"Chemiker" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I was to make chowed pork with pineapple and ginger this day,
> but I've been pre-empted by SWMBO, who is opting for braised sirloin
> tips. Asi es la vida.
>
> Topic: Cooking.
>
> SWMBO wants to get rid of our two refrigerators and get only (!) one
> to replace them. So far, so good. We tend to overcook, and the
> fridges get overloaded with leftovers, which, all too often, wind up
> being discarded.
>
> This is not about what kind of fridge to buy.... I know it's going to
> cost me, and back problems suggest bottom-freezer types are not in the
> running.
>
> The nub is relearing how to cook.
>
> Of this NG's exalted membership, I know there are some who are younger
> and "starting out", with no/small families. Some are empty nesters.
> Some have larger families, or entertain or maybe participate regularly
> in church social suppers, or the like. So here's the question....
>
> Is it easier to cook for 8? or 2? For those who've made the transition
> from one to the other, what were the most difficult adjustments you
> had to make?
>
> Looks like this old dog is going to have to learn a few new tricks.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Alex, practicing "Woof!" and rolling over.

Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8 would
be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.

And if you think about all the prep such as chopping and shredding... You
have to do it no matter how many you are cooking for. It just takes a few
more minutes to do it for more people.

Most recipes are designed for 4 to 6 servings. Although it is easy (for
some) to do the math to scale that back for two people, the problem comes in
buying your ingredients. For instance, if you buy a package of ground beef
or a can of chopped tomatoes, chances are you are going to have more than
you need. So there are your leftovers.

Yes, some stores sell things in exact quantities. For instance if I need
celery, I try to buy it one rib at a time unless I know I am going to use
the rest of the bunch. Yes, it is more expensive to buy it that way and not
all stores do sell it that way. But that is one way to cut back on
leftovers.

Of course you can cook a large amount of meat (or other things) with the
idea of using the leftovers for other things later in the week. I did learn
to cook this way. But are you really going to do that? I know most of the
time, I do not.

I try to plan my meals out a week at a time. It is necessary for me to do
this for most weeks because my daughter eats a lot of her meals at the dance
studio. She has food allergies so I can't just give her some money and send
her to McDonalds or Subway or wherever like a lot of the other kids do. I
sometimes eat there too so we need to be sure that we will have something to
take. Sometimes this will be a planned leftover. Sometimes this will be
another planned meal. Other nights we need a quick meal before dance. So I
need to buy things that are quick to fix.

When my husband is home, that complicates things. For one, he eats a lot.
So I can not just cook for three. I tend to cook for 8. That's easy enough
to do but I have to make sure that I do have enough food. He will sometimes
go back throughout the night and maybe into the next day to eat leftovers.
It really depends on what it is.

I also find if my daughter doesn't have the dance classes, like now with
winter break, it is much less necessary for me to plan the meals. We do not
have to eat at set times. We do not have to take things with us.

My current problem is my freezer. Because I am usually cooking for 2, I do
tend to wind up with extra meat. With ground beef, I will usually just cook
it up and put the cooked meat in the freezer. I usually do find a way to
use this. But with chicken or other meats? I stick it in the freezer and
there it sits. I never look at it again. I might curse if it falls out and
hits my foot. Then I will vow to use it. But do I? Probably not. I might
take it out and try to defrost it but invariably it will not be defrosted
when I need it. Then I do all sorts of funky things to try to make it
usable and then daughter won't like it. She is the chicken lover. Not me.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8 would
> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.

I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:54:24 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:
>
>> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
>> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8 would
>> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.
>
>I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
>are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
>buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
>an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
>need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
>method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
>attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.

