WASTE NOT! WANT NOT!
Waynedale Green Alliance Interviews the Leftover QueenJenn
DiPiazza is the Leftover Queen. In keeping with her ´waste not, want not´ food philosophy she founded The Leftover Queen blog, and presents recipes, techniques and just plain fun ways to make great food.
I wanted to find out all kinds of interesting information from her because in these tough economic times we need those who can show us how to brighten our lives with simple ingredients. Jenn Piazza does that. And she does it with pure class and style. Her Italian background informs her cooking and her food values. The Leftover Queen blog is also a hub for some of the greatest foodies in the world.
The Waynedale Green Alliance shares the views of The Leftover Queen when it comes to local sustainable food. In the following interview she talks about the reasons why she believes locally grown foods are best for our health, our economy and our earth.
ABS) Tell us about the beginning of your love affair with food. Perhaps, relate a specific memory or story from the beginning.
LQ) I have always loved food. It must be in my blood, because I cannot remember a time that food was not at the forefront of my mind. But my “love affair” began when I started to explore the cuisines of far away places and when I began to realize how magical it is to try a new taste for the first time, the excitement and anticipation that comes with experiencing new flavors – the smell, the taste, the texture.
How through eating and experiencing food you can be transported. Food is an obsession for me.
My day is planned around our meals, how long it will take for me to prepare each, and therefore, how much time I have to do all the other things that must be done. For me, preparing and eating food is nothing short of a religious experience. Which for me makes sense as food is the cornerstone of life.
ABS) It is known that you use everything and are never wasteful when preparing food, give an example. And where did this philosophy originate?
LQ) Well, anything can be turned into something. Extra bits of vegetables can be added to beans for a delicious take on beans and rice. Leftover herbs can be ground into pestos and sauces, even take out leftovers can be brought home to create new dishes – one of my favorites is shredding leftover cooked fish to top a green salad, add a homemade dressing and it is a whole new meal.
I owe this to the teachings of my maternal grandparents, Italian immigrants. For them, you never threw anything away. You never knew when it might come into play. We always had delicious food at my grandmother’s house, humble, rustic foods. Things like zucchini bread, pastas, casseroles, potatoes fried up with greens and garlic – add a bit of cheese on top and that is what I call real food.
The most important ingredient to any meal is love. At this point in my life using everything has become a way for me to challenge myself. I enjoy sometimes seeing how long I can avoid going to the store, just to see how creative I can get with what I have.
I have always believed you can make the ordinary extraordinary. We all have things that we keep on hand in our fridge or pantry – those go to items that when there is little else, you can still make a meal interesting and inventive.
This is what lead me to call my blog “The Leftover Queen” because I try to never throw food away, but I never eat the same food the same way twice – it changes here and there depending on what is on hand at the moment I am going to cook something.
ABS) What essential ingredients must one keep in the pantry, and maybe a few non-essentials?
LQ) 1) Olive Oil
2) Balsamic Vinegar
3) Sun Dried Tomatoes – don’t forget to use the delicious flavored oil later!
4) Spices – my favorites? oregano, cumin, coriander and sumac
5) Beans
6) Grains and Pastas – some favorites, buckwheat, bulgur and low glycemic pastas
For more ideas on pantry essentials: www.leftoverqueen.com/the-pantry/
ABS) Food plays an important role in ´greener living´- what advice would you give others on how to ´waste not, want not´?
LQ) Well, waste not want not is pretty much my philosophy of cooking. I would suggest that people look at their leftovers and foods in their fridge or pantry that are going to go bad first as a opportunity for creativity. Instead of just throwing them out, take action.
Put all the items on your counter and just look at them until you see a way for them to fit together. Or look online, there are plenty of food blogs out there to get inspiration!
ABS) Talk about herbs and why they are a significant part of your food ingredients- what herbs are ´must haves´?
LQ) Herbs not only make food taste better, without resorting to tons of salt, but many are actually good for your health. Many herbs have healing properties in some way. Plus I feel that they add a level of freshness of flavor to food and they brighten up any dish visually as well. My favorite fresh herbs – basil, mint, cilantro, thyme and oregano.
ABS) We have all been concerned with food safety. When it comes to meats, poultry, and fish what do you suggest? What is the best way to keep safe when handling those types of foods?
LQ) I always suggest checking out the FDA’s website: www.fda.gov/
Regulations change all the time based on studies, and it is always important to keep yourself well informed.
However, when handling these types of foods, cross contamination is the biggest problem. Make sure you have a special cutting board for meats and that nothing else touches it, that you wash your hands immediately after touching these kinds of proteins (be careful to wash the faucet handle as well!) before you touch anything else and be careful of where your knife has been. If you have been cutting meat with it, be sure it is thoroughly cleaned before using it again.
ABS) What is your personal favorite recipe?
LQ) Wow, that is a hard question. It is like asking someone to choose their favorite child! But I guess I would have to say my stuffed grape leaves. That is because they are so impressive looking, yet easy to make – and they taste great! Their filling is comprised of all my favorite ingredients from the best stuffed grape leaves I have sampled throughout my life – and believe me, there have been many! So it is my own take on a classic Mediterranean dish.
ABS) Do you believe that locally grown foods are best for food safety and for the environment at large? Why?
LQ) Yes, I firmly believe this. I believe it is important to support your local farmers and producers as much as you can – it is good for your local economy and you know that your products have not had to travel so far to get to you.
This is important for many reasons: supporting the people in your community, not depending so much on oil, having more control over what you are putting into your body, not eating foods that could have possibly absorbed oil or contaminants in shipping and being able to open a dialog through a relationship with local producers about what kinds of products you want.
ABS) Who is your favorite cook? Why?
LQ) Anthony Bourdain. I know he doesn’t spend much time in the kitchen anymore, but I really appreciate how open he is to exploring new cuisines with respect, about getting up close and personal with what he is eating and how it got from field to table, and being really passionate about food quality.
ABS) Lastly, a fun question- Are we really what we eat?
LQ) We really are. You can learn so much about people and cultures by looking at how and what they eat. I studied anthropology in college and I was amazed at how powerful of a tool food is when I looked at it from a scientific perspective. It gives people the ability to share something personal and creative with others – really give someone something of yourself.
People cook, and therefore do this everyday and yet not many think about how fundamental the food we share with others is to our relationships with others.
The Waynedale Green Alliance is dedicated to every aspect of greener living and learning the vast array of ways to save food, and make delicious recipes from everything that´s ´leftover´ is a unique way to accomplish this goal.
The Leftover Queen is at the forefront of this challenge.
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