Last week we talked a lot about serious topics so I wanted to
start off this week by being not so serious. Right now there is a
movement to not throw out as much food waste because much of that food is still
usable (thanks Food Network). So let’s go over some of these items that
we don't realize are still good to eat.
Meat: We throw out meat allot. That meat still on
the bone is still good to eat and can be taken off to make a great pot pie,
shredded BBQ sandwich or other dish that requires shredded meat. This
includes that whole turkey at the Thanksgiving feast or that goose you cooked
up for tonight's dinner. But instead we throw it away where it ends up as
rat food.
Sauces: Have you kept that pasta sauce from last night’s
pasta dish? Well my father did. He would collect the leftover sauce
from the pot and store it as a base. Then the next time he needed to make
pasta, he would break out the base and then add just enough new ingredients to
suit our meal at dinner time. As such the sauce was never wasted.
This too can work for other sauces depending on shelf life. Also,
some of these sauces like soy sauce or duck can be used in other dishes to add
another level of taste to a dish. In the same way you can use flat soda
as a sugar substitute in making a cake, you can use something like soy sauce in
place of polished salt due to the salt content already in the sauce. You
just have to match the ingredient with the dish you are making.
Veggies and fruits: Potatoes are an excellent example
on recycling parts to make a delicious dish. Don't throw out those potato
skins when making mashed potatoes, but fill them with cheese and bacon for a
potato skin snack. Orange peels can be grated to make lemon zest. Pepper
seeds can be crushed to flavor certain dishes. Heck even peeps the
marshmallow snack can be melted down to candy bacon (yea I know marshmallows
aren't fruits or veggies, but they come from processed sugar >.<).
There are many things you can do to recycle parts of food that you may
throw out for something else.
Conclusion: Anything can be recycled so long as
you know how. Bacon grease and lard can be used to season a pan when
making delicious foods. Even fruits (after juicing) and veggies (leftovers
from cooking) can be put in a processor to make a healthy smoothly if you like.
Literally, food parts and components can be used to make great cooking.
For what’s left that is inedible, be glad as there is the compost heap or
even a grinder to make fertilizer for use in your own gardens. Happy eating
by preventing wasted food.
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