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Zero-Waste Chef

  • ZWC Book

It’s a book!

Posted on September 30, 2020July 29, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

I’ve been working on this for a while! My book is now available.

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45 Comments
  • Sourdough

Focaccia Made with Sourdough Discard and Scrappy Toppings

Posted on August 10, 2022August 10, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Reduce wasted food! This focaccia uses a full cup of sourdough discard plus bits of vegetables and herbs you have on hand if you decorate it.

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1 Comment
  • Sourdough

How to Manage Your Jar of Sourdough Discard

Posted on August 4, 2022August 11, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
A very small jar next to a very large jars of sourdough starter is faded out with text appearing across the image, saying "Discard isn't discard until you discard it"

What is sourdough discard? How long does it keep? What can I do with it? How can I tell if it’s bad? These sourdough discard FAQs reveal all.

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1 Comment
  • Climate Crisis

Raise a Glass for Climate Action: Ginger Beer Workshop Fundraiser

Posted on July 25, 2022July 28, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Do you want climate action? Do you like ginger beer? Learn to make fabulous ginger beer in this pay-what-you-feel fundraiser.

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2 Comments
  • All Recipes

5 Ways to Love Wheat Berries and How to Cook Them

Posted on July 21, 2022July 21, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Versatile wheat berries deserve a spot in your pantry. Cooked, they have a nutty flavor and chewy bite. Ground up, they make superb flour.

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3 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

Bring Your Own Container Every Time You Dine Out

Posted on July 19, 2022July 20, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Don’t want to waste food you can’t finish in a restaurant or toss a to-go container at home? Go for option three: Bring your own container.

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5 Comments
  • Fermentation

The Easiest Ferment in the World: Cherry Tomatoes

Posted on July 12, 2022July 14, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Fermented cherry tomatoes burst in your mouth with flavor and effervescence. They also happen to be one of the easiest ferments you can make.

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2 Comments
  • Sourdough

Zero Waste Sourdough Discard Banana Quick Bread

Posted on July 6, 2022July 6, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
a loaf of sourdough discard banana bread cooling in a glass pan on a silver rack placed on a white and gray marble background

Bake—and eat—this banana bread to ensure that both overly ripe bananas and sourdough discard fill tummies, not trash cans!

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5 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

13 Painless Ways to Participate in Plastic Free July

Posted on June 30, 2022July 2, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

This Plastic Free July, cut loads of single-use plastic from your life painlessly with these 13 simple strategies.

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2 Comments
  • Fermentation

Save Your Fruit Scraps to Make Bubbly Fruit Kvass

Posted on June 20, 2022July 3, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
Fruit scraps in a jar sitting on a marble top. The background is distressed grey metal.

Give fruit scraps a second life—transform them into this bubbly fruit kvass. Kick plastic soda bottles, not carbonated drinks.

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5 Comments
  • All Recipes

Charlotte’s Easy, Customizable, Plastic-Free Iced Tea

Posted on June 14, 2022June 15, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
A glass of iced tea sitting next to a jug of iced tea. The background is dark wood.

Brew iced tea at home with loose-leaf tea to save money and avoid consuming the microplastics found in bottled beverages and many tea bags.

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7 Comments
  • Uncategorized

9 Painless Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Posted on June 9, 2022June 14, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
plastic free and zero waste farmers market produce

Have sticker stock at the store? These simple shopping tricks will save money on groceries without requiring you to sacrifice anything.

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3 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

How to Repair Your Stuff so You Buy Less of It

Posted on June 6, 2022July 18, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

Repairing our stuff when it breaks—rather than buying a replacement—reduces landfill, saves money and serves as a small act of rebellion.

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4 Comments
  • Zero-Waste Basics

14 Ways to Use Free Jars

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
jars of frozen food in a freezer

Jars reduce food and packaging waste, make food look more appetizing, cost no extra cash if you reuse any jars you buy food in—and much more!

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7 Comments
  • Food Waste

7 Ways to Save Money as Food Prices Rise

Posted on May 25, 2022June 1, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau

With food prices on the rise and not much relief in sight, these six tips will help you get the most out of the food you buy.

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7 Comments
  • All Recipes

Borschuka: Eggs Poached in Borscht, Inspired by Shakshuka

Posted on May 19, 2022May 20, 2022by Anne-Marie Bonneau
eggs poached in red borscht

If you love borscht and you love shakshuka, try borschuka: eggs poached in red borscht. Make scrappy beet kvass while you prep. No waste!

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What have you repurposed in an out-of-the-box way? What have you repurposed in an out-of-the-box way?

