College cooking Skills and tools every student should have

Teach them the basics
in the kitchen

Send your recent grad off to college with a little kitchen know-how. These basic skills and a few of the right tools will go a long way toward keeping your student from going hungry.

As we get ready to send our college students off, it's nice to know that they won't starve if left to their own devices in the kitchen. By teaching them these cooking basics and arming them with some essential tools, you'll never have to worry about their ability to make themselves a meal, even if it is macaroni and cheese from a box. Hey, that's considered gourmet food in college!

Not a cook? Check out these easy dinners for women who don't cook >>

Must-have skills

Who can't boil water? You'd be surprised! This might sound a little too basic, but the fact is that boiling water is the start to many meals. Make sure your college student leaves home with these cooking skills mastered.

Boiling water and beyond: Once they know how to boil water, your college student can make pasta, rice, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and much more. It is the most simple technique, but varies from food to food. For instance, when cooking pasta, bring the water to a boil before adding it and return to a boil before starting the timer. For potatoes or hard-boiled eggs, bring cold water to a boil with the items in the pot.Roasting: Roasting is an easy technique to learn that doesn't require a lot of time in the kitchen. To make roast chicken, simply coat the pieces in a little oil, salt and pepper, throw it in a 400 degree F oven and walk away. After about an hour, you've got enough to feed one person for several days. The same technique can be applied to fish and other meats by modifying the time based on what you're roasting.Steaming: Steamed vegetables might not be at the top of their list, but it's an important technique to learn should your student ever decide to add a little green to their diet. To steam just about anything, fill a pot with a small amount of water at the bottom and bring to a boil. Place the vegetables in the pot (a steamer basket makes this even easier), cover and steam until tender. It's that easy!In a pickle? Learn how to fix common cooking mishaps >>

Must-have tools

Most college students won't have a fully stocked gourmet kitchen, but by supplying them with these essential tools, they should be able to handle almost any meal that they decide to cook.

A good knife: Your student doesn't need to have most expensive set of knives to display on the counter, but they do need one good, sharp knife. Go for an all-purpose knife, like an 8-inch chef's knife that can chop and slice almost anything. By keeping the knife very sharp, you shouldn't need an extra knife for things like tomatoes. (On that note, a sharpening steel makes a good accompaniment to the knife.)A plastic cutting board: Fans of wooden cutting boards might disagree, but plastic cutting boards are easier to care for and can be tossed in the dishwasher or left in the sink for a few days without risking ruin. Look for a large cutting board with nonslip feet for ease of use.Pots and pans: It's unlikely that your college student will be cooking a 10-course meal for 20 in the near future, so an entire set of pots and pans might be overkill. But they will need at least one good-sized pot for boiling water, making pasta, soup and heating sauces. A 3-quart pot with a lid will probably do the trick, but if they'll be whipping up extras for friends, a larger 5-quart pot is the way to go. Another must-have is a large frying pan or skillet for making pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches and (hopefully) sauteing vegetables. Opt for a 12-inch pan with nonstick coating that makes it easy to clean and cook with.Spoons, spatulas and more: We all have a huge kitchen junk drawer full of unnecessary gadgets and tools that never get used. Don't send your student packing with all that extra clutter. Put together a small countertop canister with a wooden spoon, silicone spatula, pancake turner and whisk. These are the items that they'll reach for over and over again.Measuring cups and spoons: Even if they are just making that box of macaroni and cheese, they'll still need measuring cups and spoons. A four-cup measuring cup set and a set of standard spoons should keep them cooking with precision.Check out more essential kitchen tools every cook should have >>Watch: How to boil an egg

Today on the Daily Dish, our host shows you how to boil an egg the right way.

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The PLAN Can healthy foods be bad for you

Is it possible that many foods you thought were good for you, really aren’t? Discover how The Plan breaks it down.

What's the connection?Good food, bad health?"This isn’t a diet book or a program that tells you how or what to eat. You test foods and determine what is OK for you, personally, to eat. You’re making better food choices."

Despite what you've been told about the good food you should be eating — think salmon, oatmeal and Greek yogurt — they might actually be bad for you if you’re someone whose body doesn’t process them properly. According to Lyn-Genet Recitas, holistic nutritionist and author of The Plan: Eliminate the Surprising “Healthy” Foods That Are Making You Fat – and Lose Weight Fast, there are many people who feel negative effects from eating healthy foods. Constipation, bloating, trouble sleeping, migraines and even weight gain are just some of the conditions many people experience when they eat “healthy.”

The Plan is a 20-day program that can help you test and identify trigger foods that cause weight gain and inflammation. “The 20 days definitely get you primed for success," Recitas says.

Recitas found many people telling her that they were eating right and exercising, but they were still experiencing health issues and their weight wouldn’t budge. Sound familiar?