Most everything I cook has left overs calibrated in... I wouldn't
bother to cook most foods unless I prepare enough for at least a half
dozen (or more likely a dozen) portions to freeze. A lot of time,
effort, and of course money is saved by cooking in bulk. I don't
consider the portions I freeze as left overs, they are absolutely
planned. I don't even like the term "left overs"... If I buy a case
of beer are the unopened bottles left in the fridge left overs, if I
eat half a box of chocolate chip cookies is the other half left overs,
of course not, no more than than the portions I freeze from when I
prepare a 16 quart pot of stew, or meat loaf that contains minimally 5
pounds of ground meat... I've never made a meat loaf with less than 5
pounds of meat, I wouldn't bother. To me left overs are what remains
in a half gallon package of ice cream I put back in the freezer
because I couldn't shovel anymore in... I *planned* to eat it all but
sometimes I just can't, so then what remains is left overs. And I
won't forget, the next evening that third of a container will be
calling my name. And of late half gallons are getting smaller and
smaller and have more air whipped in... it's not all that difficult to
finish those shrunken half gallons in one sitting, did that last week
with Breyer's Triple Chocolate; one third each of milk, dark, and
white chocolate... damn but that's good, especially that dark
chocolate. For me they can omit the white chocolate and call it Twin
Chocolate.

http://www.breyers.com/products/All-...Chocolate.aspx

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
>> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8
>> would
>> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.
>
> I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
> are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
> buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
> an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
> need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
> method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
> attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.
>
> --

Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the amount
you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.

I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:13:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > > wrote:
> >
>
> > your attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.
> >
> > --
>
> Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
> store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the amount
> you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
> contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
> onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
> salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.

I don't call salad greens I didn't use leftovers unless you mean you
made everything into a salad. Then they really are left over.
Personally, I'd call leftover salad "garbage", because that's where
it's going. The lettuce, green onion and tomatoes I didn't use for
salad today might be salad tomorrow or they might be something else,
but they are not leftovers for me. They are future ingredients.
>
> I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
> Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.
>
I don't purchase from the salad bar either, unless I want one or two
pieces of celery. I can buy several types of salad mixes in bulk and
often buy enough for more than one day, but I do not call the salad
greens I didn't use today "leftovers".

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Dec 20, 3:13*pm, "Julie Bove" > wrote:

> Then what about things like salad? *Unless you are lucky enough to have a
> store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the amount
> you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
> contains a lot of things. *I have yet to see a store that sells one green
> onion. *Or six cherry tomatoes. *This is why we often buy salad from the
> salad bar. *Costs a lot more but much less waste.
>
> I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
> Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.

What's "a lot"? Virtually every evening we have salad. Lettuce
(romaine for me, iceberg for him), cucumber, radish, carrot,
cherry tomatoes. Sometimes a little bell pepper. (And less
perishable items, like feta cheese, olives, pepperoni, provolone,
in different combinations.)

We can rip through all of that produce before it goes bad.

OTOH, I've quit buying broccoli unless I know for sure I'm going
to use it. I've thrown away more elderly heads of broccoli than
I can count. We just don't do cooked vegetables all that
often.

Cindy Hamilton

"Cindy Hamilton" > wrote in message
...
On Dec 20, 3:13 pm, "Julie Bove" > wrote:

> Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
> store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the
> amount
> you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
> contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
> onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
> salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.
>
> I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
> Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.

What's "a lot"? Virtually every evening we have salad. Lettuce
(romaine for me, iceberg for him), cucumber, radish, carrot,
cherry tomatoes. Sometimes a little bell pepper. (And less
perishable items, like feta cheese, olives, pepperoni, provolone,
in different combinations.)

We can rip through all of that produce before it goes bad.

OTOH, I've quit buying broccoli unless I know for sure I'm going
to use it. I've thrown away more elderly heads of broccoli than
I can count. We just don't do cooked vegetables all that
often.

---

To me a lot is a three types of greens such as two heads of lettuce and a
bag of spinach. A whole container of small tomatoes. A bunch of green
onions. I can not eat salad every day because I have gastroparesis and
don't digest it well. At the most I can have two small salads a week.

Daughter loves canned green beans. I do digest those well. So we have
those a lot.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> What's "a lot"? Virtually every evening we have salad. Lettuce
> (romaine for me, iceberg for him), cucumber, radish, carrot,
> cherry tomatoes. Sometimes a little bell pepper. (And less
> perishable items, like feta cheese, olives, pepperoni, provolone,
> in different combinations.)
>
> We can rip through all of that produce before it goes bad.
>
> OTOH, I've quit buying broccoli unless I know for sure I'm going
> to use it. I've thrown away more elderly heads of broccoli than
> I can count. We just don't do cooked vegetables all that
> often.
>
I like to add raw broccoli to salads (also cauliflower).

