What foods did you prepare for yourself when you when you first moved away from home ?

Not according to me. I think HK has some of the worst local food I’ve ever tried…save for egg and some savory seafood dishes.

Ha ha, mid 70s for me too, brown rice n lentils, veggie stews, quiche, made my own bread, even tried making soy cheese, cauliflower/macaroni cheese, pastitsio, cakes, cookies, soups.
I did actually cook, all my house mates cooked too, we went to the local market to buy cheap left over vegetables on Saturday afternoons. I was vegetarian through college and after so I did learn to cook rather than just eat boiled vegetables and eggs and beans on toast.

I used to do something similar with salami and swiss - still do once in a while when the hunger to sobriety ratio hits a certain point. Never had a name for it before.