Climate change starts in the plate
Dustbins are overflowing with one third of our food, of which only 20% are unfit to eat. Fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and yogurt are the top four most commonly wasted foods, sometimes even before their sell-by date. And not only is this not economical, but it is also inefficient and environmentally damaging. Climate change prevention starts in your plate. Celebrity chefs decided to spread the word. They call themselves Zero Food Waste Warriors. These activists use practically every scrap of food, the way their grandmothers used to, with the added bonus of giving their customers’ taste buds something new to try. Dan Barber, the most influent chef in the US, teamed up with former White House chef Sam Kass, to produce a meal made entirely of food waste. World leaders, invited to the U.N. by president Obama, were served this delicious feast. L’Élysée does not seem ready for such a revolution, but French chefs are giving it a go. And so are we!
We put on our eco-warrior outfit to cook some awesome, mind-blowing and fast recipes to save the planet. And while we are at it, we also use these so-called rejects for health and beauty as well as gardening and handywork. War on waste is urgent, intelligent, daring, sexy and imaginative. And last but not least, it stimulates our taste buds as much as our creativity. For a mind-blowing aperitive, repurpose your cooked veggies leftovers into succulent samosas. In an exquisite bowl, savagely mash some potatoes. Add whatever poor lonesome produce you have – peas, carrots, runner beans sliced up, etc. Mix and spice up with 3 fresh coriander sprigs, a pinch of curry powder and a pinch of cumin powder, salt and pepper. Cut 8 small Chinese rice pancakes in 2. Wet according to instructions on the box and delicately put a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle. Fold the sides to make an envelope shape and press the edges together to seal tightly. Put under the grill on both sides until brown or fry them in oil in a large saucepan. Drain on kitchen paper before serving them with pride. Samosas are perfect for meat, fish, prawns and cheese leftovers too. Try sweet and savoury recipes, your guests will love them.
