No, tossing away leftovers does not necessarily make you a bad cook. While it's ideal to minimize food waste and make the most of your ingredients, there are various reasons why leftovers might be discarded:
Portion control: Sometimes, recipes yield more food than needed for the number of people being served, especially when cooking for smaller households. Despite best efforts, you might still end up with leftovers that go unused.
Leftovers not suitable for reheating: Certain dishes, like salads or foods with delicate textures, don't hold up well as leftovers and might not be enjoyable after reheating.
Safety concerns: Leftovers should be properly stored and consumed within a safe timeframe to avoid foodborne illnesses. If the leftovers have been sitting out at room temperature for too long, they may no longer be safe to eat.
Personal preferences: Some people may not enjoy eating leftovers or might prefer fresh meals each day.
Experimentation: As a cook, you might experiment with new recipes or ingredients, and not every dish will turn out as expected. In such cases, leftovers might not be enjoyable or salvageable.
It's essential to aim for reducing food waste where possible, but throwing away leftovers occasionally does not reflect on your cooking skills. To minimize food waste in the future, you can try adjusting recipes to suit the number of people you're serving, repurposing leftovers into new dishes, or storing them properly for better reheating results. Remember, cooking is a continuous learning process, and everyone encounters challenges and learning opportunities along the way.