(post, Kim Carlson)
I'm a huge fan of leftovers, which I know isn't the case with everyone. One of my brothers-in-law, for instance, doesn't eat them. Ever. We've discussed this, and he won't budge. Me, I love em. I love the convenience of leftovers, the money savings, the step-skipping — but more than all that, I love it when leftovers give back amazing flavor that wasn't there the first time around. Earlier this week I made Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew. It was good but … honestly, it was better today when I ate it for lunch. The flavors had had a chance to deepen; the stew developed a robustness that hadn't been there the first night. Tonight, no girls home for dinner and neither of us very hungry, J and I ate pasta and bean soup from Marcella Hazan (although admittedly by the time I'd doctored the recipe it was more of a hearty pasta dish than a soup). It was also dinner last night. No matter. With a fresh salad and a little parsley and grated Parm, it was like new. Only better. One more thing: Have you read that you should save the rinds of Parmesan and put them in soup? It's the ultimate leftover cheese, and it's so good. When I tossed a rind in to the pasta e fagioli, it added richness — and it tasted wonderful when I ate a bit of it in my dish.