More than a few years ago I was talking to a neighbor about leftovers. Wait now…..what is that…..that look he’s giving me….is he sick? No, he was fine. At least physically. What I was witnessing was his intellectual repulsion at the thought of eating leftovers manifesting on his face! I was shocked. Although I absolutely love leftovers, he would not go near any encore presentation of any dish!
How is This Possible?
My friend and I were both about the same age and from the same social-economic and cultural backgrounds and we shared the same European heritage. How could we possibly have such differing views of what I consider to be one of the culinary art’s greatest gift?
Over the next few years we would often share meals and talk about food. The food our mothers had made when we were children, restaurant meals we had enjoyed, dishes shared by relatives on holidays. Also, even though these discussions occurred prior to the emergence of my Chef Hacker alter ego, we would talk about food hacks and taste elements and ingredients and cooking processes. Over time it became clear that my friend had no real objection to leftovers. His discomfort was simply because he had never been exposed to them. Now that he has seen how leftovers can be enjoyed, either as lunch, repeating the dish of the evening prior or as something completely different thanks to an applied hack, he routinely deliberately cooks more food than his family can eat at a given meal just to have something for the following day!
Beef Barley Soup in 30 Minutes?
How do you make a hearty soup that’s loaded with chucks of beef, vegetable and barley in just about 30 minutes? You do it by leveraging a leftover hack!
This hack uses leftover Pot Roast and gravy.
And that my my friends is one of the beauties of leftovers.
What Is Your Position On Leftovers?
Are you pro-leftover or anti-leftover? Do you look forward to an encore culinary experience or are you a once-and-done eater? Do you consider a container of pasta and meatballs in the fridge something to look forward to eating or is it just sitting there until “garbage day” when you can toss it out? And why do you feel the way you do? Use the “Leave A Reply” section below to let us know or head over to the Forum and join the discussion. We would love to know what you are thinking!