Ikea, purveyor of home goods with Swedish names, has recently published a free downloadable e-cookbook focused on food waste fighting.
(Click the link above to get the free download.)
They call it scrap-cooking; basically taking what would usually be scraps and turning those into something delicious.
And all the recipes are contributed by actual chefs, not furniture-designers. Ha.
Here’s a trailer:
On the whole, I feel happy about this cookbook! Food waste fighting is a passion of mine, and I think it’s great that Ikea is joining in to help people.
The book has great food storage ideas (clear containers, people!), and some good basic recipes for using up odds and ends, like omelets and smoothies.
Plus, there’s good info about things like composting and pickling.
What about those mixed feelings?
I’m really not trying to be overly critical, but here’s my hesitation:
America and other wealthy nations do have a huge food waste problem, but I think parts of this cookbook focus on minutiae.
For instance, there are recipes for making pesto from kale stems, risotto with radish leaves, rice pudding with used tea bags, and even faux “bacon” from banana peels.
In fact, banana peels feature in multiple recipes, from chutney to bacon to cake.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with eating banana peels, mind you.
But I don’t think that banana peel trash is mainly what is causing our food waste problems.
Bigger problems:
- not eating leftovers
- thawing meat and forgetting to use it
- buying too much food at the store
- letting produce go bad
Also: not eating the inside of a banana, let alone the outside!
New habits are essential
The above problems are not really solved with recipes.
New habits, not recipes, are the most foundational part of fighting food waste.
And that’s why, in my food waste course, I didn’t really spend much time on recipes or things like “How to use overripe bananas”, and I focused on habits instead.
We live in the internet age, which means ideas about how to use up bananas are a quick Google search away.
But Google is less likely to give you good habit ideas, such as doing a fridge sweep every other day.
Off-the-wall food waste ideas could be discouraging
If you get the impression that food waste fighting involves frying corn silk into a garnish, or cooking fish collars (I wouldn’t even know where to get one of those!), you might feel a little like quitting before you even get started.
Or you might think it’s something only a fancy chef can tackle.
But fighting food waste is something that all of us can do! There are plenty of simple, attainable things to try, like:
- slicing and freezing bananas for smoothies
- using clear containers to store leftovers
- adding odds and ends to scrambled eggs
Beginners need to start at the beginning
If you are new to fighting food waste, I don’t think you need to worry too much about using the greens from your carrots, or about eating shrimp shells as a snack.
(Yes, there is a recipe for shrimp shell snacks! It might be more delicious than it seems at first glance.)
Instead, work on a big, simple issue first, such as actually eating your leftovers.
Or keeping your fridge organized so that you can see what you have.
Basically, pay attention to the biggest source of your food waste, and work on that first.
Focus on the big payoffs first and then focus on minutiae
This reminds me a little of money-management advice; instead of spending time trying to save pennies on a box of cereal, you should shop around for car insurance first.
Or rather than researching individual stocks to buy, you should first focus on paying off your credit card debt.
(And honestly, experts say buying individual stocks is not usually a great idea anyway!)
If you have already learned how to eat your leftovers, manage your fridge and freezer, and curb your food shopping, then sure, feel free to make banana peel bacon.
Or if banana peel bacon is just something you really want to try, then go for it.
Just don’t get distracted by the shiny, unusual food waste fighting ideas. If you have limited time and energy, spend your time on the basic, big wins.
Readers, the floor is yours! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
P.S. If you are interested in my food waste course, don’t buy it right now. The home and gardening bundle is coming back for a flash sale at the end of July, and you can get my course (plus lots of other resources) for a lower price then. I’ll keep you posted!
Elle
Sunday 18th of July 2021
This is the year I started my zero food waste endeavors. To help me out, I've bought 3 or 4 books on the subject to use as reference. A few that I looked at but didn't buy were of the IKEA type. Lots of whacky novelty recipes incorporating scraps into meals. Sure, I can chop cilantro stems like a champ, but I find--and pardon the pun--using banana peels in a cake very unapeeling ;). The same goes for aquafaba (bean water), using strawberry tops in a salad or turning them into some kind of jam. Just no. What's more, sometimes making some scrap of leftovers into a whole 'nuther dish like some recipes suggest actually creates an even bigger problem. Example: I had some raw almonds that needed using up. Aha! I'll make almond milk. Then I had leftover almond meal. What do I do with it? Aha! I'll dehydrate it and blend it into a finer meal and then bake with it. Bake what? Aha! Some really dry muffins.
It would have been so simpler to just eat the raw almonds rather than go through all that trouble to turn it into all these unappetizing things. T
Ulvmor
Wednesday 7th of July 2021
I skimmed through the Scrapbook, and partly, yes, it's penny wise and pound fool. But there are pretty nice ideas, too. I never knew I could make feta brine to a vinaigrette ( might try this using picle juice instead of vinegar), plant cakes, and caramellizing watermelon rinds and pineapple cores. There was my style pesto (without cheese) etc what I do make already. Reciepes were too specific for this type of cookbook, but maybe it's the way in North America things needs to be done. Haven't seen this in Swedish yet. They might not be translating this, this seems too... American? To be honest, I usually end up using one or two receipes from any given cookbook, this is no different. Maybe I'm the problem ;-D
MommaL
Sunday 4th of July 2021
Kristen, two things have curbed my food waste a great deal: Your Food Waste Friday posts. It made me look at my fridge differently! Buying a bottom freezer fridge. When mine broke down, I shopped for a good fridge, and the sales man told me that having the produce at eye level reduces waste. He's right! I see what I have and nothing in the fridge is ever buried. I freeze all the veggie leftovers and make soup. Sometimes I use ends of things to make veggie broth, and sometimes it lands in the compost.
Kristen
Sunday 4th of July 2021
Oh yeah, I love having my freezer on the bottom! It makes the fridge contents so much easier to see.
Gwinter
Thursday 1st of July 2021
Banana peels are known to be full of pesticides. Bananas aren’t on some lists of pesticide-laced foods because the peel is disposed of, but if you’re going to make banana peel bacon, make sure you get organic.
Luann
Thursday 1st of July 2021
I think the 2 most helpful tips you gave us are to : keep up with your fridge, checking what's in there every few days, and to not over buy groceries. If I do both of those things I manage our food usage so much better.