Eating Down the Fridge
Take a look at what is already in your refrigerator, freezer, or pantry and make a meal from it. While not a new idea – leftovers have been around for a long time – a few individuals and groups have undertaken an official challenge to “eat down the fridge.”
Steven Shaw of eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters embarked on his challenge in February and tracked his success on an eGullet forum.
Kim O'Donnel, from Washington Post's "A Mighty Appetite," was inspired by Shaw and began her own journey of wasting less and saving more in mid-March. O'Donnel's blog covered her week of experiences and spawned a Facebook Group. She had such a great response from participants that she is considering an ongoing challenge.
The Crunchy Chicken blogger undertook her "Food Waste Reduction Challenge" in February and invited her followers to join in.
Maybe you have difficulty combining those random leftovers into an appetizing meal. Check out these websites for ideas:
Leftover Chef provides recipes for those items you have in the refrigerator or pantry. You can browse by category or search by specific ingredients.
Love Food Hate Waste is a British campaign striving to raise awareness about food waste. The website contains recipes, food storage tips, and statistics about waste.
For more recipe help, borrow these titles from the library:
Nathalie Dupree cooks everyday meals from a well-stocked pantry: strategies for shopping less and eating better By Nathalie Dupree
Extraordinary meals from ordinary ingredients David Joachim, recipe editor
Cook once eat twice: slow cooker recipes: meal 1 tonight, meal 2 tomorrow Carrie Holcomb, editor
While in the process of using up those leftovers, do not forget to keep safety in mind. The Mayo Clinic has some tips for handling food, as does the USDA.
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