Day 12

Day 12

How to cook for six people

Rule 1: If you think you have enough food, you're wrong.

When humans are working, they are expending energy. That energy requires food to replenish it (occasionally sleep, but mostly food). If humans are taxing themselves in an unfamiliar environment, they will eat. A lot. I don't usually eat a lot, so when I first started cooking for the crew I severely underestimated the amount of foodstuffs we would be consuming. Now I make extra of anything, figuring it can just be shoved in the fridge if there is any left over. 'Extra' quickly becomes 'more food' during the meal, however, and as of right now the only thing I've had to save has been beans. We don't really like beans, which is annoying because that is about all we have left.

Rule 2: Spices are your friend.

Before coming to MDRS, I had never touched anything besides salt as far as spices go. Salt was always enough for me to put on instant dumplings or steamed Chinese buns. Here, where there isn't really that much variety as far as food goes, spices are the meaning of every meal. I've learned the joys of parsley, oregano, and basil. I've figured out that I can make garlic butter pasta with garlic and butter (who knew? Oh, and pasta.). Vegetable oil prevents pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Rice can be more than just rice with some spices and butter. It can have flavour and richness. If you get bored, then you should play around with the spices.

Rule 3: Cooking will get you out of cleaning.

Probably the most fun of them. I've been cooking the entire time, and therefore are exempt from cleaning the dishes. Fair trade, I think, however, cooking will take up much of your time.

Rule 4: Not everyone will like what you make. Get over it.

You win some, you lose some. With six, it's hard to satisfy everyone's tastes, but on Mars one must learn to be flexible. Meals can be flexible as well, depending on what is made. Rice is an extremely bendy main course. It goes with almost anything, and spices won't drown it.

Rule 5: Plan meals

I've found that planning meals out at least a day in advance has been very helpful to my stress levels. Setting aside enough time to cook the meals also helps. Water boils weirdly here as opposed to my uni apartment, and cooking takes longer. Make sure to plan for that, and allot enough time for meals.

Rule 6: Cans are nasty beings

Don't cut yourself on a can lid. It's tres painful and rather annoying.

~Cooking for six has been an experience that I must say I've enjoyed for the most part. It's let loose a creativity that I never knew I could have. I don't know what happened, or how it came about, but I know that when I came on this mission I could barely boil water, and now I know my way around rice, pasta, beans, bread, oatmeal, tuna, chicken, and soup.

night monkey out

End day 12