Remains of the Day

Have you seen the film? Dark politics, heart break, passion, and scandal, it’s a period film that has it all although it’s rated PG. The characters try, with difficulty, to hide their emotions under the shiny veneer of diplomacy and decorum.

The scene that kills me is where Emma Thompson is trying to wrestle a book out of Anthony Hopkins hands. They get so close, close enough to kiss. But naturally she is rejected. Then, when Emma informs Anthony that she is running off to marry another man, she’s too embarrassed to tell the starched collared butler that she loves him desperately.

Instead she makes a comment about how much he has been a part of her life, including all his quirks, like the way he pinches his nose when he puts pepper on his food. When they finally meet again 10 years or more later? there is something about the ending that reminds me of leftovers, cold and sad.

I’ve never been a fan of leftover cooked foods like fish, eggs, and Chinese take-out. When reheated, they have a disheartening flavor, a real let-down, like two people in love who never seem to get it together. But happily, there are certain leftover foods that do reheat nicely and that you can turn into fresh tasting, new dishes the next day. Here are three ideas for a happy ending for your leftovers.

Seasoned Taco Meat

Just toss seasoned taco meat with chopped romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, a little grated part skim mozzarella, ¼ cup salsa, salt and pepper. You’ll have a salad on the go that is tasty and so fast to prepare. Just crumble the broken taco shells over the top.

Slice Beef Tenderloin

Sure you can make a salad out of left-over steak, but I slide these into taco shells for a meat lovers fantasy dinner! Bring the steak to room temperature, then toss it into the taco shells, add sliced baby spinach, jarred tomato, and low-fat sour cream.

Sliced Whole Grain Bread

If you are a smaller household, you might not get through a whole loaf of bread. Don’t throw the ends out, tear them up, place them in a food processor with a little salt, grated Parmesan, dried herbs, and paprika. Process until small crumbs form and you have fresh whole grain breadcrumbs. You can transfer them to a zipper lock bag and keep them fresh until ready to use.