“We don’t do leftovers”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do the anti leftover people also refuse to buy and/or eat anything at like the Whole Foods prepared food aisle and deli? ex cooked but cold salmon filets, cold mashed potatoes, meat loaf slices, quesadillas, enchiladas

Are you talking about food prepared fresh and held at temp in a steamtable? That's not leftover food.

Leftover food is prepared, possibly held at temp, then refrigerated or frozen, then reheated or consumed cold. This process occurs at least once. It occurs multiple times at thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

I remember this thread! I can report back that seven years later, my DH still rarely will touch a leftover and wants praise heaped on him if he does have some (of his favorite meals). Kids and I love leftovers and what nobody wants to eat, I feed to our chickens so nothing goes to waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the anti leftover people also refuse to buy and/or eat anything at like the Whole Foods prepared food aisle and deli? ex. cooked but cold salmon filets, cold mashed potatoes, meat loaf slices, quesadillas, enchiladas.

Are you talking about food prepared fresh and held at temp in a steamtable? That's not leftover food.

Leftover food is prepared, possibly held at temp, then refrigerated or frozen, then reheated or consumed cold. This process occurs at least once. It occurs multiple times at thanksgiving.

I seriously doubt if most of the self-serve hot food at Whole Foods is made fresh from scratch day off. But I was more-so referring to the items behind the deli cases. WFs sells a lot of cold items that you're expected to reheat at home. Presumable these items are very popular because they make up half of the items in the deli cases; ex. cooked but cold salmon filets, cold mashed potatoes, meat loaf slices, quesadillas, enchiladas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some things really taste better to me as leftovers. Any type of pasta or pizza come to mind.

Pizza is not in any way better reheated. Shit, it’s not even great delivered after it steams in a box for 30 minutes. It’s best when it never touches a box, 5 minutes after coming out of an oven.

I like it reheated in cast iron or the air fryer.

You're going to pretend that is better than just ordering a fresh pizza? Quit lying. If you were made of money you'd never waste time putting old pizza in a cast iron pan or air fryer. You'd throw it away the night before and just order another if you had the craving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is gross to have all the leftovers in the fridge. And Thanksgiving leftovers are seriously carb heavy, turkey and sweets.

Nobody needs days worth of carb overdosing. Nobody likes dry re heated turkey. Sweets are best day they’re made, so they’re not worth the calories it 2-3 days later.

Carb overdosing? Do you have a history of an eating disorder or orthorexia?

[Anonymous]

I’ve run into this with lower middle class, they view leftovers as somehow something to be ashamed of.
Those with money don’t care, leftovers can be spun into something new.

[Anonymous]

My aunt was like this. She was very well off. We only saw her a couple times a month when I was with my dad (divorced parents). She would make delicious meals and I would watch her throw all the leftovers into the trash once dinner was over. It physically pained me as I grew up in pretty significant poverty. I always wanted to ask her if I could take them home. But I never did. I love leftovers. I actually look forward to them.

[Anonymous]

Lasagna is not really good until day 2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lasagna is not really good until day 2

No thanks to 48 hour bechamel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the anti leftover people also refuse to buy and/or eat anything at like the Whole Foods prepared food aisle and deli? ex. cooked but cold salmon filets, cold mashed potatoes, meat loaf slices, quesadillas, enchiladas.

Are you talking about food prepared fresh and held at temp in a steamtable? That's not leftover food.

Leftover food is prepared, possibly held at temp, then refrigerated or frozen, then reheated or consumed cold. This process occurs at least once. It occurs multiple times at thanksgiving.

I seriously doubt if most of the self-serve hot food at Whole Foods is made fresh from scratch day off. But I was more-so referring to the items behind the deli cases. WFs sells a lot of cold items that you're expected to reheat at home. Presumable these items are very popular because they make up half of the items in the deli cases; ex. cooked but cold salmon filets, cold mashed potatoes, meat loaf slices, quesadillas, enchiladas.

Gotcha. Yeah I refuse to buy and/or eat that.

[Anonymous]

I used to dislike leftovers because I just didn't like reheated food, but I've totally come around on them and now I love them. Partly you just need to know what is going to reheat well and how to do it (oven reheat is usually worth the effort and time versus the microwave). But also I just hit a point where the prospect of eating a real meal (not a frozen dinner or fast food or something) with so little effort is just magical to me.

Also, when we became parents, I got really into making double of a lot of dishes (any kind of casserole or soup, meatballs, sauces, etc.) and freezing them. So now 3-4x a month we can pull something homemade from the freezer and then just make a salad and dinner is done. It is so nice. It's also saved us in so many situations like getting home from vacation late on a Sunday when restaurants are closed, or the time I had to have surgery and neither DH nor I had the bandwidth to cook.

I will say that the phrase "we don't do leftovers" sounds snobby, even though the choice is fine. It's like when people say "oh we don't watch TV." That's totally fine, we actually watch very little TV ourselves, but you have to know it comes off rudely.

[Anonymous]

I love leftovers. The Breville turns our sandwiches into toasty deliciousness. Also, I could eat my spaghetti meat sauce for a week solid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will say that the phrase "we don't do leftovers" sounds snobby, even though the choice is fine. It's like when people say "oh we don't watch TV." That's totally fine, we actually watch very little TV ourselves, but you have to know it comes off rudely.

I avoid leftover shaming with the exception of thanksgiving. If you've overwhelmed yourself and are reheating food prepared yesterday and cutting corners (gravy from a jar), scale it back.

Leftovers day after thanksgiving are acceptable; leftovers day-of thanksgiving is not acceptable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some things really taste better to me as leftovers. Any type of pasta or pizza come to mind.

Pizza is not in any way better reheated. Shit, it’s not even great delivered after it steams in a box for 30 minutes. It’s best when it never touches a box, 5 minutes after coming out of an oven.

Different poster than you responded to

???
Of course it’s not great reheated. That’s why you eat it cold, out of the fridge, for breakfast.

[Anonymous]

We never have leftovers either. I don't like to bring home food when we dine out (tacky and gross) and at home we have the correct amount of food prepared, cooked and served. DH has lunch brought into his work or dines out.