Make Do Cooking

[Andy M.]

Earlier this week, I made curried rice to go with a pork tenderloin. The pork was gone and the rice wasn't great but I had saved the extra for a lunch. That came to pass and I had to do something to make it more appetizing as I really didn't want to eat it as is.

This gets kinda bizarre but bear with me.

I had some ground pork in the fridge so I browned that up and added (I wanted to keep this simple) garlic powder and onion powder. Saw a little bit of salsa in the fridge so I emptied the jar onto the pork. That wasn't enough moisture so I added some taco sauce-much better. I wanted some heat so I sprinkled some ground chipotle pepper on the meat and mixed in the leftover curried rice.

It was surprisingly good and enough for two lunches. I wonder if I'll be able to duplicate it...

 

[pacanis]

Andy, as one who has been there done that, albeit with different ingredients, I am saddened to tell you the answer is probably not... at least not in my experience. Now let me further explain

When I put these throw together meals together, what you call make do and I usually call concoction, I find that the reason the meal came to be in the first place was because that was what my taste buds were leaning towards. I instinctively grabbed this and that to add to my main ingredients because my mind had a goal in mind. And the closer that goal came to be, the more that I wanted it. The ingredients flowed into the pot like paint from an artist's brush onto the canvas

I have probably duplicated said dish to a tee numerous times, but because I was not caught up in the moment, not instinctively construcing the dish in anticipation, my hunger not fueling my desire, it might have tasted the same, but it wasn't the same.

Not that I wouldn't make it again

But seriously, I am usually left with the feeling that something is missing when I try to duplicate a throw together dish.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Shrek makes me write down what I do for throw together dishes...

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, as one who has been there done that, albeit with different ingredients, I am saddened to tell you the answer is probably not... at least not in my experience. Now let me further explain

When I put these throw together meals together, what you call make do and I usually call concoction, I find that the reason the meal came to be in the first place was because that was what my taste buds were leaning towards. I instinctively grabbed this and that to add to my main ingredients because my mind had a goal in mind. And the closer that goal came to be, the more that I wanted it. The ingredients flowed into the pot like paint from an artist's brush onto the canvas

I have probably duplicated said dish to a tee numerous times, but because I was not caught up in the moment, not instinctively construcing the dish in anticipation, my hunger not fueling my desire, it might have tasted the same, but it wasn't the same.

Not that I wouldn't make it again

But seriously, I am usually left with the feeling that something is missing when I try to duplicate a throw together dish.

I understand what you are saying. It was more the moment than the recipe. I did succeed in using up some rice I didn't care for and clean out the fridge a bit. I suppose that's something.

I will try to do it again but I was just tossing things together without recording quantities.

Just a thought, I don't use paint, canvas or brushes when I cook.

Oh, well.

 

[pacanis]

Definitely. It's more the moment than the recipe. And the satisfaction of using up some less than stellar ingredients and turning them into a, "Dang, this is good", moment.
That is my favorite kind of cooking, but I rarely eat out, so I have to get creative sometimes.
And I am using a brush to cook tonight... OK, a silicon brush

You know, I never made dirty rice. Gotta try that sometime.

 

[MyCrummyApartment]

Sounds like a kitchen disaster.... but I'd probably eat it too!

 

[CraigC]

I have often found myself staring into the abyss of the refrigerator, spying something and thinking, how can I use/improve on this leftover. As if by majic, there is more space in the fridge, several jars/containers added to the recycling and myself eating something I know will never be repeated!

 

[Whiskadoodle]

Sounds like Tuna Surprise school lunch cafeteria at the end of the month. Which indeed may not contain any tuna. Oh, but don't read this the wrong way. Our school had good lunches and creative lunch ladies. I didn't know the particulars at the time, that their budget didn't go as far as our hungry kid stomachs.

Also sounds like the only intelligent ones in you bunch are Mrs Andy provided she enjoyed your your creativity, and Shrek.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I call this refrigerator cleaning. Or like Crosby, Stills and Nash sang, "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."

Just clean your refrigerator out. If it was better than you thought it would be, rest assured that you can always create good recipes just from instinct.

My refrigerator cleaning tonight was unfortunately no more than cleaning, and avoiding a trip to the market when I didn't feel like driving...

 

[Claire]

Gee, Andy, you've been a go-to. I don't think this is bizarre at all. In spite of what some will tell us, we cannot always fix every meal with fresh, in season, locally-grown everything. The reality is that we need to make meals with what we have sometimes.

My husband tells me I'm the expert at never being able to completely reproduce a dish! Oh, there are some where I stick to recipes, but what you did is pretty much the way I do it when it comes to leftovers. I cannot believe that many of my friends don't "do" leftovers. Huh? I can't figure out if they're so rich that throwing out good food is a status symbol, or if just plain stupid. Mex spices, as you very well know, aren't all THAT far away from curry!

But, no, forget about duplicating it!

 

[CWS4322]

I guess I do a lot of that kind of cooking. I take what is on hand, left overs, stuff in the freezer, etc., and go from there. I rarely shop with a recipe in mind, rather, take what is at hand and run with it. And, I'm still really thrilled with all the things I did with rhubarb on Friday--finished the chickpea-rhubarb-Swiss Chard curry for lunch today and then kicked myself in the butt--the leftover chickpea mix would've been fun to put in a mini-pie! Next time.

 

[Savannahsmoker]

I say go for but I will add good like on trying to duplicate it.