Expiration Dates

In our home, J is vigilant about expiration dates on food. She takes them too seriously and I not at all. Reading this story about a year-long experiment eating expired food lends support to my theory that expiration dates are just a way for retailers to move their products along faster. It seems like we could use our best judgment about these things - some foods just keep much better than others. You need to have a feel for when its too far gone and when it may not quite kill you yet. 

Sad looking fruit may not be appetizing but they can be easily converted into something that hides their blemishes. I look at slightly older and misshapen produce as an opportunity to be creative while reducing waste. Sourcing the finest ingredients to create a world-class meal is laudable of course but most of us are not delivering a farm to table experience on the regular. Watching a documentary on how Noma first set up shop in Japan was a worthwhile lesson on the pursuit of perfection to the point of obsession. But working one moldy eggplant and a slightly beat-up bell-pepper into a nice dinner that everyone enjoys is not too bad for a home cook on a busy week-night.