By Ceil Dyer (1969)
[FROM THE INTRODUCTION]
To begin with, though making use of leftover food is almost as old as time – The first caveman soon learned to save yesterday's bones stew as sauce for tomorrow's rabbit – It can also be a method of cooking that is as new as tomorrow's computer and just as efficient.
It's as simple as this: buy more than enough for a planned menu – That jumbo size can of tomatoes for instance,a whole roast instead of those steaks, and that 10 pound bag of potatoes in place of a few loose ones – In other words, by buying in volume and in economy sizes, and by cooking more than enough – preparing the makings for, three, four, or even more meals at one ”cooking” – you will save. The results: better food for less effort at a lower cost, and most important, more free hours for you to use as you like.
But does it really work? Of course it does, and not just now and again. This method of planned cooking has made life easier and more pleasant for me – as it can for you,each and every day of the week To prove it, here's an example that starts with one of my favorite Southern style menus and ends with some really great made-from-leftovers food:
Baked Virginia Ham with Pineapple
Candied Sweet Potatoes Crisp-cooked Broccoli
Parker House Rolls
Fresh Strawberries with Homemade Sponge Cake
Coffee
A truly delicious meal, to my way of thinking, but, let's face it, not a quick one to bring to the table. Nonetheless, It's relatively easy, aRealnd look at the wealth of convenient leftover food it can provide you if you plan. Here's just one of the ways it has worked for me in the past:
First, because I bought and baked the largest whole ham my oven would hold, I had enough leftover for an elegant cold ham mousse to serve to Tuesday's bridge club, pIt's perfect timing rich will still be out oflus enough to make six ham sandwiches for a family midnight snack and also a dinner party main course, Louisiana ham and oyster jambalaya. In addition, because I cooked double the needed broccoli and three times the necessary amount of sweet potatoes, I had the makings for a broccoli souffle and a sweet potato pie, this last a
“quickie” made with already-in-the-freezer prepared pastry for crust. And, as if that were not enough, I also had two sponge cake layers to freeze for next week or next month.
VINTAGE HARDCOVER - GOOD CONDITION - SOME WATER DAMAGE ON FRONT COVER -- NO DUSTCOVER