[bluefoxicy]

Bake bread.

Eat bread.

2-3 days later... stale bread.

Half a loaf left hmm.

I tried making bread pudding but I used a 2 quart 8 inch dutch oven... apparently too deep for this; it needs shallower.  Plus I made twice the quantity and twice the cook time doesn't seem to do what I intend; the top burns and the inside is a sickening goo.  I'll put it in the toaster oven and see if I can make it edible as I go.

So, you have stale bread.  What do you do with it, besides throw it out?  I keep my bread in a paper bag out of the fridge so it dries before mold can take hold; it lasts a couple days if you keep the cut end uncovered.  I find it stays softer and moister in plastic; however it can also go moldy in the same amount of time if it's warm or humid, and besides it still tastes stale and has a not-so-pleasant texture after a couple days even if it's not drying out.

I'm liable to steal these if I ever write a book.  In some religions, the wasting of food is an abomination unto God; I'd imagine any significant amount of philosophy study or basic meditation will draw a person to the same conclusions as they naturally contemplate the nature of waste eventually, whether they want to base this on God or gods or health of the spirit or ethics or logic of economy (wasted time, effort, money, material) or just plain common sense.  In my writings on philosophy, I would likely make that point quite clear.

Honestly, what sense does landfilling food make?  Don't tell me the seagulls need to eat too.  They can find clams just fine, that's why they're seagulls and not landfillgulls.

So how do you deal with food that is or is about to go bad?  Wasted cooked food (mashed potatoes -> potato pancakes, potato bread, etc; baked beans -> tomorrow's breakfast[/a])?  Fruit that's getting a bit soft?

I'm less interested in a huge dissertation on the theory of mulching eggshells and zucchini skins for compost; although zucchini skin for zucchini bread is a good idea.  Food to food is preferable:  you put a lot of time and energy into raising animals and crops, and while recycling that energy back into the crop is good and efficient in terms of resources (if you're not using any imported fertilizer i.e. just crop rotation, then this is self-sustaining and doesn't cause external resource drains), it's still wasted human labor and wasted land.  Arguably, if your self-sustaining farm could support itself without recirculating compost into the land, then you're also wasting output that could have gone to feed hungry people-- even in the best case scenario, directly converting waste food to more food is the most favorable venue.

[morticaixavier]

So, you have stale bread.  What do you do with it, besides throw it out? ...
...that's why they're seagulls and not landfillgulls....

A seagull that lives on an inlet is a baygull.

When I have left over brewd I use it for breadcrumbs, bread pudding or, if the right kind of bread and it's tomato season, bread salad/soup. you could soak it and make kvass

[tschmidlin]

What's leftover bread?  I baked a big loaf yesterday and it's 2/3 gone already.

We sometimes have rice left that is getting old - that gets fed to the dog.

If I catch food before it goes bad I will usually freeze it or just make something up on the fly.  Add some spices, fry it, throw it into something else, whatever.  We don't throw much food in the landfill.

[euge]

I like panzanella which is a salad made out of stale or left-over bread. Wonderful and versatile.

As a big bean eater lots of things find their way into the pot as flavoring. Also, fillings for omelets and fritatas. Made into topping for pasta or noodle soups. Let your imagination run...

I'm pretty pleased with myself because very little is wasted.

[gordonstrong]

+1 panzanella.  Unfortunately, I will only make it when I get local ripe tomatoes.

You can also just whiz it up in the food processor to make fresh breadcrumbs, which you can then use in lots of ways.

Make meatballs (or any similar mix) with milk-soaked stale bread; it helps keep them moist without being heavy.

Toast them in some olive oil and garlic in a pan to make your own croutons.

[MrNate]

Halve the recipe

Make rounds and use one for soup in a bread bowl.

Croutons. A lot of croutons.

Get a girlfriend, preferably a healthy one that likes to eat and drink. Ain't no shame if the lovin's the same.

Donate to Paul's Place or wherever the closest soup kitchen to you is.

The possibilities, they doth abound.


*Also, Dutchman's Supper. Can't forget Dutchman's Supper.

[bluefoxicy]

Get a girlfriend

This is never good advice.  Too many stupid guys have girlfriends because they "need a girlfriend."  Then you see them with two black eyes.

[bluesman]

I've learned how to get the most out of what I cook or prepare.
The stale bread issue is easy.
bread crumbs, croutons, bread soups, bread salads, french toast, toasts for dipping or feed the birds, feed the cats
just don't feed the birds to the cats...

I try to plan how I will stretch my meals before I make them.
If all else fails, I freeze when at all possible.

The possibilities are unlimited for a whole roasted chicken or a large pot of pasta...
I think you get the idea.

[capozzoli]

Make some minestra. That is the grandparent stew to Minestrone which is made with pasta, sometimes rice. Minestra uses bread, authentically it was made with older or "perso pane" as the Italians say. Just make it with the bread that is between fresh and bread crumbs.

Minestra can be made with or without meat.

This is traditional Italian "peasant food" Make a hearty bone/veg. stock. add loads of garlic, oregano, basil, nutmeg,  tomatoes meat and a couple fist fulls of pre-soaked kidney beans and chick peas. When the beans are soft add a lot of chopped carrots, celery, fennel, peppers, Simmer till the veg are cooked.

Cube the bread to about 1-1/2 Place some olive oil or melted butter into a mixing bowl, lots of chopped garlic, oregano, salt and pepper mix well then grate in a bunch of parm cheese. place the bread in the bowl and toss and dredge liberally with the oily mixture till the bread is well coated and the bread drank some up.  add more oil if needed.

Then toast the large cheesey Italian croutons to golden brown perfection. 

Serve the cubes of garlic bread on top of the stew. with some fresh grated parm cheese on top.

Great warmer upper in winter.

And as the Italians say... Mangia le mie palle!

[1vertical]

Dry the stale bread before it goes moldy...save it till thanksgiving and use it to make the
turkey dressing....works wonderfully.  Some giblet juice, some onion,celery,sage...mmmm

[bluefoxicy]

authentically it was made with older or "perso pane" as the Italians say

Interesting, there is even bad food made from bad food.  And I thought the italians had just perfected the art of turning exceptionally good ingredients into exceptionally bad food (well, and also making crappy cars, horrible industrial infrastructure, and huge political blunders-- such as giving the French a special place as the only military to lose a war against the Italians... twice).

[capozzoli]

Wow.

Ill just repeat this quote to you: Mangia le mie palle!

[MrNate]

I like twinkies.

[punatic]

I am a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator.  We recycle used food for a living.

[capozzoli]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RRDLzxFXjY