Steve B wrote:

> Can you give some examples of the use of left overs or things less prissy
> people will keep instead of tossing. Using once brewed coffee grounds has
> been mentioned. Twice cooked potatos don't qualify.
>
> But how about keeping some orange peels for zesting? And how would one
> keep them fresh for a couple of days? Anyone admit to tossing last
> night's leftover gravy into tonight's batch?
>
> Useful hints appreciated. Disgusting suggestions taken at face value.
> Some cultures had hideous practices of burying things and then digging
> them up later, like duck eggs. And some I won't even mention.
>
> How about that vacuum sealing deal? Would that lengthen shelf life?
>
> And suggestions about storing leftovers or like the half of the pack of
> mushrooms you don't use tonight. (I keep them in a sealed zip-lock).
> Wish I could get SWMBO to do that, as hers turn slimy and brown within a
> day, and she hasn't caught on yet. She thinks if it has been in the
> refrigerator, it's safe to eat. No matter how long.


Chinese cooking contains a sauce called "Master Sauce." You simmer meat in
the stuff, then serve the meat with only the sauce which clings to it. The
remainder of the sauce is used repeatedly in that same way, with a few sauce
ingredients getting replenished from time to time. Using the sauce over and
over that way, it's possible for a Master Sauce to be passed from generation
to generation.

Frying oil is usually filtered and used at least a second time; sometimes
restaurants will use the same frying oil for weeks at a time. The personal
fryers like Om has are intended as storage vessels for the oil between uses.

The trick with orange peels is to remove the zest BEFORE you peel the
orange. It's a lot easier that way, and the zest can be frozen or
dehydrated. Normally you wouldn't want the pith, although there are some
rare exceptions (e.g., cranberry-orange relish, Chinese orange/tangerine
beef, and some meat salads).

Bob