“The Plan actually came from tracking data like that,” says Recitas. “I began to notice that, for example, 85 percent of the people I worked with over the age of 35 were gaining two pounds after they ate black beans, and they were experiencing specific health troubles. I realized that had to be due to inflammation. We tracked these things and developed a protocol based on that information. We were able to help change people’s health dramatically. Weight loss was an added bonus.”

What irritates you?

According to Recitas, inflammation is what can cause not only weight gain, but also other health problems. “Since about 70 percent of our immune system is in our intestines,” notes Recitas, “this can affect a person on many levels.”

She explains that everyone is chemically unique. For example, maybe you can eat salmon or asparagus without any negative effects, but someone else can’t. The negative effects can be bloating or a dip in energy levels. That is the food causing inflammation in your body. “That’s basically your body telling you, ‘Please don’t feed this food to me,' " says Recitas.

The Plan is a program that helps people identify the foods that are friendly or unfriendly to their body. When a food causes problems, it’s considered to be a reactive food. “This isn’t a diet book or a program that tells you how or what to eat,” explains Recitas. “You test foods and determine what is OK for you, personally, to eat. You’re making better food choices.”

"If you decrease inflammation, not only will you lose weight but your health will improve."Phases of The Plan

Phase I of The Plan introduces you to a three-day easy detox cleanse. “This isn’t your typical cleanse,” explains Recitas. “As a woman, you’re eating about 7,000 calories over three days. You’ll likely find that you lose five to 10 pounds during this period.” If you’re wondering about counting calories, Recitas says, “Calories mean nothing. Weight and the state of your health are a chemical response to food. When you eat the foods that work for your chemistry, you just plug them in like variables and you'll feel better, and the weight will fly off.”

Phase II begins on the fourth day of The Plan, when you begin to introduce different foods into your diet (like wine, cheese and chocolate!). You'll test foods, from those considered the least reactive to the most reactive. Meal plans are provided for each day, and you slowly and systematically test the foods that you love.

During Phase III, you’re instructed on how to continue to test foods on your own until the end of your 20 days on the program. Recitas says you’ll lose about half a pound a day until you introduce a trigger food into your diet.

How can The Plan help?

About the author

Lyn-Genet Recitas has been studying holistic medicine for more than 30 years. She started her practice working with immune response and hormonal balance 20 years ago on the West Coast and has been running health centers in the New York City area for the past 10 years. For more information visit Lyn-Genet Recitas' website. Visit Hachette Book Group to buy The Plan.

What are some of the first things a person might notice after being on The Plan? “You’ll find your cognitive function improves, you’ll be less stressed, you’ll sleep better and your digestion will greatly improve,” explains Recitas.

What if you don’t really need to lose weight? “Because this isn’t a low-calorie diet, you actually go to your set weight and you stay there,” says Recitas.

“These 20 days are what get you primed for success,” notes Recitas. “People understand on an intuitive level that if you decrease inflammation, not only will you lose weight but your health will improve. This program will work for you as long as you keep eating foods that are appropriate for you.”

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Dress up your grilled cheese recipes

This is not your classic grilled cheese!

No more American cheese on white bread. These grilled cheese recipes take a classic and give it a big makeover. These sandwiches are great for lunch or even dessert!

Grilled cheese doesn't have to be boring. These two recipes take the savory goodness of soft cheese and pair it with the sweetness of fruit. Whether you eat them for lunch or dessert, these sandwiches are perfect for both.

If you are not familiar with fromage blanc, it's a fat-free fresh cream cheese. It's soft and spreadable and similar in texture to a thick yogurt. It's easily found in the grocery store, but you can substitute mascarpone or even whipped cream cheese.

Fromage blanc with raspberry preserves grilled cheese recipe

Yields 1 sandwich

Ingredients:3 tablespoons fromage blanc2 tablespoons raspberry preserves2 slices cinnamon raisin pecan bread2 tablespoons butterDirections:

Spread fromage blanc and raspberry preserves onto each slice of bread. Put sandwich together.Add butter to pan over medium heat and melt. Once melted, add sandwich and cook until bottom is toasted. Flip and cook other side until toasted.Enjoy immediately.

Strawberry, basil and goat cheese grilled cheese recipe

Yields 1 sandwich

Ingredients:3 tablespoons goat cheeseFresh basil leavesSliced strawberries2 slices bread2 tablespoons butterDirections:

Spread goat cheese onto one side of a slice of bread. Top with fresh basil leaves and one layer of thinly sliced strawberries. Top with other slice of bread.Add butter to pan over medium heat and melt. Once melted, add sandwich and cook until bottom is toasted. Flip and cook other side until toasted.Enjoy immediately.

