Thank you Workman Publishing and Neetgalley for an ARC of this book.

This is a fantastic book on zero waste cooking. I truly appreciated the honesty and authenticity of the author, acknowledging that we are human and just do the best that we can do (some are better than others, with myself being in the latter camp unfortunately).

This book provides many recipes and enticing photographs, of food ranging from a range of sources. The author lived in Japan for a while so there are some influences dotted throughout, but also ideas for banana peel cakes, infused alcohol, zucchini stem pizza and so much more.
I am excited to have found a number of recipes I look forward to trying in the coming weeks.

A highly recommended book.

Banana peels, apple cores, and fatty bacon ends are just a few of the items that will no longer be wasted with this new cookbook/guide from Food52 writer Lindsay-Jean Hard.

In the introduction, and in the lead-ups to the various recipes, the author writes about taking lessons from other cookbooks and tweaking recipes, and making them your own.  And this applies, she is the first to tell the reader, to her own.

Written in a friendly, approachable style, the aim behind this cookbook harkens back to the "waste not, want not" philosophy of generations past.  This is a welcome approach that is sure to appeal to budding "no waste" enthusiasts, as well as the casual cook who wants to make the most of their time in the kitchen and the produce they buy.  And this does focus primarily on produce, though there are a few tempting uses of other staples (think canned chickpeas and aquafaba for, sort of, one).  And while it may trigger nostalgia for the kitchens and frugality of our grandmothers, and a desire to shop at Farmer's Markets, this is very much a modern cookbook.

Within the generous introductory section, "Everything in Moderation (Your Best is Good Enough)" is a must read for those who are not convinced of their ability to take the lessons in this book on board.  You may not become a "tip to tail" type of home cook, but these techniques and ideas will move you in the direction of lessening your food waste.

Cooking with Scraps is full of inspiration, techniques, and quite a few interesting recipes. It will be a useful reference and adjunct to other recipe sources when meal planning or looking for ways to reduce your food waste.  Already, I'm planning my next purchases of cilantro and parsley to include the use of the stems, contemplating how best to save the cores of apples to use in making syrup for Sunday morning pancake breakfasts, and considering the purchase of an immersion blender.

Highly recommended as an addition (or start) to your cookbook collection.

This review refers to a NetGalley digital galley read courtesy of the publisher.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Cooking with Scraps: Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, Stems, and Other Odds and Ends into Delicious Meals. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Cooking with Scraps is a collection of 80 recipes with zero-waste in mind, a perfect cookbook for those who are environmentally conscious or who are on a tight budget. Beautiful photographs dot the pages of this cookbook, providing a very inspirational backdrop. The recipes are organized, alphabetized based on the featured ingredient, such as the cauliflower in the White Bean and Cauliflower Core Puree with Green Olive Gremolata (p. 47). Scattered throughout are sections the author calls "Clean out the Crisper", recipes designed to use every last bit of scraps that readers may have left behind in their refrigerator or pantry.

As the author's philosophy is one to which I try to use in my daily life, I was very excited to read this cookbook. Designed to use that part of the vegetable for which readers may not know how, such as carrot tops, Cooking with Scraps is a unique approach to cooking. Right off the bat, there are recipes that will open readers eyes to a new way of eating. I have often found myself eating the apple peels while I make a pie, not wanting to throw them away. The author suggests turning these scraps into Dried Apple Peel Chips, a delicious and easy-to-prepare snack. Charred Asparagus End Pesto is another gem and a great way to use that which cooks frequently throw away. One of the Clean out the Crisper offerings explains how to make pickles and will open readers minds to the possibilities. One of my favorite recipes is, coincidentally, a seasonal offering that features the pumpkin. Pumpkin Gut Butterscotch Scones (p. 122-123) is topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and uses the "webbing" of the pumpkin in the scones themselves. Another favorite recipe in the book is Black Bean and Green Tomato Salsa (p. 130), which is bright, colorful, and perfect for tacos or nachos.

With many possibilities to choose from, readers will be inspired by author Lindsay-Jean Hard's unique approach to cooking. I would definitely recommend this cookbook to others and I look forward to more by this author in the future.

Thank you to Workman Publishing Group for a copy of Cooking With Scraps for review.
Such an interesting concept and very well thought out! A great way to use more of each part of the vegetable and to reduce the amount you throw out.

I really enjoyed this book! The author's attitude of 'here's a recipe, but it's totally adjustable' mirrors my own cooking style, and her encouragement that it's okay to just reduce food waste instead feeling guilt if you fail to completely eliminate all waste was very helpful.

Quite a few of the recipes were not applicable to me, either because I don't often use the ingredient in question, or because I already break the 'rules' and use the odd bits along with the main part of the ingredient (like chopping up the stems of greens and sauteing them right along with the leaves). Even a lot of those though, gave me ideas of what CAN be used from a food and what kinds of things could be done, whether I use the exact recipe or not.

