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.

Steve

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.
>

Leftover meats can easily be used in hash. They can also be ground or
chopped, mixed with some sautéed onion and perhaps some gravy or broth and
wrapped in crepes.

Mashed potatoes can be make into patties with added ingredients of your
choice (cheese, chopped veggies) and fried.



> How about that vacuum sealing deal? Would that lengthen shelf life?

Certainly does, by a factor of 3 to 5.

"Steve B" > wrote in message
...
> 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.
>

Left over veggies can be used in soups, casseroles, stews.

You can save the water you boil potatoes or other veggies in and use it for
making stock.

You can slow simmer fragrant peels (ie orange peels) to make your kitchen
smell nice.

Left over rice, you can fry, add to soups, make rice pudding etc.

Debbie

On Jan 1, 10:15*am, "Steve B" > wrote:
> And suggestions about storing leftovers or like the half of the pack of
> mushrooms you don't use tonight....
For all of my cooking years I would either dry, or throw out all of
the parsley I could not use as it began the refrigerated limp-to-rot
cycle. I certainly could have grown my own, and did for just one
season, but my herb gardening impulse did not last. Last month a chef
on TV gave example of a simpler parsley chopping...she freezes all
washed, fresh parsley to then always have fresh that also chops when
frozen much easier and quicker. 'Twas just the encouragement I
needed, and I now have various of the wanted fresh herbs in one
dedicated to single bags freezer container.

The only fresh mushroom keeper I've ever found minimal success with is
slicing, then drying, freezing, which I'm not too happy with. I most
often want use of 'shrooms raw, so I rarely buy fresh unless I'll be
using all immediately.
....Picky

"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote

> Those Everfresh bags will keep the mushrooms fresh much longer.
>
> http://www.evertfresh.com/

Been using them. And re using them. And so on. And so on. They work
great. Did I say they're reusable?

Steve

Steve wrote on Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:15:48 -0800:

> 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.

That's how my Anglo-Saxon and Viking ancestors originally prepared hams.
Go down to the beach, dig a whole just below the high tide mark and bury
the ham until needed.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"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.

Sure Steve. Some of these are just for 'family use' where it makes sense
but not for guests who might get upset.

Save usable peelings and vegetable ends to make stock of. These are fresh
bits, just the parts normally discarded. Add carrot bits, onion ends and
skins, leek roots, spinach stems, and such to the chicken bone carcass and
simmer as normal then strain. Sure you can use carrot middle parts but
there's noting wrong with the ends of a fresh carrot frozen up in baggies
until you have enough.

or use in-family, Don often makes too many ribs. The uneaten ones, get
recycled to the crockpot.

We are currently recyling lots of an 11lb ham into different things. Thin
slivers of it were topped with horseradish and flipped over onto hot green
fried tomatoes for lunch. The flour from the green fried tomato dip, is
saved to coat catfish tonight then egg and milk will be mixed with it to fry
'hush puppies' along side the fish.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
...
> Steve wrote on Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:15:48 -0800:
>
>> 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.
>
> That's how my Anglo-Saxon and Viking ancestors originally prepared hams.
> Go down to the beach, dig a whole just below the high tide mark and bury
> the ham until needed.
>
>
> --
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

At that temperature, and with the salinity, it sounds like a good method.
Not like a Virginia smoke house ham, but I'd try it.

Steve

On Fri, 1 Jan 2010 10:15:48 -0800, "Steve B"
> wrote:

>But how about keeping some orange peels for zesting? And how would one keep
>them fresh for a couple of days?

When I'm making orange peel candy, I save the peels in a baggy in the
freezer until I get enough to make a batch.

>Anyone admit to tossing last night's leftover gravy into tonight's batch?

I did that with my Christmas Eve Dinner Part Deux. I took the
leftover gravy and added it to the new. My husband raved about gravy
#2.


--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Steve B > wrote:

> Some
> cultures had hideous practices of burying things and then digging them up
> later, like duck eggs.

Some cultures still have such practices and it is debatable that they
are necessarily hideous.

One such example is formaggio di fossa, Fossa cheese, produced in
Sogliano al Rubicone, in Romagna. The cheese is matured in deep pits or
ditches dug in tufa. The pits are covered with straw and the cheese,
wrapped in cloth, is lowered to the bottom on Assumption Day (15th
August) and left there until St. Catherine's Day (25th November). While
there, the cheese is (partly) eaten by worms.

It is said that the practice of burying the cheese started in 1486, when
the army of Alfonso of Aragon, son of the king of Naples, was defeated
by the French and Alfonso had to seek asylum from Gerolamo Riario, ruler
of the city of Forlì. The asylum was granted, but there was now an
extra army to feed - and the soldiers turned to pillaging. So, burying
the cheese was one way of thwarting them. It was discovered that the
cheese improved greatly in its grave, remaining moist and acquiring an
aroma, taste and colour all of its own. It is said that a pit or ditch
must be used for at least ten years, as only then enough microorganisms
accumulate to deliver the best results.

The cheese is still very highly prized.

Victor

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

There's always chili... which can be made as a wonderful chili, or
made as "the garbage disposal for all the leftovers in the kitchen".

-J

On Jan 1, 8:30*pm, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> 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.

