The Art of Leftovers

We hear so much today about portion control, almost exclusively in the sense of not eating more than you need to or should. And for the average weeknight meal, this is absolutely correct. 4 ounces of meat, a moderate amount of starch, and some fresh veggies are perfect. BUT, when cooking for guests, the rules all change.

When my Grandma cooked, there were always leftovers. (And she mostly made Italian food -- as anyone who has ever had leftover Italian food knows, it only gets better after sitting for a day or two!) One day I asked her why she always made so much food and she shared with me her version of portion control, one I practice to this day whenever I entertain.

Here was her theory -- you had to have leftovers and not just in general, but there had to be leftovers of every single dish you prepared. If not, then it was likely that someone wanted more and, HORROR OF HORRORS, couldn't have it! (There is nothing worse for an Italian woman than not being able to feed people to the point of near gluttony). The only way to ensure that everyone had all that they wanted to eat, was to cook more than enough of everything.

Of course, there is an art and skill to this. While it's great to have a few leftover servings of lasagna and veggies, you don't want so much you get bored with them, and some dishes just don't work well the second time around (like fish), so you have to be comfortable with a little bit of waste. I've had dinner parties where I've made literally twice as much food as could ever be consumed, but ideally, I aim to have 2 servings of everything left-over by the time people are done eating.

But remember, when in doubt, cook a little bit more rather than a little bit less. Never let a guest leave the table wanting more :)