I did try the Beet Peel Margarita, which was fine, and might have even been amazing if I were a bigger fan of margaritas in general. I also made the Pumpkin Guts Scones which were a huge hit and I will be making again for sure. (This recipe also inspired me to use cantaloupe guts, and found a recipe online for cantaloupe bread where I replaced the cantaloupe puree with the 'guts'.)

I'd recommend this to anyone who cooks with a lot of fresh ingredients and either is bothered by food waste or just enjoys the creativity of using unusual odds and ends.

I really like the idea of this book – finding interesting recipes to use up the bits and bobs left over when preparing a meal: the peelings, the stems and seeds of vegetables; the bones from a roast; ends of cheeses; last dribbles from jars – the list goes on. The book is intended more as a reference book than a normal cookbook – you consult it when you have some scraps you are uncertain what to do with, so the recipes are ordered by type of scrap.
Following a short introduction to the author and why she is interested in cooking with scraps, there is a quick chapter on how to store vegetables to preserve freshness, and freezing, composting and a list of equipment needed for the recipes – and then it is straight into the recipes.
I do generally try to use up leftovers, and have long kept a bag of scrap vegetable and herb bits in the fridge for use in stocks, as is suggested in the book. Since being introduced to Portuguese cuisine, I have regularly used radish and turnip leaves in my cooking, and added stale bread to soups. From childhood, I have considered chard stems to be as much a foodstuff as the leaves, and the green parts of leeks (and was amazed that anyone would think of them as scrap). So, these uses were not new to me. However, there was quite a bit that was.
The two things that stood out for me, were the recipes for carrot tops, and the recipes for aquafaba. I seldom get to buy carrot with fresh leaves intact, so had not really thought about what to do with them before. I made the ‘Carrot Top Pesto’ for use on pasta, which was nice, but not spectacular. Aquafaba I had never heard of before. It is the left-over cooking water (or tin water) from beans and chickpeas, which is whipped up into a stiff froth to use as you would egg white – a perfect ingredient for vegans. I made the ‘Fudgy Aquafaba Brownies’, using chickpea water, and was so surprised that the recipe actually worked. The resultant brownies were excellent. A warning though – it takes ages and ages of whipping. Do not even think of trying to make aquafaba if you have only a hand-beater – even with an electric cake mixer/beater it took 10 – 15 minutes. So, the bit of the planet you save by using up scraps, you then destroy by excessive electricity usage.
Some of the recipes did not appeal. I only have over ripe bananas if I am making a banana cake. So, then using the left-over skins to make another banana cake seems a bit pointless – but nice to know they can be eaten if you are desperate. Using peanut shells for flavouring cheese seemed to be taking using scraps a bit far. And I am too lazy to use squash and melon seeds for anything – I like the outer casings to have been removed first.
I did really like the ‘Kale Stem Hummus’, the ‘Charred Asparagus end Pesto’ and the ‘White Bean and Cauliflower Core Puree’, and will continue to use the recipes for cauli and broccoli stalks. Once our tomatoes have stopped ripening, I want to make the ‘Black bean and Green Tomato Salsa’.
The recipes are designed to provide ideas about the possibilities for using up scraps, and are not instructions set in stone. As such, the book works very well. The recipes are probably not going to become new favourites, but the concepts will expand your culinary knowledge, give you a greater appreciation of the whole of foodstuff, and hopefully lead to reduced waste in the kitchen.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I hate to waste food and Cooking with Scraps made me realize how much I have been wasting. I love cooking with beet greens, but who knew that carrot tops were edible, or what I could do with them? I will find this especially helpful when it comes to my garden. I will be able to double or triple the amount of foodstuffs I have been harvesting from my garden.

Cooking with Scraps: Turn Your Peels, Cores, Rinds, Stems, and Other Odds and Ends into Delicious Meals by Lindsay-Jean Hard is currently scheduled for release on October 16 2018. Do you want to stop throwing away food scraps or composting them? Well, you can start enjoying some of them on your table! This book is a collection of 80 surprising, creative, delicious recipes for anyone who wants to cook smart, sustainable, and impressive meals out of unused bits of produce, cheese rinds, stale bread, and other oft-discarded foods.

Cooking With Scraps is a well written and forgiving cookbook. I like that it opens with the idea that no recipe or person is perfect, or unchangeable. Doing the best we can in our shopping and cooking is the goal. I found the recipes to be well organized, in alphabetical order by the type of food you are using in the process. This makes finding a recipe to deal with a specific type of scrap easier. I like that there are alternatives and further suggestions for foods that can be used recipes as applicable. There are also some hints and tricks included through the book, some of which will be helpful to new cooks, and others that will be useful to everyone. Some I found to be common sense, but I also grew up in a household that saved everything, canned, and scrimped much more than I currently do. The instructions and ingredient lists are well written and clear, letting even new cooks keep up and find success in their cooking. While many of the recipes are thing that would not be well received in my house, there were some idea that I will be using and some changed I will be making to my cooking and baking habits. I found the read to be interesting, inspiring, and important to those that will make the effort to create as little waste as possible.