Dora

Make a Stir Fry Broccoli.....

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:09:19 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:

>Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> What's "a lot"? Virtually every evening we have salad. Lettuce
>> (romaine for me, iceberg for him), cucumber, radish, carrot,
>> cherry tomatoes. Sometimes a little bell pepper. (And less
>> perishable items, like feta cheese, olives, pepperoni, provolone,
>> in different combinations.)
>>
>> We can rip through all of that produce before it goes bad.
>>
>> OTOH, I've quit buying broccoli unless I know for sure I'm going
>> to use it. I've thrown away more elderly heads of broccoli than
>> I can count. We just don't do cooked vegetables all that
>> often.
>>
>I like to add raw broccoli to salads (also cauliflower).
>
>Dora

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 21:09:19 -0500, "Dora" > wrote:

>Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> What's "a lot"? Virtually every evening we have salad. Lettuce
>> (romaine for me, iceberg for him), cucumber, radish, carrot,
>> cherry tomatoes. Sometimes a little bell pepper. (And less
>> perishable items, like feta cheese, olives, pepperoni, provolone,
>> in different combinations.)
>>
>> We can rip through all of that produce before it goes bad.
>>
>> OTOH, I've quit buying broccoli unless I know for sure I'm going
>> to use it. I've thrown away more elderly heads of broccoli than
>> I can count. We just don't do cooked vegetables all that
>> often.
>>
>I like to add raw broccoli to salads (also cauliflower).
>
>Dora

I buy broccoli and cauliflower every time I buy salad produce, stems
get pared and added too. I draw no limits on what produce goes into
salads... in season whatever I grow in my garden is fair game.

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:13:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
>"sf" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in those
>>> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8
>>> would
>>> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.
>>
>> I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
>> are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
>> buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
>> an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
>> need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
>> method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
>> attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.
>>
>> --
>
>Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
>store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the amount
>you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
>contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
>onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
>salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.
>
>I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
>Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.

Any garden salads I prepare at home are of the "chef salad" genre, the
salad is pretty much the entire meal, may also accompany a bowl of
soup and crackers/bread. I may place a bit of lettuce and a couple
slices of tomato on a ham sandwich but I'm not going through prepping
ten kinds of veggies, a little of this/a little of that, just to make
a saucerful of salad that I can scoff down with four forkfuls... yoose
want a salad as a widdle side dish dine out, at home my salad is my
meal. Just about every week I prepare a 24 cup bowl chock full of
garden salad, at serving I often add pasta, cheese, canned beans,
tuna, cold cuts, chicken, sardines, etc... something different each
day until it's all gone. The produce will stay just-made fresh at
least four days when tossed with the juice of a fresh lemon or lime,
or even a splash of vinegar. I don't remember ever having to toss any
due to spoilage. Yummy: http://i56.tinypic.com/rldfn9.jpg

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:13:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>"sf" > wrote in message
. ..
>>> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in
>>>> those
>>>> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8
>>>> would
>>>> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.
>>>
>>> I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
>>> are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
>>> buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
>>> an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
>>> need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
>>> method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
>>> attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.
>>>
>>> --
>>
>>Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
>>store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the
>>amount
>>you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
>>contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
>>onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
>>salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.
>>
>>I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
>>Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.
>
> Any garden salads I prepare at home are of the "chef salad" genre, the
> salad is pretty much the entire meal, may also accompany a bowl of
> soup and crackers/bread. I may place a bit of lettuce and a couple
> slices of tomato on a ham sandwich but I'm not going through prepping
> ten kinds of veggies, a little of this/a little of that, just to make
> a saucerful of salad that I can scoff down with four forkfuls... yoose
> want a salad as a widdle side dish dine out, at home my salad is my
> meal. Just about every week I prepare a 24 cup bowl chock full of
> garden salad, at serving I often add pasta, cheese, canned beans,
> tuna, cold cuts, chicken, sardines, etc... something different each
> day until it's all gone. The produce will stay just-made fresh at
> least four days when tossed with the juice of a fresh lemon or lime,
> or even a splash of vinegar. I don't remember ever having to toss any
> due to spoilage. Yummy: http://i56.tinypic.com/rldfn9.jpg

I used to eat big salads all the time, but sadly I can't digest them any
more. Daughter and husband are not too keen on salads. They will eat them
once in a while but any more often is pushing it.

