Recipe to making friends

Whether you’re a new first year, or a second or even third year who has spent most of their studies online, the past semester might have been a bit daunting.

With the size of IS, it’s a little intimidating to meet so many new people. So how to go about making friends? Exactly: through the shared love of food. 

On Tuesday, November 23rd, the Culinary Committee hosted its first Great BASIS Bake-Off. Several dedicated students voluntarily procrastinated on their studies to bake, before asking their fellow students to ‘peer-review’. (In all honesty, peer-reviewing baked goods is so much more fun than peer-reviewing essays.) 

One of the contestants was Anastasiya, a second-year student. She told us: “I was always very interested in cooking. It’s something I’m very passionate about, something that helps me relax. I can literally spend hours on it every single day…

“I decided to participate in the competition because I’ve never cooked or baked anywhere outside of my house. I was very curious to see if people who I had never met could also enjoy it.” That they did. Having graded the flavour, texture, and creativity on a scale from 1-10, Anastasiya was awarded an impressive 8.08 average. She went home that night, crowned winner of the bake-off and several friends richer.  

Now, in case you’re also looking to bribe students into becoming your friends: here’s her ‘Grandma’s Carrot Cake’! 

Ingredients for the cake: 

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups of canola oil (if you can’t find it, use the coconut oil)
• 2 cups of finely grated carrots
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of well-drained crushed pineapple
• 1 cup of sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup of chopped nuts

Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting:

• 300 grams cream cheese,
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Additional chopped nuts

Instructions for the cake: 

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. 
• Add the eggs, oil, carrots, and vanilla. Beat until combined. 
• Stir in the pineapple, coconut and nuts. 
• Pour into a greased baking pan. 
• Bake at 250 degrees for some 15 minutes. 
• Cool on a wire rack. 

Instructions for the frosting: 

• Beat the cream cheese and butter in a small bowl until it is fluffy. 
• Add the sugar and vanilla, this time, beat until smooth. 

Finally, coat the cake with the frosting and sprinkle some additional nuts over it. Store it in the refrigerator until your study partners come over. And voila! Here’s your new tool to win over students. It’s even better than sharing your lecture notes… 

by Rosalie, in collaboration with the Culinary Committee

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