Food Addict

I go out to eat a lot, but I never feel like I have the whole “dinner at a restaurant” experience. Usually I kill my hunger with an oversized appetizer (Mmm, garlic breadsticks) and by the time my entrée arrives, it’s too late. I take a few bites, pack up the remaining food and call it a night.

This means I always have plenty of leftovers sitting around.
Is it just me or are leftovers more than the original meal? While some foods (like pudding) should not sit in the refrigerator overnight (you never know about that thin, rubbery layer of “skin” that forms over the top of it), pasta, sandwiches and pizza taste better after a night of chilling in the fridge.

In fact, I consider cold pizza one of my favorite breakfast foods. Healthy? Probably not.

Tasty? Definitely.

Leftovers should be disgusting. Originally, the meal sits on a big white platter, freshly made and steaming hot. A twig of green parsley even lies on the side, just to help make it look pretty.

 One day later, it’s cold and every food particle sticks together. Then, when pulled apart, it makes a squishy noise that sounds like someone rolling through a pile of mud.

Appetizing? I think not.

Despite its hideous appearance, leftovers outshine the original dish time and time again. Maybe taste has nothing to do with it.
Perhaps it seems like it tastes better because of its convenience.

Leftovers don’t require the time and energy it takes to make a meal from scratch. If I’m in a hurry, I can just grab them and go.
Not only do they provide a simple meal, but I feel like I’m eating quality food rather than some microwaveable egg rolls found in the grocery store freezer.

Despite my love for leftovers, I experienced one disappointing case. A few months ago, I went to a restaurant and ordered a pasta dish. I regretted my order right away. In front of me sat a bowl of penne pasta covered in a thin, red sauce that tasted unexpectantly spicy.

I didn’t like it. I’m not a fan of spicy food, particularly spicy pasta. It’s especially suspicious when the menu mentions nothing of this flavor.

Besides the taste, the sauce’s whole appearance turned me off. It was extremely runny and an odd, light shade of red, like someone just added a few drops of food coloring to water.

I almost refused to take it with me, but I didn’t want to look like a food waster. So I sucked it up, took the horrendous pasta home and with one last sniff of disapproval shoved it in the back of my refrigerator.

Maybe the transition to leftover status would do the spicy pasta some good.

I checked it the next morning. Like always, the smell of leftover food flowed out of the refrigerator and filled my nostrils. This time, I didn’t feel welcomed by it. I smelled a spicy, stale aroma.

I took out the styrofoam box and popped it open. My leftovers reminded me of refrigerated pudding. The noodles sat clumped around a pool of sticky sauce wrinkled like skin. I picked up one piece and ate it. It tasted just like it smelled: spicy and stale.

In order to have successful leftovers, the food must taste good to begin with. Now I just throw away bad food. It’s much better than a smelly refrigerator.

Francy Marcotte

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