We didn’t plan it this way, but my visit to Zoë’s new college apartment turned into a full-on crash course in kitchen science and culinary experimentation. It’s a trip when your twenty-year-old is the one teaching you how to cook and bake. I mentioned Zoë in an earlier Substack for her impressive skills, not only does she know how to cook, she knows how to make sure nothing goes to waste.
And I owe a correction from that last post: Jax is definitely not her sous chef. He’s a chef in his own right. Case in point, he gave me a lesson on his reverse osmosis water filter. (Honestly, what twenty-something asks for a water filter for their birthday? The good ones, that’s who.)
So, in this post, I’m taking you on a little tour of my unexpected “culinary workshop weekend” in my daughter’s college kitchen. Spoiler: it involved sourdough, hummus, broth, and more laughs than lessons.
Lesson One: Sourdough Crackers
We kicked things off with sourdough discard crackers — spiced with dill, cumin, and lemon pepper. Verdict? Crispy, addicting, and the perfect partner to Jax’s homemade hummus. The “snap test” didn’t lie. Here is the recipe we followed. “You can use the sourdough discard to make just about anything”, Zoë says.
We also made some high protein blueberry sourdough discard pancakes. We pimped up the protein by adding cottage cheese. I am a big pancake fan, so I repeated the recipe this past weekend and used ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese only because I didn’t have cottage cheese. It worked out great.
Tip: Cook the pancakes on the griddle with coconut oil.
Lesson Two: Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
Next came the grand reveal of Jax’s birthday present: a reverse osmosis water filter. Yes, you heard that right. Forget gadgets and gift cards — Jax went for PFAS-free hydration. It’s surprisingly fascinating, not to mention great for stock and everyday sipping.
What is PFAS you ask? PFAS—often called “forever chemicals”—are man-made substances used in things like nonstick pans, waterproof fabrics, and firefighting foam. They barely break down, so they build up in water, food, and our bodies—and have been linked to serious health problems like cancer and hormonal disruption. Read more about the AquaTru Carafe water filter here.
Tip: The filters are closer to $75.00, but they claim they last for 1 year.
Lesson Three: Broth in the Instant Pot
Zoë scored an 8 quart Instant Pot off Facebook Marketplace for $50.00, and suddenly we were all in a timed test of “Broth 101.” She had been talking about getting a pressure cooker because Jax’s mom shared that you can make bone broth in under 20 minutes. Jax had to call her to double-check the recipe. The broth was rich, the kitchen smelled amazing, and I felt like I’d just completed a semester-long cooking class in under an hour-the amount of time it took the broth to cook.
We put that homemade broth to good use—stirred into paella one night and into a cozy breakfast soup with a tempered egg the next morning. Turns out, you can find just about every kind of Instant Pot on Facebook Marketplace (all shapes and sizes), but I ended up ordering mine from Amazon—though not the official Instant Pot brand.
While I didn’t snag my pressure cooker secondhand, I did score some treasures at the thrift store: a retro Crockpot Dutch oven that feels straight out of the ’70s, a fresh set of dinnerware, glass food storage containers, and—because why not—a hula mug.
Graduated with an A-
Between the bread rising on the fridge, the hummus on the counter, and the meatballs from breakfast, Zoë’s kitchen felt like a delicious, chaotic classroom. I may not have left with a diploma, but I’ve definitely earned an A- in my sourdough skills and a certificate in family cooking adventures.
Tip: Here is the easy sourdough recipe that we used.
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