Chez EuroResidence. the recipé book.

A few days ago I received an invintation on facebook to contribute to the EuroResidence cook book. For those of you who are unaware EuroResidence is the Student Residence where I am living whilst I am in France. The building is 5 storys, 70's looking, run down and can described as being as the most basic residence possible. The apartments come with a sink, 2 hot plates and a fridge.. and thats about it.. If you want anything else in your kitchen you have to buy it yourself...

Being the very friendly communal bunch we are, it has become quite the popular thing to have group dinners.. and invite some people around.. the host can cook their countries traditional dish, try something french or even just heat up some 2 minute noodles. The choice is theirs! From the success of these dinners some of the girls in the residence decided to creat a recipé book with everyones favourite recipes from their time in euroresidence.

After having cooked a few times for assorted guest I pondered about what to contribute to the book.. what would open people's eye lids, spark up fun memories or even make their mouths water.. then I thought.. the success to every meal in euroresidence is not the food, its ingredients, nor the exoticness of the dish.. Its the people and environment which make it soo fun and enjoyable.. So i propose this as my recipe for a successful EuroRes dinner..

Preparation

Tell people atleast one day before the dinner, ensuring that they're free for the evening.

Invite only 4 people to begin with, knowing that the word would spread and you will actually have to cater for 10. Try to avoid discussing the dinner on facebook or you will need to cater for 50.

Rush to Carrefour (the hypermarket across the road) during your lunch break to get all the forgotten ingredients

Outensils

2 rusty hot plates

1 blunt knife

1 wooden spoon

4 mugs (to be used for cooking, water and probably also drinking wine)

Ingredients

-3 wrongly translated ingredients

-1 ltr of lukewarm clay filled tap water

-2 pinches of sal

-2 euro bottle of wine (3 euros if its a special occasion)

-100g of raped chesse (wrong I know..)

-Every carrefour discount or 1 brand item you can find (because generic brands rock)

-Keep in mind most of your ingredients will probably be found in the exotic isle at carrefour and will be 4 times the cost of what you would pay in your home country..

-1 flan desert from the discount bin

Directions

Bring clay filled water to the boil, keeping an eye on all electronic equipment being used incase of a trip in electricity.

Constantly stir all your ingredients, dont trust the teflon layer on your 2 euro frypans.

Open up a bottle of wine, poor half of it on whatever it is your cooking whilst drinking the other half.

Experiment, after realising you dont have all the ingredient or finding-out carrefour doesn't stock the ingredient.

Serving Suggestions

Serve dinner on every plate, bowl or mug you have in your apartment, trying to serve equally to all guests playing favourism to nooone. Place dishes on the laps of your guest due to the lack of table. Sprinkle each dish with desired amount of râped cheese. Serve a chilled rosé in the coffee mugs..

Enjoy!

Follow the recipe carefully for the perfect EuroResidence dinner.. heres a few other tips..

- Act cool when your neighbour knocks on your door and feels upside that you didnt invite him/her, think quick and try and create a good excuse..

- Conversations about your dislike for your studies always sparks up a good conversation

- As you did the cooking, stay seated after dinner, waiting tentively for your guest to offer to wash up

- Paper towel makes clean up 10 times easier

- Wash dished quickly after the 1st course so you can use them straight after for the desert.

- Have fun!