skeptical part of me, suspected I wouldn’t like it anymore than standard Asian or European food.
I was right, actually, I wasn’t particular into these Ethiopian dishes from this vendor, but I am totally willing to try again. I got this dish from a food truck on one of my first weekends away from home, it was a welcome change from the dining hall.
Potato Chili Noodles – these were some crazy thick chili sauce-coated noodles I made, after discovering them on YouTube. Apparently, they were TikTok famous. Well, they were very good fresh—although I can admit, they felt and resembled worms while being cooked.
They are kind of unreasonably thick noodles. I can sincerely say the taste would be just as good if the noodles were thinner. I think it has to do with the experience. The girth of the slurp, if one might say.
Ugh. “Girth of Slurp”.
Moving On.
BONUS:
Disclaimer: I did not actually eat these. I forgot what these actually are, but I was in a particular mood that day, and upon spotting them in the dining hall the first thing that came to mind was… slugs.
Would someone please consider enlightening me on what this food is? I do not intend to offend anyone, but… I’d rather not guess.
Jin Spicy Ramen – it was my first time trying any brand of instant Korean ramen, despite having heard about it for around three years.
In this horrible close up, the noodles doesn’t look the most appealing—however, the spice was real (real tasty), and the MSG satisfied my stomach for the whole rest of the day.
Bao Buns with Tamari Vegetable Fried Rice and Tofu – this was the best thing the dining hall served all month. It was good, but objectively just okay. Not that objectives matter.
If we’re being real, I was only there for those bao buns. Good bread/dough can’t be beat.
In reality, it was all mid. If I had received bao buns of such quality at a restaurant, it would have been met with a shrug. Alas, dining hall food had been all I had eaten in the past week, and my tongue had nearly forgotten the wonders and depths of home cooked flavor.
Waffle with S’mores Toppings –This was… a sugar-filled mistake on a restless Saturday.
I have little to say but regret.
Fried Oreo – This fair treat was actually quite tasty, sweet and soft. This definitely fulfilled any cravings for sugar in the moment.
The worker handing them out laughed at me when I only asked for one. I laughed back—I think it was quite amusing. Did he think they were so good I was being ridiculous? Or just that I was being ridiculous? I think it was probably the latter, but that could also be self-centeredness talking.
Oh well.
Dodo (Fried Sweet Plantains) – Finally, to conclude the post, these were some sweet green plantains I got to fry myself, a little taste of home.
The texture was actually strange, and I think it was because I kept the plantains in the fridge instead of out and about. Nevertheless, my roommate really enjoyed them, and I enjoyed hearing the musings of people walking by. Someone remarked that they smelled like waffles. Next time, I’ll be brave and invite people to eat with me.
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