My first kitchen

Thousands of baked bean tins and Pot Noodles will soon be disappearing from supermarket shelves as the university years begin for a new set of students.

Among the belongings crammed into parents' cars, will doubtless be the obligatory new saucepan, a bag of plastic cutlery and some of mum's homemade cakes to impress new friends.

But whether your kids are starting out in halls or moving into their own place for the first time, young chef Tiffany Goodall insists that their diets should never revolve around beans on toast alone.

The author of From Pasta To Pancakes: The Ultimate Student Cookbook is back with her latest cooking epic, First Flat Cookbook. Written in her own first flat in London, it bursts with everything from delicious solo suppers, to easy ten-minute meals and Weekend Brunch ideas.

“If you are going to university, it is always a good idea to go shopping for thrifty starter kits and take a cookbook, like mine!” the 24-year-old jokes.

“When you get there, go around the local supermarket and buy your store cupboard basics — like you would when you go clothes shopping. Your oils and vinegars are your investment pieces and then you've got foundations to build on with fresh ingredients.”

Tiffany, who trained at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Ireland, wrote her first cookbook when she was at university in Newcastle.

“No-one knew how to cook, but they would watch me and say, ‘Oh you do it really quickly’, or ‘You only spent £4’, so the cooking fever spread throughout my friendship group and inspired me to write for young people.”

Tiffany has lived on her own for a year, with kitten Woody, and says she would not have it any other way.

“It is my own space where I know what is in the fridge, I know what is in the freezer, I know where everything is.

“When I lived with my mum, she hid all my equipment under the stairs, but now it's much easier because I can take my liquidiser down from the cupboard, make soup and put it back. I am not always rooting around trying to find stuff.”

TIFFANY'S TOP TIPS

Store cupboard essentials:
Balsamic vinegar, chicken stock cubes, chickpeas, coconut milk, couscous, eggs, garlic, honey, lentils, olive oil, pasta, basmati rice, risotto rice, soy sauce, sunflower oil, sweet potatoes, canned tomatoes, white wine vinegar, onions.

Must-have item for the kitchen:
Tiffany says: "I use a sharp knife for everything, from crushing garlic and jointing chicken, to carving a roast.”

Also invest in:
A wooden chopping board, hand-held whizzer for speedy soup, ladle, masher, measuring jug, mixing bowls, ovenproof dishes, peeler, spatula and a wooden spoon.

Best ingredient for a quick meal:
"You can do anything with eggs — omelette, pancakes, scrambled eggs. Always keep your fridge topped up with them."

Best advice for a hot date:
"You don't want to look like a sweaty cook, so keep it simple. Do as much as you can in advance, so if you are having steak, cut your chips beforehand, and chill your wine.”

TRY ONE OF TIFFANY’S RECIPES

EASY PEASY AMERICAN PANCAKES

(Makes 8-10 pancakes)

You will need:

6tsp butter
280g self-raising flour
1tsp salt
4tbsp caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
250ml milk
6-8 rashers of bacon
1tsp vegetable oil
Golden syrup, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas Mark 2.
Heat five tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then set aside.
Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt and sugar.
Add the melted butter to the beaten eggs, then make a well in the flour mixture and add the milk, then the egg and butter mixture, whisking with a hand whisk to get rid of any lumps.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a frying pan, then add a ladleful of batter. It should be about 1cm thick.
Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Keep the pancakes warm on a plate in the oven while you cook the rest of the batch.
Meanwhile fry the bacon in the oil until crispy, then layer between the pancakes.
Drizzle with golden syrup and serve.