Life as an overseas student was to me, fun. Even though we lacked cooking skills, we learnt, and improvised as we went along. Because we rented rooms, or small apartments, we had very limited cooking utensils, ingredients, storage space, and even basic kitchen utensils. I had with me a toaster oven which I made numerous grilled cheese sandwiches, heated leftovers, take-home buyouts, and anything that could be heated in that little space. I am sure you started cooking instant noodles with no ingredients at first, then slowly added eggs, vegetables, minced meat, fish slices, lup cheong, and eventually "graduated" to adding other condiments, Lee Kum Kee oyster sauces, sesame oil, anchovies and other stuff as well. I had a Korean flat-mate who'd dump everything he could lay his hands on into one big pot, boil it, and eat its contents with rice. I accompanied him on his grocery shopping and on his list will be all the cheap cuts like kidney, liver, intestines, necks, tripe. He'd take portions of them and put it in a pot together with Korean kimchi, lots of paprika (chilli powder) and just boil it. Its does not look good to offer any guests, but we'd eat it for dinner and personally, it tasted quite good. Home delivered pizza was a treat in those days.
Since you mentioned Chinese take-out, did the Chinese-American restaurant where you studied sell this dish called Moo Goo Gai Pan? If it did, what the hell is it?
Cheers!
You could be older than me, I studied Uni there in the early nineties. I'm a terrible cook, so my meals there consists mainly of pizzas, subs, Chinese takeout, or very simple to prepare stuff like sandwiches and Chef Boyardee beef ravioli etc.
