{"id":67318,"date":"2019-10-10T17:56:47","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T21:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=67318"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:15","slug":"nyc-chefs-prove-how-delicious-zero-waste-can-be-at-james-beard-dinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/creativity-culture\/nyc-chefs-prove-how-delicious-zero-waste-can-be-at-james-beard-dinner","title":{"rendered":"NYC chefs prove how delicious zero waste can be at James Beard dinner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The stats are pretty familiar at this point: Approximately 40 percent of food in the U.S. goes to waste every year. Food waste<\/a> is harmful for multiple reasons, and one staggering statistic\u2014that 40 million Americans<\/a> struggle with hunger while there is more than enough food to go around<\/a>\u2014emphasizes the incongruity of it all. There are a myriad of ways to tackle this problem, including changes at the federal level, education within communities, and resourcefulness in our own kitchens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a recent zero waste<\/a> vegan dinner and discussion hosted by WeWork in partnership with the James Beard Foundation<\/a> at WeWork 54 W 40th St<\/a> in Manhattan, two renowned chefs explained the importance of preventing food waste and supporting food-insecure communities while proving that food we typically trash\u2014stems, skins, and everything in between\u2014can be absolutely delicious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy grandmother naturally would use everything [when she cooked],\u201d said chef Esther Choi<\/a>, the owner of three Korean restaurants in New York. Choi adopted her grandmother\u2019s practicality in the kitchen and  always makes stock out of vegetable peels and meat carcasses. \u201cThe skin [of the vegetables] is where all of the nutritional value is, so you\u2019re really missing out if you don\u2019t<\/em> use them,\u201d she said. (Here\u2019s a recipe<\/a> for making stock from veggie scraps if you\u2019re not sure where to start.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Beyond capitalizing on flavor and nutrients, mindfulness about food waste in the kitchen makes economical sense, said James Beard Award-winning chef JJ Johnson<\/a>, who\u2019s currently focused on his fast-casual rice-centered spot FieldTrip<\/a> in Harlem. \u201cI try to use every part [of food] for sustainability, but also there\u2019s the cost factor,\u201d said Johnson, explaining that running a sustainable kitchen ends up bringing costs down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cashew karma tteokbokki with rice cakes, roasted squash, okra, and brussels sprouts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The evening\u2019s third course\u2014jackfruit Korean BBQ with homemade tofu, vegan kimchi, assorted lettuce wraps, ssamjang\u2014was garnished with cilantro with stems attached. Johnson said it\u2019s an unfortunate truth that this is pretty atypical in the restaurant world; in culinary school, chefs are taught to discard stems when prepping food. But \u201cthe stems are the best part,\u201d according to Johnson, and while a minuscule shoot doesn\u2019t seem like much in terms of waste, it adds up. When Johnson asked his vegetable distributor to keep the stems on the collard greens he orders for his restaurant, the distributor lowered the cost of the vegetable, since Johnson was saving him hours of labor just by choosing to embrace a vegetable in its entirety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dinner was the second in a series of events<\/a> focused on food and sustainability. \u201cWe all look at sustainability differently, but we\u2019re all trying to make a difference,\u201d Choi said of her like-minded community of chefs. While the night\u2019s menu was all vegan and zero waste, a panel of experts encouraged the guests to think more broadly about what they can do to make an impact on the environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople always ask me, \u2018What can I do?\u2019\u201d marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson<\/a> said to the room. \u201cAnd I always ask, \u2018Well, what are you good at?\u2019\u201d Johnson stressed that rather than feel paralyzed by the dire reports about the future of our planet, we should put our energy toward working together. \u201cWe need to be less afraid to join things,\u201d she said. Instead of coming up with something new to attempt to make an impact, \u201cjoin a thing that already exists and make it even more successful,\u201d Johnson said, citing the Sunrise Movement<\/a> as one group that\u2019s doing great work to fight climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chefs Esther Choi and JJ Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even more, there\u2019s an opportunity to take action to support the environment in every food-purchasing decision you make, said Katherine Miller<\/a>, James Beard\u2019s vice president of impact. \u201cStart locally, then expand regionally, then expand naturally,\u201d she said, explaining that buying local prioritizes the triple bottom line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As more people rally around change, more change happens. This is the reason Jon Gray<\/a>, a culinary evangelist behind Ghetto Gastro<\/a>, a Bronx-based collective that works at the intersection of food, design, and art, is so intent on helping young people in his community explore the world in creative ways. \u201cArts and critical thinking and creativity are a  radical part of the movement,\u201d Gray said. Saving the world from crumbling is, in part, empowering others to do the same. Ultimately, the responsibility to change the world by changing how we eat isn\u2019t just on chefs and policy makers; as individuals, as families, and as communities we all have an obligation to make more mindful choices and support others to rise up with us. <\/p>\n\n\n