We have been led to believe that we have to eat fresh as in just off the tree at every moment. If not that then we are led to believe that following a recipe is the best way to cook and reduce waste as you measure, right? Wrong on both counts. Most people just don't know enough about food, period. Why is that? Its not being taught and or being instructed, passed on as good information.
There are plenty of studies out there including ones by John Hopkins that clearly reveal ignorance in the population at large when it comes to food cooking and consumption. As hard as that may seem to grasp, its true.
The Brainy Gourmet Blog - Fast and Frugal, has always encouraged wise frugal cooking. With that in mind, let's look at why eating fresh as in just off the tree or just out of the ground or off the shelf is a problem when it comes to waste; and then, look at why following a recipe is also a big cause of food waste. So, do we always have to eat so FRESH? Well, what is fresh?
Does food labeling really tell us anything about food freshness or what to do with food that is one day past the expiration date. The answer is no. Good cooks, chefs, know what is fresh and what is not. We have these senses that are pretty accurate: sight, smell, touch and taste. So, if a container of heavy cream does not look bad, smell bad, or taste bad then can it be used one or two days past its expiration? Most likely, yes. And, certainly for cooking with.
Can darkened bananas be used? Yes, use them in pancake batter or bread, or muffins. Can apples that have gone soft or mealy be used? Yes, use them to make applesauce or in bread or muffins. What about toasted muffins that did not get eaten or bread. Use the muffins to put on the bottom of breakfast casserole and make bread crumbs from dry 'day old' bread.
And, can you use left over mashed potatoes from Sunday's dinner? Yes, make potato pancakes as a side with pork chops. What about left over roast beef or roasted chicken? Stew or casserole...our grandmas did. As home cooks used to do (like grandmom's) in terms of managing left overs and new purchases...do your own labeling, mark the date cooked or bought, storing either in the fridge or pantry, depending on the food item.
Do you really need to use a recipe? No. As we have discussed before, you rather need to know what you like in terms of taste (sweet and salty) and what you are comfortable with cooking. Once you know that, you will understand why recipes are a waste of time and just wasteful.
Of course, like with anything you want to master or just do well, know-how and or skill in cooking comes with practicing combinations. Start simple and small. Start with stock and make as many soups as you can throughout the week. A basic chicken stock (cooking a whole chicken or parts) can become tomato and eventually minestrone.
I encourage every home cook to be wise and frugal. This is the best way to stop food waste. It is easy to cook without a recipe, just don't be afraid to try. The worse scenario is when you are disappointed having followed a recipe to the 't' and bought all kinds of ingredients that are a one time use or only for that 'dish'. And, since it 'turned out badly' and you can't reuse any of it and toss it in the garbage.
The Brainy Gourmet has cooked everything from Swiss Steak to Chicken and Dumplings, to Veal Marsala and Irish Stew without a strict measure it out recipe; even doing some 'exotic' African and lots of Italian dishes. Check out the side margin on this blog to see what you need to have on hand in your pantry and what will help you expand on that. Get cooking as practice makes ... Brainy!
Brainy tip ~ You don't need to have on the plate an item from every single food group every single mealtime; i.e. fruit intake can be eaten between meals/snack or for breakfast.
*Source ~https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/30/why-americans-waste-so-much-food/355864001/
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