L is for Leftovers

Not all leftovers are created equal. While some doggy bags may be coveted, others sit in the fridge until the food seeps through the takeout containers.

In order to determine how carefully to guard your leftovers, you can refer to the Sushi-to-Pizza Scale.

Leftover sushi = a bad idea. Don't even bother taking those california rolls home. No desperation justifies dry rice, soggy nori, and yesterday's raw fish. But pizza = leftover greatness, especially if you're holding Zachary's or Little Star deep dish. Diligently stand guard over those takeout boxes. In fact, I would recommend removing the pizza from the cardboard box, wrapping the slices in foil, and stashing them in the cheese drawer underneath some old tortillas. Hopefully your roommates will not find them.

All other restaurant leftovers fall somewhere in the middle. Tacos veer closer to sushi--neither the crispy nor the soft ones are as good on day two. Chinese food can go either way. Did you visit the family-run joint around the corner or the Panda Express? However, Indian food definitely leans toward pizza status. Mix the Chicken Tikka Masala and Aloo Saag with some leftover rice, and the insane amount of oil and cream creates a spicy dish that still tastes good.

However, some leftovers are off the scale, like homemade Thanksgiving grub: turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, a dab of cranberry sauce, and cold pumpkin pie with whipped cream lightly sweetened with vanilla bean. Leftover perfection.