Anne-Marie Bonneau, author of the award-winning cookbook, The Zero Waste Chef
VFR: Anne-Marie, tell us about yourself and your journey to becoming the Zero-Waste Chef.
AMB: I grew up in Ontario and moved to California in the late 90s. Helping my dad build a solar-thermal water heater for our pool in the early eighties sparked my interest in the environmental movement. That heater worked beautifully and we no longer needed fossil fuels to heat the pool. Our neighbours all thought we were crazy, but we laughed all the way to the bank, saving $1,000 a year in fuel costs.
Fast forward to 2011 when I decided to “break up” with plastic after reading about its devastating effects on our oceans and marine life. My older daughter, Mary Katherine (MK), was on board and we set out on our quest (MK now works in waste management with a focus on reducing wasted food). It was difficult at first, but MK did the research and figured out where to start.
We quickly realized that most of our plastic trash came from the kitchen. To cut down on plastic waste there, we began shopping at the farmers’ market, filling up on staples in the bulk sections of grocery stores and making more food from scratch (I’ve always cooked, but I started fermenting food, making more staples and baking sourdough). Focusing on plastic waste made me aware of all the waste, including wasted food.
VFR: What has surprised you the most about the zero-waste path you're on?
AMB: The biggest surprise was my improved health. That may not happen for everyone who reduces their waste, but by cutting out the plastic, I cut out packaged food, which means I cut out the highly processed stuff. I started to eat more vegetables and started fermenting food. The research shows that our health and even our mood is tied to our gut health. Fermented foods help to improve that.
In addition to enjoying the health benefits, I save money. I sometimes hear the argument that a zero-waste or low-waste lifestyle costs more. People often think you need to buy all sorts of gear. But this is not a consumer lifestyle, it's a “conserver” lifestyle.
I save money because I don't buy stuff I don't need, and I eat ALL the food I buy. The average family of four in the US spends $1,500 per year on food they don't eat according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
VFR: Folks might think that preventing food waste in the kitchen takes a lot of time and energy, so please share 3 simple tips that will cut down on household food waste.
AMB:
Shop at home first. This will save you a fortune and reduce trips to the store, which will save time. Most of us look up a recipe and then buy all the ingredients for it. Instead, look at what's on hand and let that dictate what you'll cook next. Last week, I had a bunch of leftover rice and broth on hand. I knew we had to eat it soon and worried it would go to waste. Then it came to me —congee! Congee is a traditional Chinese comfort dish made with rice and broth and optional additions like ginger, green onions, toasted sesame oil, and so on. I made a large pot of that, polished off the broth and used most of the rice. (I put the remaining couple of cups of rice in a jar in the freezer, so I can make more congee the next time I make broth.) The congee was delicious!
Use the freezer. If you don't think you'll eat the food before it “heads south,” freeze it like I did with that rice. You don't have to put food into a deep freeze for six months (although you can, if you want). Freeze extra servings of soup or dal for a couple of weeks. Thaw that and you'll have dinner already made. You can freeze bread, milk, eggs (whisk them up first!), cheese, fruit, vegetables, broth (there are lots of ideas). More of freezing foods HERE.
Use your senses when food has passed its "best-by" date. For the most part, these dates are not regulated. The food manufacturers stamp them onto packages to indicate the peak quality of the food (and some of it isn't food, like Pepsi), not when the food suddenly turns bad and will kill you if you eat it. If you haven't opened a tub of yogurt before its best-by date, it will likely be just fine. Look at it, give it a sniff, and taste a bit. If it passes those tests, it should be fine. Some grocery stores are getting rid of these confusing dates. (Note: expiration dates differ from best-by and sell-by dates.)
VFR: You’re also passionate about reducing plastic in the kitchen. We want to learn more!
AMB: Food and plastic do not mix! Not only is it terrible for the environment all along its lifecycle — from extraction of its main material, planet-heating fossil fuels, to refining, to manufacturing, to disposal (usually after a mere few minutes) — we are eating and breathing the stuff.
It is in our water, our food, and our bodies. And it's full of chemicals. Plastic packaging sheds microplastics and leached chemicals into our food (especially if heated up). So cut out bottled water, avoid to-go paper coffee cups (they are lined with plastic), and shop with reusable shopping bags and produce bags. These three things will slash plastic coming into your home. And always bring a container to restaurants for your leftovers. There is no such thing as a benign throwaway container, and even if there were, it wastes resources.
VFR: Tell us about your award-winning cookbook and share one of your favourite easy recipes.
AMB: My cookbook The Zero Waste Chef came out in 2021. It is plant-forward, with many vegan recipes and includes breakfasts and breads (like sourdough), sides, mains, beverages, snacks, and desserts. It has won two awards and was shortlisted for a third!
VFR side note: this cookbook could be the perfect gift for the VFR volunteer in your life (or treat yourself!).
Check out the recipe below for sparkling tepache, a fermented beverage made from the peel and the rind of pineapples.
