Topic: So, what do you do with your left overs?

[PurpleHeather]

We recently went to a dinner party and one foody whom we had never ever met before was there. Dominating the conversation (as they do) and trying to be polite for the host's sake. We kept our mouths shut for quite a while. Then madam announced (note at this stage her partner/husband had been quiet too) She never ever reused unused food. If it had not been eaten at one meal, it would be thrown away.

She announced 'I cook every meal fresh'.

I found that quite unacceptable. Hate waste and most of all think that some dishes I have made with -left overs- have turned out better than the original. OH loves my lamb stew made with the left over lamb from a roast and makes sure when we buy lamb it is always a large joint so that there is enough to make it.

The debate did not get heated but she did go quiet when after I put my two penneth in and said I always use every thing others agreed, they did the same.

Her partner opened his mouth and said he always loved a certain dish his mother made with left over beef from a roast.

Fortunately, wine made the conversation with others flow and we never heard any more from Madam foody on the subject.

My personal view is that it takes a lot of skill and imagination to use left overs.

What do you think?

[goodlife]

Absolutely...I totally agree!..In our family we are not big meat eaters so most of our left overs involve around cheese, veg and few meaty bits..
...that means omelettes, pasta this and that, allsorts on toast, salad with..., boiled/steamed potatoes following somesort of  potatobake or fry-up..
I like to read recipes  but do not really have chance to follow them up..there is always something to use up in fridge.
As I grow most of the things myself and have chickens for eggs there is not that much to buy anyway..just something to liven up the menu..
The "madam" sounds like somebody I know..for her horrow I'm not shy to take left overs with me..."something for the dog".. ::) ;)

[shirlton]

We don't waste anything if we can help it. The crusts off the seedy loaf go into the freezer and get taken out for bread pudding.

[qahtan]

I also agree, she would be better off to keep her mouth shut.
  She needs a taste of real life, obviously she has had life too good.
 I f she has so much money that she can afford to live like that why doesn't she help poor souls that are hungry, instead of showing off.
 What a nasty person  she must be........grrrr.. qahtan

[Duke Ellington]

 What a nasty person  she must be........grrrr.. qahtan

I love left overs too but why does this make her a nasty person? ???

Duke

[1066]

In answer to your question - I eat them  ;D  ;D  ;D

Sounds like she was talking a load of old cobblers to me, so well done for saying something

[tim]

The flavour gets deeper & deeper!

Either you plan so that nothing is left over - not easy - or you allow/plan for the next meal - no easier!

But - as we all know - a good Chicken will give 2 people 4 modest, but different meals - Devil, Fricassée, Pilau, Jambalaya, Coronation...........etc? And Stock.

I could never be proud over binning good food.

= Tim

[qahtan]

 I think she must be nasty to show off like that when so many have nothing...... qahtan


 What a nasty person  she must be........grrrr.. qahtan
[/quote]

I love left overs too but why does this make her a nasty person? ???

Duke

[/quote]

[Jeannine]

Ooops I must be a nasty woman, because I hate leftovers too and do cook fresh every day. If I have left overs that can be frozen and added to mixed soup I will save them. I don't  want to eat re heated food  or frozen cooked food other than soup and really hate it if I have to. Never eat pub grub and very little restaraunt food as much it is frozen. Apart from soup  I never freeze ready cooked meals. I do freeze cake with frosting on as John uses that as a cut and come again dessert. I freeze my own veggies but use them in soups mostly not as veggies with a dinner(except peas)

Sorry folks,, but I is nasty too..mind you I wouldn't have dominated a dinner conversation by saying it in the manner that the lady did.


I freeze ready to cook bread dough and baked stuff, and just realised I do use leftover  lamb in shepherds pie, Chicken  would be used by John in sandwiches but not me.
XX Jeannine

[Hyacinth]

For me the joy of leftovers or stuff that needs to be used up is being creative with them. Takes all sorts, I suppose.

[Sparkly]

I do always use leftovers when possible. Always use any leftover meat (more money than sense if you throw that away). I try to use leftover veggies in soups etc. We are worse for throwing out things that get out of date before we eat them like yoghurts etc.

[macmac]

For me the joy of leftovers or stuff that needs to be used up is being creative with them. Takes all sorts, I suppose.

Oh I so like that ready steady cook moment when you look what's leftover and plan a supper.
The only downside is you can seldom replicate something fab from leftovers 'cos you don't always have the same stuff leftover :-\
Roasties in an omlette ,pasta with mackeral in a salad,leftover meat in a spicy stir fry.Mmm is it too late to start cooking  :)

[zigzig]

Now let us be honest.

Steak and kidney.......Certain stews and curries actually need to be cooked cooled and then reheated to give them the authentic taste.

Yes, reheated meats do taste different. That is the part of the recipe with some dishes and it does take an expert cook to make them right.

Some things do not reheat but, as an example rice has to be cold to turn it into a good stir fry. Pasta makes a good cold salad. Chicken and mushroom pie needs to be made from cooked chicken or it tasts rubbery.

A lot of people drain their vegetables and throw away the 'water'. It is in fact stock and can be used to again cook vegetables and then used for a soup base or better still  make up gravey with it.

Personally I think that if you can not use food for human consumption, offer it to the birds or feed it to the dogs, it should be composted. Forget about it attracting rats. They are already eating the bread you throw out for the birds anyway.

