I am a junior/senior in computer engineering at Purdue University (
http://www.purdue.edu/,
http://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/). Next year I will be living by myself in a studio apartment. Up until now, I've been living in the dorms. As you might expect, this has limited my ability to experiment in the cooking arts.
I am hoping this change of lifestyle will help me become a better cook, eat better, and lose weight (and keep it off).
Why am I posting now? Well, because finals will be over in two days and I will be going home for the summer. I'd like to use the summer as an opportunity to prepare my cooking skills for when I am living by myself (among other things).
Right now, I am planning to ask my mother and grandmother to teach me a few recipes and approaches, particularly for cooking styles I've never done before. As I see it, they will probably help me, since it means I get to do the fun stuff and all they have to do is eat. Usually, in my family, it's the other way around. They cook, and the men eat (and some do the cleanup.. fun!).
But I'm looking for additional tips on how to learn how to make good cheap and healthy food. I like all kinds, particularly Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. I'm a big fan of chicken. I'm definitely willing to try new stuff too. About the only thing I don't really like much is seafood (lobster, crab, any kind of fish).
Thanks in advance!