It has been some time since my last post and I have no excuse.
Let's just say I am greatful for left-overs in my fridge. People generally either rely on left overs as a quick meal or snack which can be re-heated or re-created into something else or they abhor them as though they were straight from the previous nights trash.
My son is exactly the latter, but perhaps will change once he is a bachelor in college. My daughter in stark contrast lives by my leftovers, in fact sometimes I make a dish (i.e. killer steak chili, pesto pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes, etc.) just for it to hang out in the fridge for her. She will tell me quite bluntly if there are not enough plastic containers in the fridge.
When she was a little girl full of innocent mis-pronunciations like "ty-wrangle" for triangle, she would say she wanted "Left Odors", which I thought was pretty funny, because sometimes that is not far from the truth.
As my children age and become more independent, have thier own schedules and are not home for our family dinner every night, I understand even more a need for Left Over dishes, or else I may starve due to lack of desire to simply cook for myself, even if I am able to make exactly what I want the way I want it, it's hard to justify. I can only assume this ability and desire will come with time.
There is something to be said for the "hang-time" in the fridge in defense of Left Over Dishes. Why do we marinate (besides imparting intense flavor and breaking down tougher protiens)? Why does homemade soup always taste better the next day, along with a variety of other dishes like chili and cold pasta salads? I happen to love meatloaf and spaghetti sandwiches. Two slices of bread can transform a dish, so simple...I happen to be slightly biased with the bread however, a great sandwich is a blank canvas waiting for the hand of an artist. Open the fridge and get inspired, the worst thing that can happen is a not so great re-made dish, not a wasted first meal, and perhaps an improvement to one of your own signature family favorite dishes. Lets just leave the "ODORS" for the trash and take the "LEFT" to be creative.
Let's just say I am greatful for left-overs in my fridge. People generally either rely on left overs as a quick meal or snack which can be re-heated or re-created into something else or they abhor them as though they were straight from the previous nights trash.
My son is exactly the latter, but perhaps will change once he is a bachelor in college. My daughter in stark contrast lives by my leftovers, in fact sometimes I make a dish (i.e. killer steak chili, pesto pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes, etc.) just for it to hang out in the fridge for her. She will tell me quite bluntly if there are not enough plastic containers in the fridge.
When she was a little girl full of innocent mis-pronunciations like "ty-wrangle" for triangle, she would say she wanted "Left Odors", which I thought was pretty funny, because sometimes that is not far from the truth.
As my children age and become more independent, have thier own schedules and are not home for our family dinner every night, I understand even more a need for Left Over dishes, or else I may starve due to lack of desire to simply cook for myself, even if I am able to make exactly what I want the way I want it, it's hard to justify. I can only assume this ability and desire will come with time.
There is something to be said for the "hang-time" in the fridge in defense of Left Over Dishes. Why do we marinate (besides imparting intense flavor and breaking down tougher protiens)? Why does homemade soup always taste better the next day, along with a variety of other dishes like chili and cold pasta salads? I happen to love meatloaf and spaghetti sandwiches. Two slices of bread can transform a dish, so simple...I happen to be slightly biased with the bread however, a great sandwich is a blank canvas waiting for the hand of an artist. Open the fridge and get inspired, the worst thing that can happen is a not so great re-made dish, not a wasted first meal, and perhaps an improvement to one of your own signature family favorite dishes. Lets just leave the "ODORS" for the trash and take the "LEFT" to be creative.
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