Reduce Kitchen Exposures; The Everyday Art of Repurposing Leftovers

How Mindful Food Storage Can Reduce Microplastic and Food Chemical Exposures

Food has a cost well above the weekly grocery bill, and we often forget that Thanksgiving is ultimately an expression of the debt of gratitude we owe for what we consume from the planet. In Japan, each meal is preceded by uttering the phrase Itadakimasu or “I will receive,” a shortened version of a Shinto tenet, inochi-wo itadakimasu, that reflects food in relation to life, death, and nature’s provisions. These words are an acknowledgement of all hands that made food possible from farm to table and the sacrifice of the souls of animals who gave their lives for this meal. In the current food landscape, our acknowledgement must more broadly consider the steep costs of greenhouse gases, refrigerated trucks traveling cross-country, the risks born by growers and producers, and how consumption is affecting our earth and our oceans. So, if we were to put action behind our Thanksgiving intentions, how each of our households manages leftovers and minimizes food waste should be top of mind.

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I make a point to leave no leftover behind. That requires having a repertoire of weeknight recipes to repurpose food kamikaze style. It helps to build basic improvisational cooking skills that can make anything left in the produce drawer abracadabra into variations on recipes. Even when your perishables don’t appear on ingredient lists, they can be reworked into your favorites. Frittatas, chilaquiles, barley stews, stir frys, and these recipes for curries, kukus, savory bread pudding, and roasted vegetable enchiladas can be made into glorious dishes with whatever must be used up before spoilage. In my kitchen, leftover salmon goes into pasta with lemon oil and fruit beginning to bruise gets poached in wine or made into apple butter.

And, I am mindful of Tom Turkey who gave up his brother or grandson to grace my Thanksgiving table, so I use every last bit, including the carcass, in my annual “Take No Prisoners” Turkey Rice Soup. The aroma of the stock settles my soul as it fills my kitchen. You’ll be wanting a light meal on the weekend when the mashed potatoes are gone. If you tire of turkey and cranberry sandwiches, use the turkey in lieu of duck in this New Mexican Duck and Bean Chili with Chocolate. With extra roasted butternut or pumpkin, dress cubes in a light sweet and sour vinaigrette, a Sicilian agrodolce, to serve as antipasti or a side.

Remember to cook your stuffing separately from your bird. The internal temperature of the cavity may not reach 165 degrees F necessary to eliminate food borne illness. Cook your stuffing in a casserole dish and store separately from the bird in the fridge.

Weigh the convenience of pre-cut vegetables and fruit carefully. Buying whole fruit less handled by industrial equipment means less exposure to gasket greasers and industrial sanitizers. More highly processed foods like tater tots and chicken nuggets are also more likely to come in contact with plastics in the processing chain.

Remove food from packaging, supermarket bags, and deli wrap before storage in the fridge. Time in packaging increases opportunity for leaching of antistatic agents and grease-proofers containing perchlorates and PFAS forever chemicals. For deli meats, cheeses, and produce, these reusable silicone bags pictured below come in all sizes and will help organize your fridge.

To reduce microplastic exposure, swap polypropylene cutting boards for wood, stainless steel, this paper composite, or silicone which tends to resist deeper scratches. Avoid microwaving in plastic containers and drinking bottled water habitually. Use a glass or stainless flask instead. The data on microplastics and human health is emerging. While the effects of shedding from alternative products is not fully known, plastics do contribute to endocrine disrupter exposure, particularly when heated, which raise concerns for fetal development and fertility.

Silicone reusable food storage bags will help organize your fresh produce and reduce food chemical contact from store packaging

“Take No Prisoners” Turkey Carcass Rice Soup

1 Turkey carcass, leave any clinging meat but remove most of skin

any leftover celery and carrots from the roasting pan

or two ribs celery and 2 carrots, 1/2 inch slice

6 cups of water to cover carcass by 2/3

1 teaspoon dried  thyme

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

12 grinds black pepper

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/3 cup rice

Place the turkey carcass and vegetables in a large lidded stockpot. If using fresh vegetables, heat 2 Tablespoons of oil to smoking and sauté the vegetable 8-10 minutes until they begin to caramelize, browning at the edges. Cover the carcass by 2/3 with about 6 cups of water. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for three hours.

Remove the bones and pour the stock through a fine sieve. Discard any cartilage and solids then add any carrots, celery, and meat remaining back to the soup. Store in fridge in an air-tight container overnight.

The next day, skim the fat that layers above the soup gelatin and discard. Place the soup stock in a saucepan to heat. Add thyme, tarragon, black pepper, salt, and 1/3 cup rice. Heat the soup over a moderate flame just short of rolling boil and then reduce heat. Simmer 25 minutes until the rice is tender, covered. 

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Wishing your family a healthy Thanksgiving filled with family and joy!

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