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Zero-Waste Chef

No packaging. Nothing processed. No waste.
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Go Plastic-Free This Year (or Close to It)

Posted on December 31, 2017December 30, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef

If you’ve arrived at this blog, you’re probably aware of the plastic pollution problem so I won’t spend time discussing it. You can read recent news on that here, here and here. Instead, I’ll discuss changes we can make in our own lives. Individual choices may not seem like much in the face of this disaster but […]

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70 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

Planning Used to Be Normal

Posted on January 19, 2020January 20, 2020by The Zero-Waste Chef

When in human history have we ever not had to plan ahead for our needs? Overnight shipping is only a recent development.

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9 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

How Do I Make My Parents Live More Sustainably?

Posted on January 15, 2020January 15, 2020by The Zero-Waste Chef
food stored in jars reduces food waste because you can see what you have on hand

“I’m a teenager living at home with unsupportive parents. What can I do to make them stop using so much plastic and be more sustainable?”

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14 Comments
  • Uncategorized

How to Help Victims of the Australian Bushfires

Posted on January 4, 2020January 9, 2020by The Zero-Waste Chef

Victims of the unprecended Austrailan bushfire crisis need our help. This list includes organizations that support evacuees, firefighters or animals.

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18 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

A 9-for-1 New Year’s Resolution

Posted on December 30, 2019January 19, 2020by The Zero-Waste Chef

Have so many vices that you can’t decide on a new year’s resolution? One resolution automatically covers many others.

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9 Comments
  • All Recipes

9 More Foods to Make not Buy

Posted on December 16, 2019January 14, 2020by The Zero-Waste Chef

These 9 easy-to-make staples will save you money and they taste delicious.

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9 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

7 Simple Gifts to Sew for Your Favorite Zero Waster

Posted on December 6, 2019December 7, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef

Sew handmade, zero-waste gifts for the favorite zero waster on your list. These easy projects will help you help yours divert trash from landfill.

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8 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

Zero-Waste Babies and Toddlers

Posted on November 24, 2019November 25, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef
infant baby girl

Like all things zero-waste, with a bit of planning, you can drastically reduce waste with babies and toddlers.

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10 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

Is Recycling a Scam?

Posted on November 13, 2019November 13, 2019by Mary Katherine Glen
Metal and cardboard bales ready for recycling

If you’re into the zero waste movement, you may have heard that recycling is a scam.

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6 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

A Brief Overview of Household Hazardous Waste

Posted on November 10, 2019December 6, 2019by Mary Katherine Glen

Adopting zero-waste habits is the best strategy for reducing the volume of waste in landfills. But when hazardous waste happens, follow these tips.

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4 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

Things My Daughter Eats as a Busy Student

Posted on November 3, 2019January 3, 2020by Mary Katherine Glen
Dutch oven with minestrone soup

My daughter found zero-waste living inaccessible when she went away to school. Here, she offers some meal prep ideas for busy, broke students.

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10 Comments
  • Sharing Economy

Reusa-Bags Upcycled Produce Bags Community Map

Posted on October 19, 2019October 20, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef

Have a group that sews produce bags? Fill out a few questions to get on the map. To contact a local group, click on a pin in the map for the organizer’s email.

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7 Comments
  • All Recipes

Don’t Toss Those Pumpkin Seeds, Roast Them!

Posted on October 18, 2019December 6, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef
cast iron skillet used to roast pumpkin seeds

Carving a pumpkin this Halloween? Save your pumpkin seeds and roast them in olive oil, salt and your favorite savory seasoning.

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7 Comments
  • All Recipes

Zero-Waste Mexican Hot Chocolate

Posted on October 13, 2019October 15, 2019by The Zero-Waste Chef
frothy Mexican hot chocolate made with homemade almond milk

Say no to plastic bottles of chocolate syrup and hot chocolate packets and yes to Mexican hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

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14 Comments

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Recent Posts

  • Planning Used to Be Normal
  • How Do I Make My Parents Live More Sustainably?
  • How to Help Victims of the Australian Bushfires
  • A 9-for-1 New Year’s Resolution
  • 9 More Foods to Make not Buy
  • 7 Simple Gifts to Sew for Your Favorite Zero Waster
  • Zero-Waste Babies and Toddlers
  • Is Recycling a Scam?
  • A Brief Overview of Household Hazardous Waste
  • Things My Daughter Eats as a Busy Student

