My mother froze feathery celery tops and too-soft tomatoes in a zip-top bag until it was time to make broth. Bread heels became bread pudding. Dana Gunders would have appreciated that.
Gunders is author of “Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money by Wasting Less Food” (Chronicle Books, $18.95) and a fine coach for the growing number of chefs and consumers who regret that “about 40 percent of all food in the United States does not get eaten,” as she writes.
You may ignore that figure, but this may hit home: “Americans are throwing away an average of $120 each month per household of four in the form of uneaten food,” writes Gunders.
Gunders has an array of strategies on cutting back on waste. The Directory tackles dozens of foods, with how to store, use and, if past they’re prime, revive them. She tackles food safety and has a few suggestions on what to do with food scraps (i.e. use purple cabbage to make Easter egg dye, coffee grounds mixed with olive oil for a face scrub). And there are recipes, from chilaquiles to infused vodka, for as she notes: “On the road to less food waste, there is definitely time for a cocktail.”
