I work in a small agricultural lab comprising myself, the director of my lab (not my boss, but I’m piggybacking on a lot of his equipment), and five Mexican women who sort agricultural specimens and do other labor. Every day, the women (only one of whom speaks English, but they are valiantly and hopelessly trying to help me improve my Spanish) bring in massive amounts of food, which they share with the lab director, myself, and anyone else who happens to be there. Once they even brought in homemade chiles rellenos at the request of a colleague who doesn’t even work in the lab! (He showed up for the chiles rellenos, though!)
Since the lab director and his wife, when she’s there, both partake, I do as well, but I feel guilty mooching off of these women who work far harder than I do for less money. I bring in tortillas and fruit and such, or doughnuts on one occasion, but I’d like to give them a real meal to reciprocate for their amazing generosity.
Unfortunately, I don’t cook much and I don’t have a real kitchen. The only things I typically make at home are basic stir-fries and pasta. The only equipment I have at home is an electric wok, a rice cooker, a hotplate and a microwave (and basic cooking utensils). I also have one of those small refrigerators you see in dorm rooms. Oh, and a small George Foreman grill.
What could I do that would be some sort or reasonable repayment for all that they’ve provided me? I’m thinking of bringing something in next Tuesday after the long weekend, so I’ll have lots of time to figure out what to do, but I need your help!
Given your lack of cooking facilities, I don’t see anything wrong with a deli tray, fruit, and cookies, or (restaurant/deli) fried chicken and sides. It’s nice of you to notice and to reciprocate!
Nice of you to recognize your debt and want to reciprocate, but don’t imagine that you can actually repay them. Unless maybe you can talk that lab director (also deeply in their debt) into giving them a real bonus.
Do what you do best. I usually bring a big, fresh, fruit salad. I eat a lot of fruit and am fussy about it being fresh and tasty, so that’s usually what I provide.
If you are thinking about Mexican food, look around Pati’s Mexican Table. She is awesome.
I have my brother addicted to her Charro beans, and he usually only eats fast food. You could improvise this with the limited equipment you have. If you decide on that let me know(assuming you are not in a huge rush).
You could also do some type of Spanish rice in the rice cooker and pair those two sides with a basic entree:enchiladas(microwave), fajitas(Foreman Grill, open grill at nearby park)
You can do a great fettuccine with white sauce/fettuccine Alfredo. You melt the butter on low heat, so a frying pan on top of your hot plate might work.
Melt butter on low heat, slowly stir in (real)Parmesan cheese. Pasta in the microwave, drain, put in bowl with heavy cream. Mix in sauce. Viola!
Cook some sausage in the Foreman Grill. Crumble up and mix in. Buy garlic bread from store. Maybe throw in some green onions.
I made this a few months ago and was still good after a week in the fridge.
I have the recipe in The Silver Spoon(the most authoritative source on Italian cooking, translated from Italian) cookbook if you need it.
Dear Og, if you get through to Lynne, do please let us know! I wanna listen in!
If you’re not completely stuck on Mexican food, the first thing I thought of was a big bowl of pasta salad. It’s easy to cook & chill a batch of pasta ahead of time, even in a setup like yours, and a nice oil & vinegar-based dressing requires no cooking and is endlessly variable (and can also be mixed up ahead of time and kept separate from the pasta until about 2-4 hrs before serving). Plus, it can be eaten cold or at room temp, so it can sit at work without fuss and without loss of quality. Add some veggies like snow peas (or, hell, regular peas) or finely minced red pepper for color, and off you go. Heck, you could even get one of those rotisserie chickens they have at most grocery stores now, chop/shred, and add to the salad too.