The marketing industry has trained us well to buy products that will supposedly solve all of life’s problems. But with a little creativity and resourcefulness, we can often find more sustainable and less expensive solutions to our predicaments than shoddy consumer goods designed to break quickly and languish in landfill for an eternity.
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#telephonepole #secondhandfirst #makedo #buyless #selfreliance #selfreliant #reuserevolution #choosetoreuse #breakfreefromplastic #plasticwaste #oceanplastic #plasticfreeliving #plasticfreejuly #plasticpollutes #simplelifestyle #sustainablelifestyle #slowlivingmovement #wastefreeliving #artofslowliving #zerowastetips #zerowastejourney #zerowastehome #zerowastelifestyle #zerowasteliving #zerowastemovement #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb #respectyourmother
I harvested some of the Cherokee Trail of Tears be I harvested some of the Cherokee Trail of Tears beans this morning. The pods start out green, turn reddish-purple before drying out and finally transform to purplish-beige. I popped the dry pods open to remove the beautiful, shiny, smooth and plump black beans inside.

The beans' name comes from the Cherokee people who carried these black beans in their pockets as the Federal Government marched them from the South to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears in 1838-1839, during which thousands of Indigenous people died. I received a small packet of the beans (6 or 8 beans...I forget exactly...) at a garden share last November, thanks to generations of seed saving and sharing.

You can enjoy these beans green but I held out for dry black beans to plant and cook. I didn't grow or harvest a huge amount but I now have more than enough to plant many beans this month for a fall crop. These are very easy to grow but they do need some sort of trellis. Our tallest grew about 8 feet in height.

After I harvest the rest of my beans in the next couple of weeks, I might make a small batch of Not-Too-Spicy Black Beans with them. You'll find that recipe in my recipe index.
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#trailoftears #blackbeans #seedsaving #communitygarden #urbangardener #urbangardens #gardeningtips #selfreliance #foodsecurity #grownwithlove #foodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #plasticfreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #lowwaste #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb
Our gigantic avocado tree doesn't usually produce Our gigantic avocado tree doesn't usually produce quite so many avocados but last year we had it trimmed. That sure seemed to help! The squirrels get most of the avocados—and have beautiful, lustrous coats. Like me, they must be eyeing these and biding their time.

We very rarely water this well-established, very old tree. (Younger fruit trees require more water.) Even the minimal rain we had this winter has kept it happy.

How should I prepare these? I’ll make a follow-up of an avocado recipe.
I let some kale flower and go to seed (thank you b I let some kale flower and go to seed (thank you bees 🐝). I harvested those seeds and planted some in a paper-pulp egg carton. I’ll continue to spray these with water until they sprout and grow a bit, after which I’ll cut the cartons and plant directly in the soil and hopefully have a couple to share. Kale is very easy to grow. Thank you @thegreenspatula for my initial kale seeds!
This comment made my day! "Not gonna lie, that zer This comment made my day! "Not gonna lie, that zero waste chef lady might help me conquer my fear that I’ll make myself sick by fermenting my own fruit beverages." Thank you Emily W @rubrchick 😄

Are you also worried that you'll accidentally poison your family if you ferment your own drinks (or vegetables or sourdough or other concoctions)? Fermentation is very safe. The good bacteria take over and create an acidic environment in which the bad bacteria can't survive.

Go to the beverage section of my recipe index for several fermented drinks. Cheers! 🥂
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#foodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #fermenteddrinks #fermentedfoods #fermentation #fermenting #fermented #wildfermentation #selfsufficient #selfreliant #plasticfreejuly #plasticfreeliving #plasticisfossilfuel #keepitintheground #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #sustainablelifestyle #wastefreeliving #lowwasteliving #slowfoodmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb #climatecrisis #respectyourmother #loveyourmother
The trick to shaping the very wet dough of sourdou The trick to shaping the very wet dough of sourdough is to wet your hands before you start and as needed while shaping. I also wet my bench scraper. Sprinkling flour on the dough or work surface will prevent the dough from sticking to itself and forming a nice, snug loaf.

So, skip the flour and with your wet hands, form a square, fold one edge toward the center and repeat with the other side. You will have formed something of a log. Roll that up, dust the top with flour and place the dough, floured side down, into the floured banneton basket or floured towel placed inside a bowl.

Thank you to everyone who attended yesterday's free sourdough starter workshop. I scheduled another one for Thursday, September 22nd, 7pm PT for all of you who live in time zones way ahead of mine and haven't been able to attend one of these. See my events page @zerowastechef to register.
Child of the Corn This is my daughter Charlotte s Child of the Corn

This is my daughter Charlotte showing off a freshly picked and shucked cob of corn from the backyard. 