[qahtan]

It was her manner that got to me.....;-))))
 sorry jeannine, wasn't being nasty to you... qahtan

[Magnolia]

Depends on what you mean by leftovers.  If it's been on my plate I feel queasy about saving it, but tbh I ate everything anyway.  If it's half a pie that's yet to be served or some dish in a pan, well we always have it the next day.  Don't tend to make it into a new dish though. 

[lushy86]

Bubble and squeak - the best leftovers meal ever, we love it in our house  :)

Lushy x

[Jeannine]

If I cook a steak and kidneypie,  I par cook my meat on the same day specifically for the pie, it doesn't get cold so isn't re heated,chicken pie is the same , steak and kidney pudding I steam  from raw, after it is browne in a fry pan,stews and curries are cooked from raw till done, any left overs from those I don't eat.Pork pie  or game pie I cook from raw and eat it cold the first day only.

I use cooked rice to make a Chinese rice dish but cook it on the same day, I let it cool but not get cold and I wouldn't   warm it up again. Personally I dislike pasta salads but if I was to make one as I do sometimes for other people ,  I cook, cool and use. I don't use the day before pastas.

I tend to gauge carefully what I cook and  John will eat some  leftovers especially pie or most desserts and he will eat day old bread. I will use roast beef in a sandwich or on a cold plate as I would any cold meat, and I would cook ham or fried chicken to have cold as I would a  Scotch Egg but with the exception of lamb for a shepherds pie I wouldn't reheat anything the next day. I rarely eat cooked sliced meat after the second day.It is getting harder now as there is only 2 of us and Christmas means having a lot of doggie bags ready as I hate turkey and  warmed up or cold  is even worse to me, even if I buy crab or other seafood I have to cook it myself, and eat as soon as cool.

I don't eat day old bread either, I make it almost every day, on the days I don't bake it I don't eat it. same with pastry, cold pastry I think is horrible but John will eat it. I also parcook fries and finish them off when needed.

However having said all this, I do not waste food, I rarely throw anything away, and it is simply an opinion, for me most  food changes flavour as it cools and again if re heated and  mostly I don't like the taste. I can't eat Donner meat either  it is the same with any cooked frozen ready meals, don't even like tinned stuff  although I do use some,however  I do  can my own salmon but again would only eat it the day I opened it.

Qahtan, you silly thing, I know that. I was teasing you XX

I guess I am just odd or different and I admit to being fussy, I make lots of soup, chili and spaghetti sauce  freeze it and I do manage to eat that  but I have to admit it is rather like a penance as I much prefer it freshly cooked....I am not clucking at anyone here and  I don't for 1 second feel that anyone who likes their food other ways is wrong, we each have our own preferences so for all of us it is right. I cook a lot of Balti but I choose not to precook the meat , but everything else is very authentic even to grinding my own spices.

I am a bit puzzled as to what defines an expert cook though?

Having crab tonight, he is still kicking in the sink at the moment,also  fresh bread and  home grown mixed  salad greens  with Banoffi Pie for dessert..ahh cooked condensed milk LOL

XX Jeannine

[PurpleHeather]

I suppose that being brought up by grand mothers who had gone through rationing in two world wars and a mother who had experienced about 10 years of rationing and shortages during WWII and school dinners where we were told by the teachers supervising meals that we could not leave anything because there were thousands starving in Africa. (never did find out how us eating food cured famine in Africa) I suppose that I am indoctrinated and it is not only food which I hate to throw out either.

Plastic tubs, jars and bottles all get a thought, even with the recycling we thankfully can now do, I often reuse them first. In fact I only buy ice cream which is in those nice strong plastic containers. Yes, it is true, I am the one who buys for the container not the flavour...(sad)

I agree with Tim about the flavour deepening, that is a lovely way to put it. The kids always said my chicken curry tasted better the second time round. Freezing short crust pastry before baking and Victoria sponges after baking changes and improves the end result in, not only, my view.

Jeannine is so right about reheated turkey it tastes to me, like BO smells.

When I first moved to Lancashire, I was amazed to find that the hot pot was more often made with tinned corned beef, no doubt another war time introduction but it is very tasty. I used to love Greggs' corned beef pasties but they stopped doing them. 

Has any one any ideas for using for second hand buttons?

[Jeannine]

Yes...they are very "in vogue" as embellishments on clothing...or your wellies if you prefer!!


My Mum must have sent a lot of food to the starving kids in Africa too!!

I too find a use for most things and I do a corn beef thingy too, it is mostly onions and spuds, lots of pepper,cooked together till it all becomes one stodgy mash, sounds disgusting but I love it. I was taught this by a man in Scotland who told me it was how his Mum made stovies..of course I found out later it is nothing like stovies but I like it so I call it Yorkshire Stovies to avoid upsetting the inlaws on John's side.


Ice cream ostly comes in gallon buckets here,,,very handy but I miss the oval ones from the UK.
XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Ok...so what do you do with a over cooked sourdough bread???...almost burned... >:(
While I have been reading all messages....I was only going to spend 5 minutes ::)...and waiting for bread to bake..my bloody 5 minutes turned to a hour :o.
Now I have truly properly crusty bread and I can forget using breadknife..more like sircular saw job >:( >:( >:(