Collegiate Times

It's a breakthrough moment in the lives of college students everywhere when they come to realize that there isn't anyone around to cook for them anymore. After a long day of classes, hungry students go home to a barren fridge where all they know are ramen noodles, Easy Mac and the phone number for Jimmy John's.

Enter the insights of Kevin Telles Roberts to save the cuisine-challenged appetites of those of us who have been enslaved by the microwave for too long. With his cookbook "Munchies," Roberts gives even the most inexperienced cooks the skills and confidence to master anything from late-night snacks to perfect dinner-date meals using items they probably already have sitting in their refrigerator.

Growing up in a single-parent home prompted Roberts to become a self-taught chef - not to mention a burning experience after attempting to use a gas stove. In his introduction, Roberts lets his readers in on why being able to create your own meals is such an invaluable craft.

"It's definitely cool to know how to cook," Roberts writes. "First of all, it automatically defines you as an independent person. Nobody likes a person that can't fend for themselves. Second, the opposite sex finds it very sexy. Trust me on this one, I know."

Indeed, Roberts knows exactly how to impress a dinner date. From "Sexy Citrus Scallops" to "Baked Lamb Chops with Portobello Mushrooms," he eases through each and every step as if it was as simple as putting butter on bread. Roberts also includes hilarious anecdotes to accompany each one of his recipes, as well as tips on everything from setting the mood for your date (paper towels do not substitute for napkins) to the condiments everyone should always keep in their fridge door.

Thankfully, unlike other cookbooks that overcomplicate recipes and write with an I-can-cook-better-than-you-can-and-I-know-it voice, Roberts opts to simplify even the most daunting of culinary tasks.

Roberts is no amateur. He has satiated the appetites of Snoop Dogg, Bernie Mac and sports athletes.His cookbook allows even the most cuisine-impaired to be let in on his secrets.

Roberts is currently embarking on a college campus tour where he gives hungry students an interactive lecture to prove not only that cooking is cool but it is also a lot of fun with recipes that are easy, healthy and, most relieving of all, cheap.

As a self-titled "Munchies Master," Roberts takes clever food ideas that ravenous students only dream of and turns them into refreshingly satisfying realities. "Eggo Ice Cream Sandwiches," anyone?

When it comes to the most important meal of the day, Roberts knows how easy it is for college students to hit the snooze button and miss out. Solution? Three simple options for taking your waffles on the go, from "Late" - topped with cream cheese and jelly - to "Hopeless" - a waffle and egg sandwich because, at this point, you're so late that it doesn't even matter.

Dipping your fries in ketchup? Please. Try seasoning them in curry powder, dipping them in homemade Thousand Island dressing, or even tossing them in lime juice and chili powder.

"So let's break this down," Roberts writes. "Cooking your own food saves money, is an impressive skill in the dating world, puts you on equal footing with at least the cavemen, and lets your have exactly what you want all the time. Freedom, independence, creativity - that's what 'Munchies' is all about."

Editor's note: The copy of "Munchies" used for this review was provided to the Collegiate Times by the publishing company Storey Publishing.