Cookbooks have come out on every imaginable subject. This has been the decade of single-subject books. One called Salt. One called Butter. One all about how Baking Soda is a miracle product. (That one was fun.) The other day a cookbook came into our offices about how to cook with weed, not weeds, but marijuana. This sort of singular focus always piques our interest. Food writer Lindsay-Jean Hard’s Cooking with Scraps has got us hooked on transforming every imaginable food scrap, as well as things you wouldn’t normally think of as a scrap—like pickle brine—into something delicious. There’s even a recipe for a banana cake using that slapstick prop, the banana peel. Why not? Are you up for something new and unexpected? Are you frugal, resourceful, and up for a culinary challenge? If it can be eaten, it should be eaten. . .especially if you can make it delicious.
This is how most restaurant chefs think. This is how eco-conscious people think about stopping America’s problem with food waste. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates up to 40% of food in America is lost. This is a huge problem with far-reaching effects. It takes energy and resources to produce our food and ship it around the country, whether it’s eaten or not. The recipes and ideas in Cooking with Scraps helps take a bite out of that 40%.
The underlying spirit of the book: Food is precious. Let’s use every last bit of the fruit, vegetables, bread, brine, grounds, and greens we’re lucky enough to have.
Waste Less in Your Own Kitchen with These Recipes
Any Season Strata
Brothy Beans with Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Rind
Dill Pickle Brine Potato Salad