On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 18:24:40 -0800, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>
>"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 12:13:39 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"sf" > wrote in message
...
>>>> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 15:38:51 -0800, "Julie Bove"
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Probably the easiest to cook for is 4 or 6. Things tend to come in
>>>>> those
>>>>> amounts. Not all things of course. But a lot of things. I think 8
>>>>> would
>>>>> be the next easiest because you can buy things in bulk.
>>>>
>>>> I buy most things in bulk. Perishables, like boneless chicken pieces,
>>>> are packaged in 2 person portions and frozen for later. I just don't
>>>> buy into the "cooking for two is harder" theory. Either you calculate
>>>> an average of what you estimate each person will eat and buy what you
>>>> need or you throw a whole bunch of food in your cart and cook it. One
>>>> method produces a lot of leftovers, the other doesn't - and your
>>>> attitude toward leftovers will influence your shopping personality.
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>
>>>Then what about things like salad? Unless you are lucky enough to have a
>>>store that sells things like greens in bulk (and you can just buy the
>>>amount
>>>you need), you will have a lot of leftovers if you want a salad that
>>>contains a lot of things. I have yet to see a store that sells one green
>>>onion. Or six cherry tomatoes. This is why we often buy salad from the
>>>salad bar. Costs a lot more but much less waste.
>>>
>>>I even buy from the salad bar when I am making a pasta salad or meatloaf.
>>>Otherwise I have either a ton of food or a ton of leftover vegetables.
>>
>> Any garden salads I prepare at home are of the "chef salad" genre, the
>> salad is pretty much the entire meal, may also accompany a bowl of
>> soup and crackers/bread. I may place a bit of lettuce and a couple
>> slices of tomato on a ham sandwich but I'm not going through prepping
>> ten kinds of veggies, a little of this/a little of that, just to make
>> a saucerful of salad that I can scoff down with four forkfuls... yoose
>> want a salad as a widdle side dish dine out, at home my salad is my
>> meal. Just about every week I prepare a 24 cup bowl chock full of
>> garden salad, at serving I often add pasta, cheese, canned beans,
>> tuna, cold cuts, chicken, sardines, etc... something different each
>> day until it's all gone. The produce will stay just-made fresh at
>> least four days when tossed with the juice of a fresh lemon or lime,
>> or even a splash of vinegar. I don't remember ever having to toss any
>> due to spoilage. Yummy: http://i56.tinypic.com/rldfn9.jpg
>
>I used to eat big salads all the time, but sadly I can't digest them any
>more.

The fiber in salads prepared in gelatine (JELLO) will become maserated
so are far easier to digest... they also keep longer in the fridge.
The variety of such salads are limited only by imagination... there
are so many flavors and besides veggies of all kinds they can also
contain fruits, cheeses, and meats in all combinations. Veggies can
be minced/shredded fairly fine and folded into cottage cheese, then
layered with flavored gelatine/aspics

>
> Yes, some stores sell things in exact quantities. *For instance if I need
> celery, I try to buy it one rib at a time unless I know I am going to use
> the rest of the bunch. *Yes, it is more expensive to buy it that way and not
> all stores do sell it that way. *But that is one way to cut back on
> leftovers.

I've never seen a store sell one rib (meaning piece) of celery at a
time. When I need smallish amounts of fresh items like bell peppers,
celery, radishes, carrots and the like, I go to the ever-present salad
bar and get just what I can use up.

N.

"Nancy2" > wrote in message
...
>
> Yes, some stores sell things in exact quantities. For instance if I need
> celery, I try to buy it one rib at a time unless I know I am going to use
> the rest of the bunch. Yes, it is more expensive to buy it that way and
> not
> all stores do sell it that way. But that is one way to cut back on
> leftovers.

I've never seen a store sell one rib (meaning piece) of celery at a
time. When I need smallish amounts of fresh items like bell peppers,
celery, radishes, carrots and the like, I go to the ever-present salad
bar and get just what I can use up.

---

There are only two stores around here with a salad bar. Both are in
different cities from where I live. But there are several stores that do
sell celery by the rib and baby carrots per carrot.