Stocks

"...it's almost never used in the home kitchen, and this is as unfortunate as it is unnecessary.

Today's lunch came together well. Let me tell you its story:

On Saturday, Angela and I were at the grocery store. We decided to pick up something for dinner. Burgers? Sure. We had a jar of pickled beetroot in the cupboard, and we'd been planning on finding out if Australians (who we heard put beets on burgers) are crazy or geniuses. We both like our burgers on the rare side, but I'm wary of pre-ground beef, so I picked up a cheap steak to grind at home.

There's a certain simple beauty that can be attained by taking things that would otherwise be wasted and turning them into something delicious. I have a middling-sized air-tight plastic container that I keep in the freezer. I toss scraps and ends of vegetables in it. When it starts to get full, I make vegetable stock.