Some of my most memorable creations in the kitchen arise from next to nothing, in desperate attempts to piece together whatever I can find in my fridge and pantry. Actually, as time passes, I become more and more aware of the fact that if I were ever to present my own ‘culinary point of view’, as the hosts of The Next Food Network Star implore, it would probably be centred around repurposing leftovers into new and exciting dishes. I hate to waste anything–especially if it’s any good–and the ability to transform last night’s dinner into something completely new (rather than simply reheating the same meal) is engaging, creative, fun, and extremely practical; it’s real life cooking, and I love it. It so happens that I borrowed the name for this blog from one of these ‘day-after’ creations, chosen by design to reflect as well as possible my particular food philosophy.
On the very best of days, leftovers seem to speak out and tell you just what to do with them, and everything pieces together as if propelled by some magical will of what they were always meant to be. On these rare and special occasions, you begin to lose sight of the fact that you’re even using leftovers (and all the negative baggage that term tends to carry), and it becomes difficult to discern which form was originally intended for the foods you’re pulling together, or which edition is better. Fortunately, one such occasion recently came about after making jerk chicken and freestyling with just about everything available to me that day.
jerk chicken & cornbread; the bubble to my squeak
Rummaging through the fridge for something to throw together, I immediately withdrew the remaining drumsticks of jerk chicken, maple/jalapeño cornbread, and grilled corn from the night prior’s dinner, then returned to find some strawberries, arugula, plain yogourt, a lime, and maple syrup. As I surveyed my palette, it all became so utterly obvious… I’d make an arugula-based salad, with shredded jerk chicken, chopped cornbread, grilled corn (off the cob), and strawberries–a jerk chicken & cornbread panzanella! Brilliant (if I do say so myself)! And with the balance of ingredients, a complementary vinaigrette of yogourt, lime and maple syrup, with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and hot sauce.
Quick, easy, and ridiculously tasty, everything in this salad came together just so and left a lasting impression, though it physically lasted only a few minutes on the plate (seconds included): succulent, savoury jerk chicken, peppery arugula, sweet and still slightly crunchy cornbread, aromatic, herbed butter-seasoned grilled corn, ripe, juicy strawberries, and all of it tied together with a slightly creamy vinaigrette that played to all parts of the palate with a sweet, salty, sour and spicy balance that echoed, accentuated, and intensified the flavours of the salad’s base. It’s as though the initial jerk chicken dish–as delicious as it was–was but a prelude to a truer form, as the already developed flavour profile was lifted to even greater heights on its second day.
jerk chicken & cornbread panzanella w. grilled corn, strawberries & a maple/lime vinaigrette
Imagine taking apart a completed jigsaw puzzle and being able to put it back together in a totally different way; the colours and overall impression remain similar, but the picture itself has been transformed and the experience thereof becomes totally new–unique. That these pieces can be rearranged and fit together to cohesively form multiple completely distinct but equally impressive wholes is precisely the magic of cooking, or in this case, cooking with leftovers, and respecting your leftovers as ingredients rather than viewing them as ‘last night’s dinner‘ is a simple means of harnessing that magic.
