Sure, you fridged up those leftovers with the best of intentions but days later they still languish. Then it's weeks and now they're so deteriorated that you can finally toss them with a clear(ish) conscience. The progression parallels certain aspects of personal relationships but this is not the forum for that.
This week, Nancy Leson and I discuss, with only a little self-congratulation, how much better we've become at using up leftovers now that our supermarket visits are so infrequent.
My triumph was asparagus peelings from one of our favorites, Asparagus with shiitakes and prosciutto. I thought there must be something I could do with those those crunchy skins.
Nance reports how she used wrinkly poblano peppers and found a use for five-week-old hydroponic tomatoes. And here's the inventive salvage of leftover bagel dough her husband Mac deployed.
Pumpernickel's Progress
Last week I confessed to the brick-like consistency of my first homemade pumpernickel and promised to report the results of my second try. This time the bread was a perfect...doorstop.
The Lovely & Talented Cheryl DeGroot's brainstorm saved the pumperday. Hear the full report on that and our other leftover triumphs in the audio above.
PS: Learn the surprisingly aromatic origin of the word "pumpernickel."
“The most remarkable thing about mother is that for 30 years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” – Calvin Trillin
