How to Cook a Wolf: Food Waste Edition:

Back in 1942, when food was being rationed for the War effort, MFK Fisher wrote a cookbook called “How to Cook a Wolf.” Nowadays, that term is a little obscure since nobody eats wolves (presumably), but it refers back to the “Wolf at the Door/Gate” from old literature, who sniffs around and waits to devour the people inside. It was used commonly up to the 20th century in reference to having just enough money or supplies to live in tough times. 
 
For the past several decades, food has been relatively cheap for the vast majority of Americans, moving from 25% of their total budget to just 11% (SOURCE: Govt), so Fisher’s book, though a literary masterpiece worth a reading for any food lover, appeared very dated and unnecessary as a practical guide to cooking economically, considering a majority of consumers today have the issue of being overfed vs. underfed, and food waste is now estimated at more than 30% of food produced but not consumed. 
 
The protracted Covid pandemic of 2020 – 2023 punched a humming food industry in the gut, disrupting supply chains, increasing the labor shortage, and leading ultimately (thanks to protracted government handouts) to extended periods of food inflation. Now food has become too expensive for almost everyone, not so much because food itself is unaffordable, but because ballooning car, housing, medical and energy costs have put such a burden on people’s budgets that there’s not much money left to spend at the grocery store. So not only are lower-middle and below-poverty incomes in need of food donations from churches and community organizations, but I’ve witnessed “soccer moms” in luxury SUVS waiting in free-meal lines to pick up something to help them “cook a wolf” for budgetary relief. 
 
This blog plans to focus on two main ways to Cook a Wolf: 1) choosing more carefully what goes in to the pantry. Fisher’s book is timeless, but the grocery world has changed a lot on 80 years. Rotisserie chickens for $5 (or the equivalent at the time) weren’t common, nor were 2-liter bottles of soda pop. 2) being more thrifty about “rescuing” unused or expiring food items from the refrigerator or cupboard, as well as repurposing or extending leftover foods from previous-night’s cooking so that they aren’t wasted or dreaded. 
 
Disclaimer: though I am borrowing from Fisher’s book title, this book is meant to be strictly practical, not literary. 
 
The List:   (allow for comments after each post to allow readers to share their ideas)

• Freezer “pantry”: forgotten freezer burn meats, place to keep bakery, produce, etc. 
• Leftover Mashed / Roasted Potatoes
• Expiring Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Sour Cream)
• Molding Cheeses
• Leftover chicken, beef, steak  (warn about 7-day limit)
• Bakery items (pies, cakes, muffins, cookies, sliced bread!)
• Staled tortilla chips, crackers  - some may think we’re going too far here, but others may press on. Tortilla chips come in big bags, and unless you are having a party it is unlikely you can consume them all before they stale, without overeating or tiring of them. So we keep chip clips on bags, and when it’s time for taco salad night, or a chip-and-dip snack, we simply spread out a handful on a cookie sheet and warm them in a 250-degree oven for a few minutes, and suddenly we have fresh-made chips. 
• Fresh fruits and vegetables – except maybe for lettuce/spinach that becomes slimy, almost every type of expiring produce is redeemable. Berries and bananas that ripen faster than you can eat them should be frozen and ready for a smoothie or dessert.