The Recycled Cook

The Recycled Cook

By Adrian Sleeman

When I was growing up in New Quay, West Wales, my twin brother and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. Although I didn't realise it at the time, We learned a lot about cooking from my grandmother, who we used to call Mamgu,or Mam for short (Welsh for grandmother). In the small kitchen you would find a side of salt cured bacon, not unlike the hams of Italy and Spain but we were never allowed to eat it uncooked, which made it taste even better when we did slice off a piece when she wasn't looking.

She would waste nothing, which came from growing up with very little to start with. One of my most vivid memories of her is watching her flatten out old butter wrappers to be used for greasing baking tins. Mam was always baking, or at least that was how it seemed to me as a young boy.

Many years later It occurred to me that we have lost so many of those old ways that we could resurrect and in doing so not only be more economical in how we cook but also rediscover those wonderful flavours of our childhood. 

Our parents and grandparents knew the joys of home cooked fresh food, they might not have had access to the literally hundreds of TV cookery programs  or the thousands of cookbooks available to our generation but they knew how to make food taste amazing.


It was that thought that inspired me to write - "The Recycled Cook".

The basics of recycling food

Before I start on somerecipes I thought it would be worthwhile to look at some practical concerns associated with recycling and in particular, reheating certain foods, in particular meats such as chicken and pork.

Food hygiene is something that any cook should take seriously but when dealing with food that is to be recycled or reheated it becomes even more important.

Mostly it is just about using common sense. Let food cool properly before freezing, defrost fully and make sure that any reheated food is cooked right through.

Using colour-coded cutting boards should be standard practice in your kitchen, these are now readily available; Red for meat, Blue for fish, Green for vegetables and White for dairy produce. A small investment but one that will keep you and your family safe and healthy.

Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx




 

Location: Pinner, Greater London, UK

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