Halloween festivities have wrapped up, exam season is looming, and it is [controversially] too early to listen to Christmas music. It is officially cold, and the sun sets before some of us even finish up our lectures. Deadlines are creeping up, Americans are beginning to crave a Thanksgiving meal, and most of us are becoming too comfortable with takeaway after long days at the library.
With that being said, cozying up with friends over warm, simple recipes is key to beating the blues. And while it may seem simple, navigating a weekly menu can be daunting: to have leftovers or not? Cooking for one or two? What is cost-effective yet actually tasty? My for-you page is filled with captivating ‘easy’, ‘quick’, and ‘healthy’ recipes, but unfortunately, they seem to get lost in DMs and my saved album.
Summer Dinner Parties:
My grandmother’s house is in a hippy-dippy coastal town, which hosts an incredible farmers’ market. She also has an impressive garden, alongside my friend Nicole. Each summer, the three of us set out to eat locally, supporting local fishermen while using our own produce. We scroll through our endless Instagram feed of summer recipes and dinner parties filled with delicious food and good conversation.
I spent the past reading week back in Boston, where Nicole and I reminisced about those warm summer days when we weren’t an ocean apart, enjoying our tasty recipes. While feeling rather sorry for ourselves, she suggested that we debut a fall edition of our annual tradition.
Ironically, we made this decision while out to dinner at a restaurant we had marked on the Belli app— an app we love, where you save and share restaurants you like with friends and family — that the following night we’d have a home-cooked meal.
A Scroll on The New York Times:
While at University, I excuse my laziness for being busy when it comes to cooking; however, Nicole is post-grad, in the workforce, and was not leaving any room for my excuses!
And so, we took a scroll on the New York Times Best Soup Recipes, deciding on a hearty ‘Golden Potato and Greens Soup’. A simple choice that yielded leftovers and which took under an hour, time spent catching up and laughing as if we had been transported back to summer nights. The ingredients for about seven servings cost under 10 pounds altogether. And it was packed with greens, protein, and fiber. This, coupled with a cheap bottle of rosé and some store-bought cookie dough mix, was quicker than a meal out, much more cost-effective, and, dare I say, even more delicious!
The combination of something homemade and some supermarket add-ons [the wine and cookies] makes a meal all the easier, too. Moreover, saving money comes with keeping track of your groceries; saving recipes is a useful tool for staying organized during this hectic time, and I recommend the app Mela. You can easily organize a grocery list for yourself and share what you attempt in the kitchen!
I also recommend taking a quick search at what is seasonal here in St. Andrews; hopefully you can substitute local ingredients into your meals. This is great for the community, environment, and whoever is eating! It may even introduce you to some unfamiliar recipes, hopefully even some warming soups and stews.
Cooking, a Metaphor:
While the point of my story is not so much to say you have to cook something renowned or that eating out isn’t wonderful, I urge you to take away that cooking is essential. Meals do not have to be time-consuming, and prepping is not a lonely activity; it can create memories.
Cooking is a metaphor for something larger: overcoming your fears in the kitchen will make you more comfortable, organized, and patient all around. And gathering your friends for a fun, time-conscious study break will brighten the dark afternoons ahead. Nicole and my long-distance friendship is, in part, so strong because of the nights we’ve spent trying meals, learning about their origins, and challenging ourselves to find locally sourced options.
And so, whether you download a meal-prepping app, try a new restaurant, or host a dinner party, I recommend adding recipes to your nightly scroll to keep you warm this autumn until we are back to summer nights!