Hello!So for those of you following already with my "Senior Spotlight" blog, I don’t need to introduce myself. But for the rest of you just seeing a cool new blog on Caltech Admissions and wondering what it’s all about, welcome! I’m Andrew Freddo, a senior who has the privilege this term of taking Cooking Basics. It’s conducted/taught by Tom Mannion, who is such an AMAZING resource! In addition to this class, he is a go-to guy for almost whatever you want, frequently opens up his home for students to use for events (like the Super Bowl and March Madness).

So cooking class… every Wednesday we embark on another culinary adventure, with the guidance of our friendly (undergraduate!) Teaching Assistants. They help us through the new recipes and techniques we need to learn. Though I’m a seasoned vet in the kitchen when it comes to Italian food, I’m excited to use this opportunity to expand my palate!
Anyway, enough talking, more cooking! This week, we made a delicious spread. The theme was "seeds, grains, and legumes," which sounds kind of random at first but when you make things such as risotto and baked beans, it’s delicious! We also made battered shrimp dipped in a honey mustard-horseradish sauce and corn bread. So basically… we didn’t go hungry!
Is your mouth watering yet? Well, enjoy these pictures below!

I’m hungry again just looking at these pictures (though I just ate lunch!). Well I have to wait till next week for another class, but in the mean-time, keep on cooking!
Oh, and I’ll post one of MY favorite recipes each week from my own cooking experience. I’m partial to Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network, so many of them are hers :).

Pasta with Toasted Breadcrumbs: use any type of pasta with ridges in it (rotini or farfalle work great!), and you can omit the prosciutto if you’re vegetarian or don’t have it on hand. This is such a great meal to make when you don’t have time to make a meal, and so much better than those jarred sauces. Just boil some pasta, toast some breadcrumbs, and mix! Delicious!