04/24/12

Distaste for Waste: Controlling Your Household Food Cost

Maintaining proper food cost  is a key component to any restaurant’s success.  One major factor affecting food cost?  Waste.  Using one ingredient in multiple ways can actively encourage less waste.  Not just for Chefs! Everyday households can also benefit from cross-utilzing ingredients, especially those dwelling single.

Independence can be bittersweet.  Controlling your own schedule, space, and peace are the highly-prized conditions; while on the other hand, food and nourishment can become a chore.  When there is only one mouth to feed, leftovers last a bit longer which can result in monotonous consumption or costly discard.  Opting to eat-out may keep things interesting, but can get expensive.  Since living life on the lone, I have acquired the following grocery criteria to maximize dish potential:

  • Long Shelf Life Carrots, Onion, Cabbage, Apples, Beans, Beets, Pasta
  • Multipurpose Eggs, Heavy Cream, Flour, Spring Roll Wrappers
  • Star-quality Cheeses, Bacon, Sriracha Sauce, Vinegars, Oils, etc.
  • Nutritional Boost Juices, Bananas, Whole Grains

According to the Food Aware Community Interest Company, every year 18 million metric tons of edible food product ends up in landfills.  Remember that starved “kid in africa” (your Mom knew) who would of loved to eat your green peas? What if…all 18 million metric tons of food had made it to his doorstep, instead?  As statistics suggest, we are all equally to blame: 1/3 from food producers, 1/3 from restaurants and retail, and 1/3 from households.

Due to the nature of our society and economy, we are bound to have substantial waste.  The proactive lengths needed to supply “the kid in africa” with all of our unnecessary food before becoming rancid would be almost impossible to achieve.  What we are able to do is: supply what we can,  support those who do,  or at least find ways to “recycle” a simple ingredient in the planning of our own meals.

For this post, my recipe features an ingredient of the “multipurpose” variety…
the incredible, edible Egg!   
A great protein source for young professionals, eggs are cost-effective and healthy.
 An egg has limitless possibility, some quick (poached, fried, or boiled)
and some creative (sauces, souffles, custards).

 

Omelet For One

 

Ham and Cheddar Omelet

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Warm Cabbage-Apple Slaw

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Beer Toast

References: http://www.foodawarecic.org.uk/food-waste-statistics.htm

Creative Commons License
My Twist on Taste…A Collection of Culinary Curiosities by Devin Crowdus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

04/19/12

Charm and Cake: Part II

Dark versus light is the epitome of contrast; 
not everything can be black and white, 
but there is esteem to be found in that which is.  
Without the daunting of dark in life, we cannot completely comprehend the leisure of light. Food is the same in this way, composing both extremes in one dish has the potential to bring out the best of each.
Light: Cherry-Creme Cola Cake, Maraschino Jam
verses Dark: Bittersweet Ganache and Toasted Almonds
Note: Cherry Cola Cake Recipe can be found in earlier post. 
Click links below for additional recipes, as described:

Creative Commons License
My Twist on Taste…A Collection of Culinary Curiosities by Devin Crowdus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.