Secrets of Great Second Meals

What might I be called? Some would say thrifty. Others might call me economical. I've even been called cheap (in a good way, I think).

All of these are true. I know how to live big on very little.

Secrets of Great Second Meals is perfect for someone like me.

Look at the opening paragraph of the book:
“Hey, have you checked your refrigerator today? Are there any enticing offerings chilling in there? Some rice from takeout the other night? Maybe a few chunks of rotisserie chicken? Or half a bundle of herbs you bought a few days ago and need to use soon? That stuff is golden: those odds and ends are the seeds of your next glorious meal.”

I like this, too:
“I take uncommon delight in putting together memorable meals out of the morsels in my refrigerator: it's creative work with just a hint of virtue embedded in it.”

Some important ideas author Sara Dickerman shares: the secrets of great first meals; how to reanimate (her word) stored food; and when to throw things out.

Here are some facts I learned:

1. The number-one source of leftover chicken in the country is probably supermarket rotisserie chicken. But it's easy to make something similar for your own leftover chicken.

2. Always throw fruit that's on the brink of over-ripeness into the freezer—especially bananas.

3. Look this one up if you often have bits and pieces of leftover cheese: fromage fort.

4. Cook in batches large enough for a future meal, and then recombine them in a different manner for a different meal. Cook simply the first time and add complexity later.

5. A dozen eggs in the house is the best possible setup for a delicious second meal.

6. How do you make something out of nothing? The author shares egg moves, soup moves, salad moves, and carb (bread, tortillas, pasta, rice, or potatoes) moves.

7. The author notes that she tries to “rethink the classic casserole mentality.” For example, “no canned soup was injured in the making of this cookbook.”


Okay, but what about recipes, I can hear you ask. Does this cookbook have recipes? Judge for yourself:



Black Bean Tacos with Mushrooms and Scissor Salsa



Meatball Frittata with Mozzarella and Tomatoes



Mustard-Kissed Chard and Gruyère Galette

I love to read cookbooks that inspire my creativity like this one.