Scrap Cooking -- Richard Inspired Dishes--a non sewing post

 My daughter has been friends with an English couple for years. Mel was Nicole's supervisor on a project when Nicole first arrived in London. They struck up a friendship. Today Mel works at a different company; but, the two stay in touch with each other. Mel is married to Richard who is a professional chef. Mel is a true gem. I was honored to meet her because I had heard so much about her from my daughter. I will admit what I heard was right on the mark. 

Today though, my post will be my remembrance of the first time Richard and I met. Of course, we covered the usual background questions. I asked him some questions about his work. He was a good sport about answering. He pointed out that good kitchens run without the angst we Americans see on the Gordon Ramsey cooking shows. In other words, the chef isn't yelling expletives during service. As he spoke, it was obvious how passionate Richard is about fresh, available ingredients as well as being proud of assembling a competent and confident team. 

Refrigerator contents

I haven't eaten a dish he prepared. My daughter has. She said whatever he cooks looks and tastes beyond amazing. I don't doubt it. Just like with quilters, when talking with them you can formulate a fairly accurate idea of their work without having seen it.

I asked Richard if he was planning to write a cookbook since it seemed many chefs have written a number of cookbooks. He scoffed. 

So I asked what it was he did that separated him from other chefs. While he wouldn't commit specifically to a skill, he did talk about his competency with zero waste. 

Richard said he had been in kitchens where food was tossed that could have been made into sauces, soups and sold. He talked about how challenging it was to buy the right amount so the products purchased were eaten. He talked about the importance of being creative with left over perishables as well as left over soups and sauces. Using it all so you got all the value for the money you spent was as important to running a business in the black as it was to serve delicious foods to draw customers in to the business.

He also said that with a well stocked pantry and a few fresh ingredients, one could always make something good and healthy to eat. That conversation was a couple years BEFORE COVID. Back at home, I took his comments to heart. If a vegetable was moving toward the rotten stage, I cooked it into something. I thought I had been good about using what was purchased; but, I became a lot better. 

Later, I would look into the refrigerator and think, there is NOTHING in here to make. I wonder what Richard would do with these ingredients? Then, I'd make a dish and chuckle about what a kick Richard would get out the influence he had on this home cook!

Potato pancakes with a side of bacon

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. We were in London. We were visiting with Richard and Mel. What a TREAT! I mentioned to Richard about his influence. He blushed a little and chuckled a lot. Mel said the next time that I was faced with NOTHING to make, I should snap a photo and send it to Richard who could let me know my options.

Richard, without batting an eye, said he charged for that service! Of course, he would! I said I would do him one better. I'd send a photo of my fridge and then I'd send a photo of what I made. 

So. . .what do you make when it's five in the morning and you're hungry? Unfortunately, you've arrived home from a trip the previous evening and haven't been to the grocery store to restock supplies. You take stock of what is available and you think about the time you want to spend preparing.

In the refrigerator were: two eggs, a jar of hot peppers, a jar of sour dough starter, lemon juice, a little sour cream, some jams, peanut butter, vegan butter, salsa, feta cheese, goat cheese, thawing hamburger for dinner the following day, sparkling water, one sweet potato, one head of cabbage, a bag of carrots, half a red onion, celery, one head of broccoli, three avocados, a package of flour tortillas, four slices of bacon, numerous small packages of dairy cheeses, almond milk, condiments like mayonnaise and mustard.

I thought about making an egg scramble but I wanted to veer away from my usual go to plan. Besides, I was really hungry! Instead, I made potato pancakes. I haven't made potato pancakes in at least a decade. Grating the potatoes and chopping the onion  took a little effort. I poured a little milk into the potatoes while I grated them. 

Afterward, I drained/squeezed out the liquid. I added a little flour, an egg, salt and pepper. I stirred it up and dropped the mixture by spoonfuls into a hot pan with hot oil. I fried the pancakes until they were golden and then flipped them to brown the other side. While the pancakes cooked, I fried the bacon.

Once all the pancakes were cooked, I added a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley to each one. My plating skills need work; but, the meal was delicious! I should make potato pancakes more often! Once I had eaten, I went back to bed and slept until nine. What a great way to get ahead of jet lag!