DISH: Gluten-Free Pizza
TYPE: Party food! Homemade, slightly homemade, or cheating (if you throw away the box, no one will know)
DIETARY RESTRICTION: Gluten-free

Once I decide I want to throw a pizza party, there’s really no stopping me. I think it’s the years of grade school competitions and exasperated teacher bribes that did it; selling the most wrapping paper or actually being quiet during Silent Reading meant we were rewarded with stacks of extra-large half cheese/half pepperoni, so pizza is inherently tied to excitement in my mind. Pizza = party. That’s just the way it goes. And sometimes “party” …

Dish: Blueberry Chipotle Chicken Biscuit Sliders
Serves: 4-6
Good for: Suite-mate/apartment-mate dinner, potluck
Shopping List: 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast $6; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar $0.20; 2/3 cup chicken broth $0.37; 1/4 cup light brown sugar $0.08; 3 cloves garlic $0.10; 2 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce $0.50; One 12-ounce bag frozen blueberries (about 2 1/2 cups) $3; 1/3 cup butter $0.32
Pantry Items: Salt, pepper, flour, baking powder, sugar
Total Cost: $10.57

Hi, I’m Avatar the Last Rulebender, and this is “feed a little over four people for a little over $10.” I may know what’s best for you (making …

Dish: Eggplant Sandwich with Spinach, Pickled Onions, and Yogurt Sauce
Venue: Homemade

Cooking in college can often be bothersome. Perhaps you arrive your first year a bright-eyed freshman only to discover that a microwave will be your only cooking companion for the year ahead. Perhaps you finally find yourself in a small apartment with a real oven only to discover that it too, like your messy roommate, has a mind of its own. Maybe you’re shocked to realize that your signature olive-oil saffron cake costs as much to make as your biology textbook. The list goes on.

My biggest bother …