Charlotte was a taste tester for the Kernel-to-Cob Corn Chowder recipe in my cookbook. I thickened the corn cob broth with puréed cashews and added jalapeños, lime juice and cilantro to the chowder for flavor. Charlotte and I both really like this one.
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#cornchowder #corncob #urbangardener #broth #easyveganrecipe #foodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #zerofoodwaste #savefood #fightfoodwaste #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #lesswaste #lowwaste #lowwasteliving #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastekitchen #zerowastechef #climatecrisis #thereisnoplanetb
Green onions I had regrown from white ends went to Green onions I had regrown from white ends went to seed in the spring. I replanted these and a month and a half later, I have lots more green onions! I'll trim the green parts off as I need them in the kitchen, they'll grow back, and next year, they'll again go to seed.
"What people think of you is none of your business "What people think of you is none of your business." I found this saying so liberating the first time I heard it.

Think you need the latest gadget, fashion, phone, car, thneed or other item to impress someone? Letting go of what others think of you will benefit you and the environment. You'll buy less stuff to keep up appearances.
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#frugal #thriftlife #solarpowered #secondhandfirst #secondhandclothing #secondhandfashion #makedo #buyless #selfreliance #selfreliant #sustainablelifestyle #simpleliving #wastefreeliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #breakfreefromplastic #plasticfreejuly #plasticpollutes #microplastics #foodwaste #lovefoodhatewaste #zerowastejourney #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastetips #foodmatters #zerowastechef #thereisnoplanetb
Pastry reduces food waste. You can fill it with al Pastry reduces food waste. You can fill it with all kinds of food, both sweet and savory, that you need to eat pronto. Or fill it with wonky produce. Or fill it with wonky produce you need to eat soon!

I filled the bottom galette with "not-so-pretty" apples from the farmers' market. They cost almost two-thirds less than their so-called "perfect" counterparts. (Food, like people, comes in all shapes and sizes, all is perfect and "flaws" are a marketing gimmick to sell us costly stuff.) My sewing bee friends I fed this to on the weekend loved it—wonky produce tastes just as delicious. (I filled the top galette with rhubarb.)

Galettes are just one example of how pastry reduces wasted food. Drape a sheet of pastry over a pot pie that contains all the things. Make mini-quiches with some of your zucchini bounty if you grew any this year. Or make hand pies with leftover baked potatoes, caramelized onions and a bit of cheese.

For best results, chill the pastry before rolling it out. I plan on making a couple of shells today and keeping them in the refrigerator for later this week. Having dough ready to go will speed up dinner (or dessert).

The pastry recipe is in my recipe index.
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#pastrygram #pastrylover #pastry #galette #galettes #rhubarb #rhubarbseason #foodwaste #wastedfood #lovefoodhatewaste #zerofoodwaste #savefood #fightfoodwaste #climatecrisis #noplanetb #sustainablelifestyle #wastefreeliving #plasticfreejuly #plasticpollutes #breakfreefromplastic #intentionalliving #slowfoodmovement #slowlivingmovement #artofslowliving #zerowastejourney #zerowasteliving #zerowastekitchen #zerowastechef
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Top Posts & Pages

Focaccia Made with Sourdough Discard and Scrappy Toppings
15 Easy Ways to Conserve Water in Your Kitchen and on Your Plate
Needs Are Problems Looking for Solutions, not More Products
Make-a-Dent-in-Your-Discard Sourdough Pita Bread
Recipe Index
Sourdough Discard Pizza: How to Sourdough-ize a Recipe
Frugal Hugelkultur: How to Build the Ultimate Raised Garden Bed
How to Sprout Beans, Grains and Seeds
Sourdough Starter Metric and US Equivalents
Save Your Fruit Scraps to Make Bubbly Fruit Kvass

Recent Posts

  • Focaccia Made with Sourdough Discard and Scrappy Toppings
  • How to Manage Your Jar of Sourdough Discard
  • Raise a Glass for Climate Action: Ginger Beer Workshop Fundraiser
  • 5 Ways to Love Wheat Berries and How to Cook Them
  • Bring Your Own Container Every Time You Dine Out
  • The Easiest Ferment in the World: Cherry Tomatoes
  • Zero Waste Sourdough Discard Banana Quick Bread
  • 13 Painless Ways to Participate in Plastic Free July
  • Save Your Fruit Scraps to Make Bubbly Fruit Kvass
  • Charlotte’s Easy, Customizable, Plastic-Free Iced Tea

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