#food-waste-reduction

#food-waste-reduction

Want a reason to be optimistic? The global food system is showing some green shoots that suggest more sustainable farming practices are on the way. But consumers play an integral role in making that a reality, and the choices they make every time they shop at the grocery store matter more than we may realize. That's because farmers, companies, and consumers must all work together to create a more sustainable food system.

Olive Garden, which has traditionally seen success from its annual unlimited pasta promotion, recently noticed the opposite trend: Some customers actually wanted less food. Last quarter, the restaurant chain tested a new menu section at a little less than half of its locations: smaller portions, along with reduced prices, for seven of its dinner entrees. The trial was designed to appeal to cash-conscious customers, who've been cutting eating out from their budgets, hurting restaurants' profits.

You see, if you sprinkle dry seasonings directly onto your food, the hot circulating air for which the air fryer is known, can blow the seasonings off your food, or even burn them. But when mixed with oil, they stick better, creating a more consistent and delicious result. Oil also helps in heat distribution. When food is lightly coated in oil that you've infused with spices or herbs, the surface crisps up more evenly, reducing the chance of burning some parts while leaving others undercooked.

you can render and transform dry brownie chunks or squares into chocolatey crumbs and then grind them up to make pie crust, just like you would with graham cracker or cookie crumbs. For easy incorporation into your next pie recipe, just follow the 3-ingredient formula for a perfect cookie-based pie crust, substituting stale brownie crumbs for the best cookies for flavorful crumb crusts.

Have you ever wondered what happens to unsold food at a grocery store once it reaches its sell-by date? How about that produce on the shelf that's no longer plump and shiny enough to tempt shoppers? Fortunately, in the case of Walmart and its subsidiary, Sam's Club - a warehouse retail chain known for food court items like pizza pretzels and brownie sundaes - not much of that food will go to waste.

Even apart from the altruistic aspect of the work, Fruit Rescue's gleaning events - which are open to anyone who signs up through the group's Eventbrite page - are a fun, family-friendly way to spend a morning. The aforementioned peach-picking session didn't wind up happening (backyard fruit can be a fickle enterprise), but my nine-year-old daughter and I drove out to Martinez's Alhambra Valley on an impossibly clear-skied Tuesday morning to harvest about a dozen Bartlett pear trees in a tidy, picturesque frontyard orchard.

Once the carrots are grated and folded into a spiced, moist batter, their skins vanish into the crumb. In the heat of the oven, the ever-so-slightly-fibrous outer layer softens completely, contributing the same sweetness and texture as the rest of the root vegetable. For anyone worried about flavor, the skin's mild earthiness is no match for cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar; it simply disappears into the background.

"Bitterness usually stems from over-roasting bones or vegetables - especially onions, garlic, or carrots - or from simmering herbs like bay leaves for too long."