REINVENTING LEFTOVERS
Reimagine last night’s dinner with a little bit of extra creativity, writes Laura Brehaut.
“I’ve always preferred a meat loaf sandwich to just meat loaf,” says Julia Turshen with a laugh.
In her third cookbook, Now & Again (Chronicle Books, 2018), the bestselling author recasts leftovers as cause for celebration in and of themselves. Learning how to cook with last night’s dinner can help reduce household food waste and save time, but it’s also an opportunity for creative reinvention.
Presented by season, the more than 125 recipes and 20 menu ideas provide inspiration for making shared meals — from no-stress holiday dinners to a cosy late Saturday lunch. Following each menu are “It’s Me Again” recipes for turning leftovers into something new.
Celebration chicken with sweet potatoes and dates is transformed into a chicken salad so tasty you’ll want to make sure you throw in a few extra pieces of chicken.
“Having something leftover and then not thinking it can be anything besides itself is definitely a really limiting idea for so many home cooks,” says Turshen. “Broadening our mindset about leftovers and thinking of them as a really wonderful invitation to something brand-new makes it a lot more exciting.”
To finish off a comforting fall meal, Turshen recommends her applesauce cake. Make it up to a day in advance, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature.