I just remembered something a little off beat but delightfully well written with frequent touches of humor, whimsy and practicality. And since you’re in college, you are one of the target demographics and may find it rather useful.
I got it from Amazon for a penny over the mailing cost ($3.99) technically “used” but it looks good as new.
The Pot And How To Use It by Roger Ebert (NO , it’s not about MJ and, YES, it’s the same guy who’s one of the best writers of film criticism)
And I think that’s what makes it such an enjoyable read. He’s just a terrific writer. The “Pot” of which he speaks is the humble rice cooker; it’s not the fancy one with all the bells and whistles either.
And the rest of the full title, incidentally is: “The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker” Imagine that !
It’s just the plain, cheapo 3 cup model with three settings: cook, warm, and off. Especially cheap at thrift stores. I got mine for the princely sum of $6.00 :)
For years he has used it to make delicious healthy meals of lots of different things in addition to just rice. (he even takes it with him each year as he travels to the weeklong Sundance film festival.)
The book is not long and doesn’t have a ton of recipes (which some people have criticized about it) but just lots of practical hints, tips and advice which he has gleamed from his years of using it daily.
I think you’d enjoy it immensely.
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http://www.amazon.com/The-Pot-How-Use-It/dp/0740791427/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362812229&sr=8-1&keywords=the+pot+and+how+to+use+it+the+mystery+and+romance+of+the+rice+cooker