I don't think I'll go dumpster diving any time soon, but I do take significant pride in using up leftovers. In fact, the poutine example is particularly relevan

I don't think I'll go dumpster diving any time soon, but I do take significant pride in using up leftovers. In fact, the poutine example is particularly relevant to me. Just the other night I made a kind of poutine from old pasta, random bits of cheese from the drawer, and leftover KFC gravy. It was delicious. "Daddy casserole" made from whatever I can find in the fridge is not only tolerated but eagerly consumed in my family. I find more joy in doing much with little than in creating extravagant (and often labor intensive) meals. I think it's a shame that so many young people don't know how to cook at all, and when they do learn it usually tends toward haute cuisine made with only the very freshest ingredients. To the first part, I still remember the early days of the pandemic when many of my Facebook colleagues were panicked about how they'd eat with the company cafes unavailable. The response was a slew of tutorials from the cafe staff (every blessing to them for that) and internal groups devoted to the topic. To the second part, I think there needs to be more teaching of how to cook every day food and not just "occasion" food. Improvising from random things on hand, instead of exhaustively searching for specific ingredients in recipes. A lot of people would be healthier, happier, and less of a burden on the planet if they just had more of the confidence that comes from experience of whipping things together.