Four great ideas for cooking without wasting

Juliette Moreau Alvarez 4:47 p.m., November 03, 2022

For several years, anti-waste has made its way into our kitchens.

In 2022 still, the French waste more than forty kilos of food per person per year.

A figure that seems frightening as the cost of the average shopping cart has steadily skyrocketed since the start of the war in Ukraine.

In Bienfait pour vous on Europe 1, presenter and host Laurent Mariotte and cook Sonia Ezgulian share their advice on how to reduce waste as much as possible and reuse precious leftovers to make anti-waste gourmet and generous.

Think "anti-waste" before even shopping

For Sonia Ezgulian, the most important step in a non-waste approach is shopping.

"When the fridge is already full, it's very complicated," explains Sonia Ezgulian.

According to the expert, it is already necessary to look towards quality products.

"We will not be able to use the skin and the tops if they are not organic vegetables, absolutely impeccable", she specifies. 

More obvious, but still important, the cook insists on "not buying too much".

"It doesn't go in the direction of the lack of time, but if we can not go to a single market a week, buying huge quantities of vegetables", it is ideal.

An approach validated by Laurent Mariotte who calls for buying "thinking in advance about its menu cycles".

"It's a question of organization," he sums up.

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Choose recipes that divert and customize

Many traditional dishes originate from an anti-waste thinking.

It is with this type of reflection that even today, it is possible to offer good dishes thanks to leftovers.

"The veal blanquette was born from the anti-waste", recalls Laurent Mariotte on the antenna of Europe 1. "Initially, it was the remains of roast veal from Sunday, which we served the next day, cut into slices and covered with a white sauce."

Among the great classics of French cuisine, a recipe perfectly illustrates cooking without waste: the pot-au-feu.

"These are long-cooked pieces that are affordable," notes the radio host.

"We will even be able to freeze part of it, with the broth aside of course."

Above all, "the pot-au-feu can be customized", insists Laurent Mariotte.

"You make meatballs out of it, you make shepherd's pie out of it, you'll be able to serve the broth in which you're going to put pasta the next day, the vegetables, you make something else out of it, it's fantastic!" 

Store what can be stored

Your biggest ally in the anti-waste?

For Sonia Ezgulian, it is indeed "your closet"!

"You can eat lentils or even chickpeas and mix them with fresh products. It helps a lot for the anti-waste", specifies the cook on Europe 1. By keeping dry products in your reserves, you have at your fingertips of food to succeed in reusing leftover dishes and making brand new recipes.

Also keep in mind the potential of your freezer, which can store a large number of foods for a very long time.

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Recover the "waste"

When we think about anti-waste, we wonder in particular how to reuse what is usually considered waste.

Cores, peels, core, tops… They are edible!

“Apple cores, for example, make excellent jellies,” notes Sonia Ezgulian.

"Every time you make an apple pie or compotes, you keep the cores. You can freeze them if you don't have time to cook right away."

Same principle with withered lettuce.

"Me, I make little paupiettes", assures the cook.

"I cut them in half, inside, I'm going to put some anchovies, dried fruits, a few prunes, I tie up and it's very pretty."

For his part, Laurent Mariotte suggests marrying the cooked salad, "which will develop its bitterness", and the Saint-Jacques.

Finally, in the kitchen, nothing is lost, everything is transformed!