Cooking With Scraps is a valuable cookbook for those looking to save money and resources, while willing to put in the necessary planning and work. I found it interesting, and it helped me plan my meals with the idea of limiting the waste I produce.

Ever since I moved to Boston, where composting does not seem to be as important as in Seattle (in Seattle, it is illegal to put food scraps in the trash), I’ve struggled with guilt about how much garbage I generate. Enter the book Cooking With Scraps! This treasure contains all sorts of ways to use those bits and bobs that will otherwise go to waste. From the expected categories like vinegar and alcohol infusions to surprises like Zucchini Stem Pizza and Herb Stem Dressing, there are many ways to cut down on your food waste. I already collect my cheese rinds in the freezer to flavor stock, but now I’ll also be collecting stone fruit pits. And I had no idea that the seeds of melons could be roasted like you do for pumpkin seeds!

I am excited and inspired by all the ideas here. I hope other folks also find ways to reduce their food waste.

Loved every bit of this book. It reminds us that a great cook can make a fantastic meal or dinner party out of what we have on hand and not to let one bit of it go to waste.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to preview this book. This is a fun cookbook for all of those scraps you have leftover and feel guilty about throwing away! Sounds delicious!

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cooking with Scraps is a cookbook written in reference to the zero waste movement. The recipes all utilize various odds and ends leftover from other cooking ventures - e.g., apple cores or peels. The book is beautifully photographed and a pleasure to look at. However, while the zero waste concept is great and worth spreading further, it seemed to me that many recipes actually call for many additional ingredients one might not have ready at hand, thus calling zero waste tenets into doubt.

I definitely wanted to read COOKING WITH SCRAPS, both for the beautiful cover but also for the concept of using all parts of food in cooking. Author Lindsay-Jean Hard, whose ideas for this book came from her Food52 column, offers 85 delicious recipes to turn peels, rinds, stems, and cores into tasty dishes. Carrot greens, for example, can make a great pesto, while broccoli stems can taste yummy when olive-oil poached on lemony ricotta toast. COOKING WITH SCRAPS turns food products you might discard into something completely delectable. Highly recommended!

Pub Date 16 Oct 2018

Thanks to Workman Publishing Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#CookingWithScraps #NetGalley

So, I own chickens. My food scraps have been claimed with a name marked on every peel and stem... but this cook book might be leveling the playing field. I found myself going over the pages and thinking, " A what? How can that be?!" and then being so excited to try some of the recipes. I also really, really appreciate the Japanese influence that she brings to the table. I lived in Japan for a few years and I love, love the food and culture. So, yes. I did receive this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review... but I'm going to need to really purchase this book when it comes out, BECAUSE it looks so good that I want a physical copy.

Shoot!

(In case you missed it above, I did receive a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.)

Thank you NetGalley for providing a digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am an avid cook and consider myself experienced enough to read a recipe and recognize steps that should be explained better or odd instructions. That said, I did not fine that to be the case with Lindsay-Jean Hard's book, "Cooking with Scraps". I only wish that I had a printable or more portable version of the book so I could have tried the many that I did bookmark.

I initially admired the book for the premise of waste-not-want-not and the beautiful layout, design, and photographs. As I moved farther into the book, I came to value the back story about how the recipe came about as well as the recipes that seemed quite do-able for a person comfortable with cooking. I found many to be different enough from some of my many other cookbooks that I would actually like to make them. I look forward to using a hard copy of this book to further evaluate the practicality as well as the likelihood that I will use it.

Cooking with Scraps by Lindsay-Jean Hard is a great book of using every bit of your produce in cooking. Lots of wonderful recipes and full color photos!

Amazing cook book. I hate waste so the tips provided in this book were amazing to help me utilize the food in my kitchen. Will be purchasing for my kitchen shelf!

Cooking with Scraps is a must have for anyone looking to reduce their waste in the kitchen and up their cooking game to a new level. The recipes are well thought out and fairly mainstream (with a twist) but still creative. That’s not to say there aren’t innovations. There are quite a few Japanese inspired recipes and twists on Mediterranean recipes The recipes include everything from appetizers to main courses, side dishes, alcoholic drinks, pickles, fermented foods, and luscious desserts.

The author used most of the items I have found myself wondering about as I carried them to the compost bin. I feel guilty for having wasted so much food over the years! The photographs are gorgeous and almost every recipe has a corresponding picture. The hardest thing about this book is trying to decide which recipe to cook first. This book will leave you inspired and hungry!

I was provided an advanced reader copy through NetGalley and the publisher for an unbiased review.

This was an interesting book. But since I grew up on a farm where nothing was wasted and the animals received the scraps, this did not appeal to me. I'm sure some readers will enjoy using scraps in a productive manner and this book will give some useful ideas.

Complete with beautiful photographs, Cooking with Scraps is full of practical recipes and great advice about how to use food that often gets thrown out.