Tag: waste

Stress-free Christmas lunch (and without waste)? Yes, we can – Italian Cuisine

You probably haven't started the countdown for the Christmas. But (almost) surely you already have thought to all you have to do and work hard to prepare the menus of the feasts. A thought that, for many, is a nightmare. But something can be done for lighten load and arrive at the end of December with most tranquility. And even with less unnecessary expenses, fewer leftovers in the fridge and less wasted food. Now is the right time to organize the calendar of feasts end of year. Also regarding lunches, dinners and dinners. Taking cue from mindfulness, one can concentrate on the first, the after and the during, focusing on everything that one must (but above all what one does wants) to do on the occasion of these feasts. And get organized so that everything is easier, less tiring and less stressful.

Decide on the mood of the holidays
Do you want a sumptuous dinner e traditional, or a menu that amazes everyone? You are a sorceress cookers or you're a beginner, and therefore you fear a failure? In order not to be overwhelmed by the appointment with the holidays it is good to have clear ideas. Immediately. Therefore, to think what kind of lunch do you sucks, also depending on the type of guests sitting at the table, and assessing their skills as chefs. If you feel safe, you can to plan what to do and when to do it, so as not to get in trouble at night eve. If, on the other hand, you are not very adept at cooking or you don't love to cook, then it is good to organize where and when to make the best purchases of ready meals (but of quality) to make a great impression anyway with guests.

Order in gastronomy (even at the super)
The classic and reassuring delicatessens they are always a resource, particularly when there are important meals to prepare. Except that, at Christmas, they are takenassault. Therefore, it is necessary to order in time what you want, to avoid the risk of "Overbooking". The alternative is the large distribution chains: from long S to Hyper, they make glossy catalogs for parties, where you can choose dishes of gastronomy, desserts, wines and everything you need for to celebrate properly. It can be ordered directly in stores or online and pick up (or have them delivered) when it's convenient.

Plan purchases
To better organize your lunches feasts, think about how many people you will cook and calculate how big they should be portions. Planning portions for all foods will give you a pretty good idea of how much you will need to cook and will prevent you from falling into the temptation of to buy too much. And maybe, then find you the fridge full of leftovers that soon become waste.

Shop for security
When you do the expense for the Christmas lunch, remember to bring at least two with you thermal bags so that you can separate the foods uncooked from those already prepared, in this way you will avoid the contamination Crusade, which is a major cause of intoxication food. And also one of the reasons that determines the greater waste of food in the kitchen.

Cook in advance and freeze
You can prepare most Christmas recipes with weeks in advance and store, then, in the freezer. How to do? Just store the food in a container hermetic or close them in the special freezer bags. To freeze a food is like "pausing it" and thus prolonging its duration. You can freeze practically everything, but once thawed, foods return to their usual "times" and go consumed within 24 hours. Consider this aspect, therefore, to know when and what to thaw in view of meals to prepare.

Give a new (creative) life to the leftovers
The "Party" from leftovers it's a nice way to meet friends in an informal way during the holiday season. And a perfect opportunity to creatively reuse what it is remained in the fridge. What is left of the turkey or roast? It becomes a base for delicious appetizers. A fruit that has become a little too soft? Can be used in one fruit salad. A vegetable that is becoming too much mature? It is the basis for a soup. Are all the cookies shredded and therefore inedible? Perfect for cooking a delicious crumble. With what you find in fridge after binges of the parties you can baste an aperi-dinner with the flakes, thus avoiding throwing food that can still be used. Just follow the tips and i tricks of the experts contained in some books dedicated to the kitchen of leftovers. Such as "The art of using leftovers from the kitchen" by Olindo Guerrini (published by Newton & Compton), "Create with kitchen leftovers" by Marina Spinelli Dondoli (published by Vallardi) e "The gourmet of leftovers" by Allan Bay and Fabiano Guatteri (published by Touring).

Manuela Soressi
December 2019

how to use fruit and vegetable waste – Italian Cuisine

Fruit and vegetable waste is a kitchen resource. Here are some tips from the chefs at La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana to use them in many recipes

When we cook, we often produce refuse: many, however, are absolutely edibles and can be used in different ways. The chefs de The School of Italian Cuisine they always try to create tasty dishes, using waste as their basic ingredients. Here are some tips on how to use what's left of fruits and vegetables.

Fruit waste

What to do with fruit leftovers, which remain in the kitchen after a meal? The chefs of La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana recommend using fruit scraps to prepare broths flavored, perfect to use as a cake for cakes. Alternatively you can prepare cakes of fruit, by inserting the peel directly into the dough, as long as it is well cleaned and not excessively treated. Alternatively you can try to dry the scraps in the oven at about 70 ° for a few hours: once crumbled, you will get one powder tasty, to sprinkle what you want. But be careful to use only fruit that does not oxidize easily!

Vegetable waste

With vegetable waste, many dishes can be prepared, such as creams, velvety is broths; simply follow your tastes and those of your guests. Alternatively, with vegetable scraps you can also choose to prepare tasty ones savory pies or the classics omelets, enriched with special ingredients. Finally, you can dry the vegetable scraps in the oven, obtaining some crunchy chips savory to accompany your aperitif.

A recipe: Carrot tart

Ingredients

400 g Short pastry
For the filling
250 g Centrifuged carrot waste
200 g Orange marmalade
75 g Sugar
180 g Whole eggs
to taste Lemon peel
For finishing
Icing sugar

Method

Roll out the dough into a tart mold (diameter 24 cm). Spread the bitter orange marmalade on the bottom. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Divide the sugar into the two bowls and whisk very well. Mix the carrots and lemon rind with the yolks. Finally add the whipped egg whites. Fill the tart with the prepared, level the surface and cook in the oven at 180 ° C for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

Texts by Giulia Ubaldi

how to use meat and fish waste – Italian Cuisine

Waste in the kitchen? Let's see how the chefs at La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana use them to make tasty recipes

Nothing should be thrown away in the kitchen. The chefs de The School of Italian Cuisine, in particular, try to make the best use of meat and fish waste. Here, therefore, some advice to not waste (and save) with taste.

Meat waste

Meat waste can be used to prepare excellent food broths, to be used as a base for risottos, braised or stews. Bones and veal and chicken are perfect for flavoring sauces, such as the brown background, the unique demi-glace for scallops and roasts.

Fish waste

How many times, after a fish dinner, did you find the table full of waste? Instead of throwing them away, you can use them like this: head, central spine and fins are great for preparing broths very tasty, ideal both alone and as a base for risottos and sauces. A tasty alternative could be to prepare a broth, typical Marche dish prepared with different varieties of fish.

A prescription

If you want to make a recipe with zero waste, follow the advice of the chefs at La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana. You can prepare a cream with the trout, very delicate and healthy fish thanks to the calcium contained in the cartilage. Cut the fish into pieces, without removing anything, including eyes and scales; cook everything in one pressure cooker for about two hours together with carrots, spices and a little water. Finally, mix everything with a mixer immersion and you'll see what a delight! You can also try preparing the cream from sea fish, it will taste much stronger.

Want more tips in the kitchen? Take part in the La Scuola de La Cucina Italiana courses, see the calendar here!

Texts by Giulia Ubaldi