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Reality TV star Kim Kardashian diagnosed with psoriasis

What Is Psoriasis?On Sunday night’s episode of Keeping up With the Kardashians Kim Kardashian was shocked to discover red, flaky patches of skin on her legs, which then spread to other parts of her body. She paid a panicked visit to her dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer, who diagnosed the reality TV star with psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder in which the life cycle of your skin cells speeds up, leading to a build-up of dead cells on the surface of the skin and the aforementioned red patches. If you’re not sure what psoriasis is, we’ve put together some information about this common skin disease.What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting as many as 7.5 million Americans, Kim Kardashian now among them. Psoriasis occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. As the cells rapidly build up on the surface of the skin, they form thick silvery scales and flaky, itchy, red patches. Psoriasis is not contagious, but it can be hereditary. Kardashian's mother Kris was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 30 – the same age as Kim. "I got it for the first time when I was exactly your age," Kris told her daughter on the show. "I cried myself to sleep for months."

Details and symptoms of psoriasis

Psoriasis most commonly occurs on the scalp, knees, elbows and torso, but it can develop anywhere, though not often on the face. Kardashian was distraught to see that the patches on her legs spread to other parts of her body. "People don't understand the pressure on me to look perfect," Kardashian said on the show. "When I gain a pound, it's in the headlines. Imagine what the tabloids would do to me if they saw all these spots."

Other symptoms of psoriasis include:Raised red patchesDry, cracked skinFlaky skin that resembles silvery scalesItching and sorenessThickened or ridged nailsSoreness or stiffness in joints

There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. Nearly 80 percent of people with the disease have plaque psoriasis — the most common form — which appears as red, raised patches.

Health risks of psoriasis

Kardashian, like the millions of other Americans who live with psoriasis, is at increased risk for other serious health conditions, including heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, low self-esteem and depression, not to mention just feeling generally ostracized if symptoms are particularly severe. Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes painful swelling of the joints.

Treatment for psoriasis

There is no cure for psoriasis, but there are a variety of treatments that can help clear psoriasis for extended periods. The three main types of treatment include topical creams of varying strengths, light therapy and medications that are taken orally or injected. The type of treatment depends on the individual and the severity of the psoriasis. Someone who has red patches and dry, cracked skin over their entire body will need much stronger treatment than someone who just has a few scaly patches on their legs or torso. Your doctor can help find the best course of treatment for you.

Managing psoriasis symptoms

Along with using a topical cream or taking medication, there are some things you can do to help manage the disease. On the show Dr. Lancer recommended that Kardashian try slowing down her lifestyle because stress is a known trigger of psoriasis. Other triggers include overexposure to sunlight (small amounts daily can be beneficial but too much will worsen symptoms), alcohol, smoking, poor diet and injuries to your skin. It's important to do what you can avoid psoriasis triggers and commit to a healthy lifestyle (avoid alcohol and eat a healthy diet) and minimize stress as much as possible. Daily moisturizing with an ointment-type cream also helps, as does soaking in a bath with Dead Sea salts or Epsom salts.

At the end of Sunday's episode, it seemed as if Kardashian was coming to terms with her diagnosis. It's frustrating that there is no cure, but with the right treatment and lifestyle changes, the disease can be managed. For more information about psoriasis, visit the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Kim's diagnosis

In this clip from "Keeping up with the Kardashians," Kim Kardashian visits with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer and is diagnosed with psoriasis.

In this clip from "Keeping up with the Kardashians," Kim Kardashian visits with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer and is diagnosed with psoriasis.

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with psoriasis

 

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Photo credit: E! Online

Tonight's Dinner Lamb meatball kabobs recipe

Who Says Meatballs Have To Go With Spaghetti?Meatballs are usually served drenched in sauce with the pasta of your choice. But just because meatballs go with spaghetti like peas with carrots, doesn't mean they can't be eaten and enjoyed on their own.

Whenever I think of meatballs, they're always part of a pasta dish whether it be the classic spaghetti and meatballs or some sort of baked pasta. But every so often I don't want my meatballs drenched in sauce or accompanying a heavy pasta dish. Every so often I'd just like the meatballs all by themselves with a salad. Sunset magazine agrees. They believe that the right amount of spices coupled with the perfect kind of protein makes for a meatball that is the perfect entree all by itself. Adding a side of hummus and pita bread makes for the perfect family dinner any night of the week.

Lamb meatball kabobs

Serves 6

Ingredients:2 pounds ground lambZest and juice of 1 lemon1 teaspoon smoked sea salt1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon ground black pepper1/2 onion, finely chopped4 garlic cloves, minced1 cup breadcrumbs1 tablespoon olive oilDirections:

Preheat the broiler to high, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.Mix together the lamb, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, cumin, pepper, onion, garlic and breadcrumbs in a large bowl until well combined.Form the meat mixture into 15 to 20 balls and slide onto four skewers. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush with oil.Broil the meatballs, turning once, until browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with warm pita bread and hummus.