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Flour + water + salt = sourdough bread. . My sourd Flour + water + salt = sourdough bread. . My sourdough starter, Eleanor, makes the bread rise. “Wait, you said only flour, water, salt. Now I need another ingredient?!” . You do need a starter but you make it out of flour and water. If you know a sourdough baker, ask for a spoonful of starter—it’s all you need to get going. But making a new one from scratch is very simple. . To make a new starter, combine equal parts flour and water, wait for bubbling and a strong aroma to develop, then feed your starter daily—remove most of it (this is the discard or unfed starter) and feed flour and water to the little bit of starter that you left in your jar. . Between a week or two, when your starter reaches maturity and rises and falls consistently after its feedings, you can bake with it. If the bread intimidates you, use your starter to cook something simpler like pancakes or crackers. After you feel comfortable baking with and maintaining your starter, move on to the bread if you like. . My starter Eleanor turns 6 this year. They grow up so quickly! I remember when she was mere flour in a jar and water from the tap. . Link in profile for starting and maintaining a sourdough starter, plus links to recipes for the discard.
Over the last week, parts of South-East Australia Over the last week, parts of South-East Australia have dealt with choking bushfire smoke, dust storms, flash floods and storms pelting down golf ball-size hail. . If you feel helpless or anxious or both over the climate crisis, take action. Some actions: . 💪Get involved by joining grassroots movements tackling the climate crisis, such as @350org, @extinctionrebellion and @sunrisemvmt. Look for local groups in your area. . 💪Make phone calls and write letters. This morning, I called the office of Chase CEO Jamie Dimon to urge him to stop lending money to fossil fuel companies. It was super easy to do. My 350.org group emailed yesterday will a phone number and a script. I called. I spoke. I spent two minutes. (See my most recent story highlight for more info.) . 💪Take to the streets for non-violent protest. Find local protests through @FridaysForFuture. According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth, history shows that when 3.5% of a population protests peacefully, success becomes inevitable. . 💪Make personal changes. These include eating more vegetables and less meat, walking and biking more, slowing down in general, refusing plastic and buying less stuff. Personal habits matter. (And you’ll benefit from all of these changes!) Yes, we’ll make more headway on tackling the climate crisis with government and industry on board but that won’t happen without a cultural shift and that starts with us. . Change is underway. Last week, seemingly immoveable @blackrock, the world’s largest asset management firm and biggest owner of fossil fuel shares in the world, announced it would begin to pull its money from fossil fuel investments, recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis in its decision to do so. This was unimaginable just a few years ago. The big guys have begun to acknowledge reality. . If you’ve been feeling hopeless, this news should give you hope.
Apparently today is International Popcorn Day. I g Apparently today is International Popcorn Day. I guess I’ll pop twice as much of this zero-waste food group tonight. . In a medium-size pot, combine: . 🍿1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste) 🍿1/2 cup popcorn kernels 🍿2 tablespoons coconut oil or a combo of coconut and olive oil . Put the lid on the pot, turn the burner to high heat and shake the pot often and then continuously after the first kernel pops. At that point, all of the kernels will pop in about a minute. . Toss with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chili powder or other toppings of choice. . Swipe to the end to see some salt and vinegar popcorn topping I’ve been working on. When I get this perfected, I’ll post it. I’m using my homemade scrap vinegar in it. . Just when I think I’ve gone as far down the zero-waste rabbit hole as I can, I discover some new use for ordinarily wasted food or a new technique for an everyday ingredient or some other hack that I never would have stumbled upon otherwise. . Happy popping! 🍿😋
It’s the little things! . I bought three ingredi It’s the little things! . I bought three ingredients in bulk at the store for these simple pleasures. The sourdough bread (a student loaf!) contains three ingredients: flour, salt and water. The tea, two: looseleaf tea and water. . Slowing down to enjoy the simple things isn’t terrible. But slowing down is necessary. The planet cannot sustain our always-on-the-go lifestyles. . Some of our rushing around can’t be avoided. Here in the Bay Area, as in many cities, the housing crisis forces people to live far from their jobs and commute long distances, coming home exhausted, stressed and strapped for time. Or they live in their RV along el Camino in Palo Alto, close to their jobs. The RVs are everywhere. Meanwhile, over 70 billionaires live here in Silicon Valley. Eighteen in Palo Alto alone 😳 . Where was I? Oh right, slowing down... . Inaction is one of the best actions we can take to address the climate crisis: slow down, buy less stuff, make do, eat meals at home, have friends over for dinner (or sewing bees!) rather than always going out, vacation closer to home, go outside, turn off the screens (and yes, I realize I’m saying this via screen). . Occasionally, someone will tell me I live an extreme lifestyle. Billionaires and RV dwellers living side-by-side in the same town are examples of extreme lifestyles. Unless simple is the new extreme, my lifestyle is not.
