Money in the Pan
Every time I make brownies and start to scrape that ooey gooey chocolatey goodness into a pan for baking, I think of the day in baking class when I headed to the sink with a bowl that still had chocolate clinging to the sides of the pan. I thought I was done and intended to wash the pan. The chef stopped me, well to be honest screamed at me, “You’re leaving money in the pan!” And proceeded with a stiff lecture about how expensive chocolate was and I should scrape every bit out of the pan. If that were my restaurant I would be throwing money into the can. I’ve never forgotten it.
When you are cooking at home for the family, take a moment to think about any times you may be leaving money in the pan. It might be something as simple as not scraping out all the brownie batter, but there are other ways to save money for yourself as well. How about saving your carrot, celery and onion trimmings and making a broth from them the next time you are in the mood for soup? The same goes for any bones you cut off from your meat. They can be roasted and used for a tremendous stock for stews or soups.
Got any leftover bread? Did you know bread makes a good thickener for soups, stews or sauces? Or maybe treat your family to some fantastic bread pudding. If you happen to have leftover mashed potatoes (This rarely happens at my house) you can use the potatoes as a thickener or consider saving them for making shepherd’s pie. Leftover biscuits from breakfast? Hang on to them. You can always spread butter, garlic, parmesan cheese on them later and heat them in a 400 degree oven.
Cereal that has gone too stale to eat in a bowl of milk can be crushed and used as a breading for oven baked chicken. Leftover wine can be frozen in cubes and used in casseroles and sauces (but not in a sauce that is the shining star of the meal).
Starting to get the idea? I’d like to hear your favorite uses for leftovers and how you are working to keep money in your pocket and not in the pan!
