The 'Whatever' Approach Is What I Do Best

[Food Network Fan]

The 'Whatever' Approach Is What I Do Best
By Erin Zimmer
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, February 27, 2008; F01

In my kitchen, most leftovers have one real chance for an afterlife: as omelet contents.
Fajita scraps? Throw them into the skillet with a few eggs. Greek salad? Ditto, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Omelet-ifying foods is my default dinner move when I am alone and culinarily challenged.
I realized that was perfectly acceptable when my friend Virginia, a student-turned-professor in food studies at NYU, recently sealed a few smidges of lime-marinated shrimp into Tupperware. "For tomorrow night's fri-TAH-ta," she said, as if upgrading the egg dish to a more elegant state. It appeared she had made the shrimp -- part of an elaborate Baja-style feast -- with an eye to its sequel possibilities.
Omelets are quick, warm and satisfying; I'll always stand by that. But there are more options than eggs for cooking solo. Ever since I graduated from Georgetown last May -- ridding myself of homework excuses and mini-fridge limitations -- I've had more time to play with my food.
Sure, I'll print off a Nigella Lawson or Ina Garten favorite if there are other mouths to feed. But when I'm by myself, no way. Besides, I have questions that I've never seen answered in any definitive cooking-for-one tome:
* What about fresh herbs that go to waste?
* How could I reconfigure a full Indian spread with curries, chutneys and nan medleys for one serving?
* How much spaghetti and sauce constitutes a single dose?
My cooking is less about measurements and more about winging it, a skill I picked up early. Given her 9-to-6 career-woman schedule, my mom often wasn't sure what we would be eating until 10 minutes before suppertime. Despite my efforts to shove photos of braised veal shanks at her, and despite all my whining about so-and-so's mom's elaborate after-school snack, that kind of effort just wasn't her style.
Ground beef would go into spaghetti Bolognese, sloppy Joes or meaty tacos; she didn't really care which until the last second, as if she wanted the bubbling sauces and browning meats to figure themselves out.
"Seriously, Mom. What are we having?"
"We'll see, honey. Just have faith."
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[Food Network Fan]

I like to plan, I don't think I could handle free style cooking.

[BerryBaby]

I eat leftovers as they are. Making them into omelets doesn't sound appealing to me.

[Food Network Fan]

My gang doesn't eat a lot of leftovers. There are a few specific foods they will eat reheated, but not a lot.

[MayQueen]

I prefer to wrap my leftovers in bread rather than eggs.

[BerryBaby]

True, not everything is good as a leftover. I really don't like leftover Chinese food, especially it is of the breaded variety.

Good leftovers are Japanese, Italian, American.

No so good leftovers Chinese and Mexican...tortillas just aren't the same the next day.

[bluejeanz]

I'm definitely not an omelete-lover so the concept of throwing whatever you have in the fridge into the mix doesn't sound very pleasing to me.

When I was still married and the kids were young I used to map out menus for each day of the week and then do my grocery shopping. That's probably a concept that's gone the way of poodle skirts. But there's just me now so it's usually hit-or-miss. The first few days after shopping, I eat well. The rest of the time, eh. And I can only eat leftovers once. The rest makes my disposal a very happy camper. If I make something I know one of my kids likes, I'll make a double recipe and have her stop on her way home from work to pick it up.

Am I the only person who keeps a lone bottle of Marsala just for Chicken Marsala?

[Food Network Fan]

I have marsala but I like using it to make a beef sauce too. Sometimes a creamy marsala. Can you find it in wine shops? the only place I ever see it is along side things like balsamic vinegar in the grocery store.

[bluejeanz]

My local supermarket carries it but I know not all of them do. My daughter was having a heck of a time finding it down where she lives so I bought her a bottle on my next shopping trip.

[BerryBaby]

I've never used Marsala. My cooking wines are Zinfandel and Vermouth. Always have those on hand.