Since starting down this path, I’ve never eaten Since starting down this path, I’ve never eaten so much cabbage and I’m also the healthiest I’ve ever been 🤔 . I eat at least one fermented food every day, most often sauerkraut or kimchi. So I buy lots of beautiful cabbage like these at the farmers’ market. . Fermentation not only preserves my cabbage and prevents food waste, it also contains gut-friendly and immunity-boosting bacteria, it costs little to make, it consumes no outside energy source to prepare and it tastes delicious. . Fermentation is also very safe! Bad bacteria can’t survive in the acidic environment that the lactic-acid bacteria create in a jar of sauerkraut. . To make sauerkraut, you essentially chop the cabbage, add chopped or shredded carrots or radishes or other vegetables if desired, salt the vegetables, pack in clean jars (no need to sterilize), store at room temperature and wait. In about three days, you’ll have a jar of kraut that would cost you a small fortune at the store. Wait longer for more tang and more beneficial bacteria. . If you don’t have time to make sauerkraut or don’t want to make it, look for naturally fermented kraut in the refrigerator section at the grocery store in glass jars (or in one of the refrigerated bulk sections at @rainbow_grocery!). The shelf-stable stuff that you’ll find in the center aisles of stores does not contain living cultures. It has been pasteurized in vinegar at high temperatures, killing not just all of the bad bacteria but also all of the good bacteria. . Link in profile for sauerkraut 101.
Only humans waste. Please behave like an animal. Only humans waste. Please behave like an animal.
This is our youngest produce bag maker! She sewed This is our youngest produce bag maker! She sewed a pile of produce bags on Sunday and took fabric home to sew more bags for the giveaway stash. . We sewed 224 reusable cloth produce bags on Sunday, made from upcycled, donated fabric and sheets, and cut about 40 more to sew at next month’s sewing circle. Thank you to everyone who has donated fabric and time. . To date, we have given away 2,474 bags at the farmers’ market. Used just once a week, these bags can replace 128,648 (2,474 x 52) bags in a year (and they last much longer than a year). We will hand out another 500 bags at the Sunnyvale Farmers’ Market on February 29th, 10am. . Interested in getting involved? . TO JOIN A GROUP: Please go to the link in my profile and search the map. If you find a pin near you, click on it for the contact information of the group’s organizer. They would love to hear from you! . TO ADD YOUR GROUP TO THE MAP: If you have started a produce bag making group or want to start one and would like me to add you to the map, please fill out the short form you’ll find at the link in my profile. . IF YOU HAVE FABRIC TO DONATE: We have loads of fabric and won’t need any donations for at least a couple of months. But other groups near you could likely use your fabric. Please send them natural fibers (they don’t shed micro-plastics in the wash). To find a group, search the map, contact the closest group and ask them if they’d like some fabric. You can tell them Zero-Waste Chef sent you 😉 . Once you have sewn some bags, distribute them however you like. Your first bags might go to members of your group who made them, or to friends and family who would use them. Once everyone is fully supplied with produce bags, put the remaining bags in your giveaway stash for the farmers’ market or grocery store. . I picture little hives of us all over the world doing this work (maybe that’s why we call these sewing bees). And we’re not simply sewing reusable produce bags to replace single-use plastic, we’re also educating people. When we give away our bags, we start conversations about plastic and the environment. We get people thinking about their consumption. Some of them even join our group 😃
Thank you to my students for a great hands-on sour Thank you to my students for a great hands-on sourdough bread class yesterday! We started with sourdough starter and ended with warm bread. . I have space in next week’s class on Saturday, January 18th. Learn to make a true sourdough bread with only three humble ingredients: flour, water and salt. No plastic bag needed. . Link in profile for info and to register.
A key to living more sustainably: Plan ahead . One A key to living more sustainably: Plan ahead . One of my favorite Indian restaurants serves the best chai. To avoid tearing into the individually wrapped sugar packets on the table, I bring my own small container of sugar. I also bring a couple of containers to pack up any food we can’t finish. This way, I waste neither the food nor the throwaway container that the restaurant provides for leftovers. These actions require a bare minimum of effort and planning. (And having leftovers all packed up and ready to go into a lunch the next day saves time.) . At home, I also think ahead. At almost all times, I have something soaking (currently, chickpeas for hummus) or fermenting (today, ketchup, mustard, my sourdough starter Eleanor, my ginger bug Mary-Ann and my kombucha SCOBY Etheldreda). With even just one or two ingredients prepped, I lay the foundation for my next meal and build on what I’ve already started, rather than begin cooking with nothing. . Planning ahead like this forces us to live more intentionally, slow down and as a result, waste less. So while my little jar won’t save the world, the intention behind it will help. And all of these small actions do add up.
Baked tortilla chips 😋 . I haven’t bought tor Baked tortilla chips 😋 . I haven’t bought tortilla chips in almost nine years 😮 When I go to my daughter MK’s favorite Mexican restaurant, I bring a container for packing up some of the chips from the table that we can never finish. I can’t buy bulk tortilla chips in my area. So, I rarely eat tortilla chips. . I’ve been making lots of flour tortillas lately and decided to turn some into chips. I’ve tried frying them in the past but they’re too oily (tasty though). . Here’s how to make these: With a pastry brush, brush both sides of each tortilla with olive oil. With kitchen scissors or a knife or pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 8 triangles. Arrange on baking sheets, sprinkle with salt and bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until crispy and slightly browned. . This trick will work with store-bought leftover tortillas, either wheat or corn. . Eat chips to avoid climate-heating food waste. All for the cause!

Upcoming Events

  • Eco-Week Panel February 4, 2020 at 9:30 am – 10:45 am Menlo School, Atherton, CA
  • Zero-Waste Week Cooking Demo February 6, 2020 Castro Valley, CA
  • Sourdough Bread Boot Camp SOLD OUT! February 8, 2020 at 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • Reusa-Bag Sewing Circle February 9, 2020 at 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
  • Online Sourdough Starter Class February 10, 2020 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
  • Instagram Live Chat February 11, 2020 at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
  • Sourdough Bread Boot Camp February 15, 2020 at 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

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