When I worked at the donut shop I worked at for 8 years full time in
the 1980's, we filtered our frying fat daily, but never replaced it
100%. But then again, we went though enough new added fat through the
daily production process that the percentage of really old fat in the
fryer was most certainly quite low. Probably gave our donuts their
characteristic flavor too! YUMMY!

John Kuthe...

Soups! All sorts of soups. Cream of potato, minestrone, various chicken,
beef and turkey soups. It's also a great chance to weave in the tired
vegs in the hydrator. Also stale homemade bread becomes garlic croutons
to put into the soups. jh

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote

> 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.

I filter mine, and have a gallon jar in the garage fridge with CHICKEN and
FISH marked on them. I use paper paint filters.

Steve

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?

I zest them before peeling -- easier that way -- and freeze the zest,
when I think of it.

> Anyone admit to tossing last night's
> leftover gravy into tonight's batch?

No, but I've mixed it into a batch of hash the next day.

Serene
--
"I tend to come down on the side of autonomy. Once people are grown up,
I believe they have the right to go to hell in the handbasket of their
choosing." -- Pat Kight, on alt.polyamory

On Jan 1, 1:15*pm, "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.
>
> Steve

I peel an orange now and then, dry the skin in my dehydrator, then run
it thru a coffee grinder and store in a small Rubbermaid. It keeps
for ages and good to toss into muffins etc.

Ditto for lemon peel.

I dump mushrooms into a plain brown paper bag the second they get home
- they seem to keep pretty well. If there's a better way, I wanna
know.

I swear by Debbie Meyer green bags for keeping produce. Romaine lasts
for weeks.

On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 06:58:59 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> wrote:

>I swear by Debbie Meyer green bags for keeping produce. Romaine lasts
>for weeks.

Romaine is practically indestructible and I don't even use those bags.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

"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.
>

I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee grounds....our
bin is usually overflowing with them!

On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 15:58:55 -0000, "caroline" >
wrote:

>
>"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.
>>
>
>I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee grounds....our
>bin is usually overflowing with them!
>

Coffee grounds make good compost.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 15:58:55 -0000, "caroline" >
wrote:

>
>"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.
>>
>
>I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee grounds....our
>bin is usually overflowing with them!
>
Do I hear a worm farm calling your name?

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

caroline wrote:
> "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.
>
> I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee
> grounds....our bin is usually overflowing with them!

Compost. Good for some plants too. Put some around the roses, bury a
couple of banana peels too. Don't forget the fish heads, but bury them deep
enough that cats don't bother them.

In article >,
says...
>
> 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.
>
> Steve

Well, the biggest use of leftovers for us is chicken salad. I love to
make small roasters with nothing but a bit of butter on them, in the
oven. Sometimes I make them just for chicken salad, sometimes we use
them for a meal and use the leftovers the next day. Again, I would note
that we are kind of pedestrian for this group but one of our favorite
ingredients in chicken salad leftover sandwiches, is the relish. A
tablespoon with the juice in a couple cups of chicken salad is how we do
it. Get some nice fresh rolls, some onion, tomato, lettuce and you have
a whole new meal..

As to chicken salad, and tuna for that matter, you can also change it up
by putting in chopped apples or grapes... The sweet really works well
with the mayo and meat/fish...

Scotty

In article >, says...
>
> "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.
>
> Sure Steve. Some of these are just for 'family use' where it makes sense
> but not for guests who might get upset.
>
> Save usable peelings and vegetable ends to make stock of. These are fresh
> bits, just the parts normally discarded. Add carrot bits, onion ends and
> skins, leek roots, spinach stems, and such to the chicken bone carcass and
> simmer as normal then strain. Sure you can use carrot middle parts but
> there's noting wrong with the ends of a fresh carrot frozen up in baggies
> until you have enough.
>
> or use in-family, Don often makes too many ribs. The uneaten ones, get
> recycled to the crockpot.
>
> We are currently recyling lots of an 11lb ham into different things. Thin
> slivers of it were topped with horseradish and flipped over onto hot green
> fried tomatoes for lunch. The flour from the green fried tomato dip, is
> saved to coat catfish tonight then egg and milk will be mixed with it to fry
> 'hush puppies' along side the fish.

This is a great post, really got me thinking here...

Scotty

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote
> caroline wrote:
>> "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.
>>
>> I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee
>> grounds....our bin is usually overflowing with them!
>
> Compost. Good for some plants too. Put some around the roses, bury a
> couple of banana peels too. Don't forget the fish heads, but bury them
> deep enough that cats don't bother them.

Thanks all! Never thought of that, duh!

The fish heads are no problem, hubby is a fish farmer!

And they'd be very brave cats around here...with 6 dogs <grin>

"The Cook" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 2 Jan 2010 15:58:55 -0000, "caroline" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"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.
>>>
>>
>>I'm really curious to know what you can do with used coffee grounds....our
>>bin is usually overflowing with them!
>>
>
> Coffee grounds make good compost.
> --
> Susan N.

And if you have worms in there for fishing, you don't have to dig. The poor
little things are going every direction at once. Can't seem to stop moving.

Sorry, just had to do it.

Steve