(Relatively) Fine Dining

Last night, I discovered an unfortunate consequence of being a culinary student.

As soon as I finished work, I had to haul ass into Manhattan to pick up some stuff I ordered from an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania. I got my milk, yogurt and beef with just five minutes to spare, and then had to hoof it over to Penn Station to see about a ticket refund.

By the time I rolled back into Brooklyn, I was starving. The kind of starving where you want to gnaw your own arm off. I needed something to shove in my mouth, fast. I couldn't wait for delivery, and I couldn't cook. As I pondered, a lightbulb went off over my head -- nachos. I could buy chips, cheese, salsa, and refried beans, shove a plate in the microwave and be happily stuffing my face in 15 minutes flat.

Only I got to the store and then remembered that I had a ripe avocado in the fridge. Guacamole! Naturally I had to pick up an onion, tomato, lime and garlic. I looked at the cans of refried beans, and decided I wanted to actually cook beans. I dismissed the shredded cheese selection and opted for some aged cheddar that would have to be grated by hand. Also dismissed? The microwave, because the cheese melsts much more evenly in the oven.

About an hour later, stomach growling, eyes wild, cats in danger of being chewed on, I sat down with a delicious plate of nachos. And then because they took so long to make, I ended up staying up past midnight to study for tonight's midterm. (Wish me luck!) Granted, they were far superior to my quickie nachos pre-culinary school, but I do think I'm going to miss the days when I could whip up a dinner completely devoid of nutrition in a mere five minutes.