I have used many of these techniques over the years in my cooking - they came to me commonsensically for the most part. But there was bit of lessons learned from watching women in my extended family cook - what they reused and repurposed versus what they discarded. There was some overarching logic to their process that I must have picked up on without really thinking too much about it.
Generally, food was never wasted - fresh or cooked. That was the the first rule. The second was to use what was on hand and not require someone to make a trip to the market when a meal had to be prepared. This was particularly true when returning home after a being away for a few days or being low on supplies while have some unexpected guests show up. Either way when there was a mismatch between demand and supply, imagination had to make up for the difference. This resulted in atypical dishes showing up at the table that still tasted good. My paternal grandmother was particularly talented at making seemingly random things work together. I wish I had watched her more closely when I had the chance.
The pine-nuts in my pantry are a bit stale and I have been considering a few different options to make the most of them but the idea of sunflower seeds being a substitute for them did not cross my mind so that is something to try
“Toast in a dry pan until brown, then add a splash of oil followed by a choice of soy, lemon, cider vinegar, mirin or chilli flakes. The liquid caramelises and the chilli sticks to the seeds, making a sweet, sour, spicy, crunchy addition.”
Almost anything can be salvaged by a mix of soy, lemon, cider and chilli. Depending on the situation onion or garlic can play a valuable role in classing up the rescue project.
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