First of all, a word of warning: If your taste buds are easily offended by “strange” food combinations, this article  may not be for you.

With that said, I have found that food pairings that are far from textbook seem to be a necessary part of college life for two important reasons. One is that there is nothing worse than an almost empty jar of sauce or condiments that sits in your refrigerator until it spoils simply because there is not enough left to make a legitimate meal. It is a waste of money, food, space, and sanity—all things that are very important to the average Wesleyan student. Additionally, food options on campus can appear limited every once in a while—some days, it seems very limited—and there are days when you walk from place to place and are not inspired by anything.

The solution to both of these problems is simply creativity, a la Carolyn Cohen ’12. While at Wesleyan, Cohen asked her friends, family, and blog readers for suggestions of two foods they think could never work well together. She then would create a dish to prove them wrong and blog about it on Munchie Mashups. Cohen found delicious success with her experiments.

Some unlikely combinations have already gained credibility in the culinary world—pineapple pizza and salted caramel, for example. However, there are many others to which I have warmed over the course of some experimenting.

1. Vegetables and tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is a wonderful thing. It is incredibly multifunctional, but I find it especially enjoyable as a dip for vegetables. If you have a good brand, cold tomato sauce works in a manner similar to hummus as a topping, or perhaps salsa. Doctor it with some hot pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese, and you will be buying a new jar before the day is through.

2. Peanut butter and pickles: It is difficult to mention this option without incurring looks of horror. It is, however, considered a legitimate dish by others more professional than myself. At Peanut Butter and Co., a sandwich shop in New York City’s Greenwich Village, they offer a peanut butter and pickle sandwich called “The Pregnant Lady,” presumably because only a pregnant woman would crave such a thing. However, it is surprisingly good—the sharp juiciness of the pickle complements the heaviness of the peanut butter—and it is a savory variant of the classic peanut butter and banana sandwich.

3. Nutella…and onions: Yes, I am perfectly aware that I am putting my future of writing for the food section of The Argus in jeopardy by mentioning this. However, once you have mustered the courage to try this combination, I promise that you will be brave enough for nearly anything. I cannot claim credit for the original concoction but I fully endorse it and have tweaked it (hint: Don’t add cheese.) The pairing of chili peppers and chocolate is considered a delicacy, and this is a similar flavor fusion.

It’s also that simple: just Nutella and onion. Cut up the onion into bitable chunks, grab a knife, and spread that iconic hazelnut-chocolate delight all over the onion. I recommend using sweet white onions so that you do not have a bitter taste clashing with the chocolate flavor. Also, keep the proportion of onion to Nutella approximately equal for best results. The sugary chocolate spread will hide any “raw oniony” taste, and the result will be a sweet snack with a surprising edge.

Obviously this is just the tip of the iceberg of potential food combinations. My point is that if you are brave and open-minded (or, some may say, foolish enough) to try food pairings that sound alarming, you are much more likely to be pleasantly surprised than if you approach the situation with a wrinkled nose and a look of disgust.

There are also plenty of other ways to experiment with foods besides combining them—freezing, for one, is thought of for microwave dinners. However, try freezing fruit—peaches, blueberries, and strawberries, or grapes and bananas. Thin slices of green apple shaved with a vegetable peeler are wonderfully light and crisp. Frozen yogurt and cereal, with regular yogurt mixed in. The list goes on.

I hope you enjoy whatever it is you are inspired to try! At the very least, nothing says “quirky and original” like diving into your own original creation while others look on in terror.