More Tonight's Dinner recipes >>Other kabob recipes

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College basketball's best food traditions

College basketball's best food traditions

A good sports bar and a good game go hand in hand. Find some of the best places in the country to celebrate before, during and after a game.

Eat, drink and
watch basketball

College basketball is a game of tradition. Fans line up days before a big game to make sure they get good seats, they do the same chants, wave their arms in the same way and cheer the same way all in an effort to propel their team to victory. The food fans eat is also a big part of the tradition, whether before the game, at it or after it.

There is one small problem, though, with college basketball food traditions: the weather. It's cold outside and, while football breeds legendary tailgating and outdoor eating, college basketball fans are stuck indoors. Fortunately, the basketball arena itself or your local watering hole, restaurant or sports bar is there to be the cornerstone of your basketball eating traditions. Here are just a few of the more popular food destinations in great basketball cities.

Free State Brewery —
Lawrence, Kansas

Free State is a local microbrewery in Lawrence that's almost always packed full of hungry and thirsty Jayhawks. Known across eastern Kansas for its excellent ales, including the hoppy Ad Astra ale, Free State has been a Lawrence hangout for decades. It's located on one end of Massachusetts Street, a five-block area in Lawrence filled with restaurants, bars and eclectic stores, making it a wonderful place to grab a good dinner and a beer before catching a bus to campus, cheering the Jayhawks to another home victory and then returning for a postgame celebration.

Eskimo Joe's —
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Eskimo Joe's is an institution in Stillwater with a national reputation because of its simple, but always recognizable T-shirts with the Eskimo logo and sled dog logo. Eskimo Joe's is a multistory, multibar, multi-TV eating-and-drinking establishment that is perfect for Cowboy fans to get to before, during or after the game. The food is amazing, the drinks cool and the merchandise is legendary. Game days usually feature food and drink specials, and the atmosphere gives Cowboys and Cowgirls plenty of reasons to stay and party long after the drinking is over.

KFC YUM! Center —
Louisville, Kentucky

Perhaps eating KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut during a game isn't the most gourmet of food traditions. Still, when you're at a stadium named after the YUM! brands (the owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.) you know that you'll be able to eat well at one of the stadium's concession stands which will sell you a Taco Bell taco, a Pizza Hut pizza, etc. Plus, KFC YUM! Center is fairly unique in that not a lot of basketball arenas are sponsored by large food concerns. At the very least, the presence of so many YUM! foods means you'll never have to eat stale nachos and that weird yellow cheese.

Players Sports Bar —
San Diego, California

Players tops the list of the best sports bars in California, which is no small feat given the huge number of places where one can catch a game in the Golden State. However, San Diego gets high marks because of its proximity to one of the best emerging college basketball programs in the nation (San Diego State University). Players, though, gets high marks not for its local clientele, but for the fact it always keeps some of its large number of TV screens tuned to games from the Universities of Missouri, Texas, Illinois, and North Carolina, giving visitors and people who move to San Diego a little taste of home. Try their fried green beans and a burger when you drop in.

Walk-On's — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Located within stumbling distance of LSU's Pete Maravich Center, Walk-On's is a local chain of sports bars named after three LSU walk-ons (two of who happen to be the bars' owners.)  Walk-On's is perfect for getting some postgame grub because of its proximity to campus and because it prides itself on being a center of food and fun for all LSU sports fans. Some of the fun may not be of the family-friendly variety, but that doesn't mean that the adventure seekers and college-students-at-heart won't find a great meal at the place voted Best Sports Bar by ESPN.

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Tonight's Dinner Tortellini with fresh tomato sauce recipe

Fresh Tomatoes Make A Light Pasta SauceFresh tomatoes, whether they're heirloom or Roma, make a wonderful hot tomato sauce. But raw and cold, the sauce has a freshness unlike your basic spaghetti sauce.

We're getting to the end of the heirloom tomato season. But there's still time to get a bunch and create the most wonderful tomato sauces and salads. And I plan on doing just that because tomato sauce made from heirloom tomatoes is one of my favorite pasta sauces. While I will use the occasional jar of tomato sauce when I'm in a rush, there's much more flavor in the homemade version, especially when I get to choose the tomatoes. And while I'm partial to hot tomato sauce, Fine Cooking suggested topping pasta with a cold tomato sauce made of freshly chopped tomatoes, basil and garlic. It was awesome! Yes, the sauce was cold, but combined with the hot pasta, it gave the whole dish a freshness impossible to find with either the jarred or the homemade versions.

Tortellini with fresh tomato sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:1 pound heirloom tomatoes, cored and chopped3 ounces fresh basil, chopped2 garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons olive oilSalt and pepper to taste1 (10 ounce) package tortelliniDirections:

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, drain and set aside.Combine the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture over the tortellini and serve.

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