[throwaway27448]

> Leaving soup at room temperature over night is crazy.

And yet, this was common before the electric fridge. I've lived without a fridge for years and the amount of food I ate after being left out overnight would give americans a stroke.

[jambalaya8]

I left a bowl of pasta with meatballs out on the table by accident on New Years Eve a handful of years ago, and aside from a power outage the whole night, it was perfectly fine the next day; most food is.

Pork is especially fine if it is properly packaged... That is part of what 'curing meat' is all about.

Most people that brought lunch or dinner to work or school prior to maybe the 1990s thought nothing much of unrefrigerated food being eaten several hours later. Laborers still often do. So do kids.

And tuna at room temperature is surprisingly good (as long as it is not rotten, or the temperature isn't too high). I mean tuna salad, although sushi is served just barely below room temperature.

I remember in grade school taking thermoses of soup for lunch, though I would never do this as an adult (and not only because it was disgustingly lukewarm five hours later).

I wouldn't do it in this weather though.