The Zero-Waste Chef: Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet: A Cookbook

by Anne-Marie Bonneau

A sustainable lifestyle starts in the kitchen with these use-what-you-have, spend-less-money recipes and tips, from the friendly voice behind @ZeroWasteChef.

In her decade of living with as little plastic, food waste, and stuff as possible, Anne-Marie Bonneau, who blogs under the moniker Zero-Waste Chef, has learned that "zero-waste" is above all an intention, not a hard-and-fast rule. Because, while one person eliminating all their waste is great, if thousands of people do 20 percent better it will have a much bigger impact on the planet. The good news is you likely already have all the tools you need to begin to create your own change at home, especially in the kitchen.

In her debut book, Bonneau gives readers the facts to motivate them to do better, the simple (and usually free) fixes to ease them into wasting less--you can, for example, banish plastic wrap by simply inverting a plate over your leftovers--and, finally, the recipes and strategies to turn them into more sustainable, money-saving cooks.

Rescue a loaf from the landfill by making Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding, or revive some sad greens to make a pesto. Save five bucks (and the plastic tub) at the supermarket with Yes Whey, You Can Make Ricotta Cheese, then use the cheese in a galette and the leftover whey to make sourdough tortillas. With 75 vegan and vegetarian recipes for cooking with scraps, creating fermented staples, and using up all your groceries before they become waste--including end-of-recipe tips on what to do with your ingredients next--Bonneau lays out an attainable vision of a zero-waste kitchen.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food, Food and Drink, Sustainability, Environment

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2021

Reviews

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I learned a lot of good tricks for preventing food waste. I actually read this book almost cover to cover; each recipe was so interesting that I sped through it.

This book is vegetarian, by the way. I'm not sure why they chose to market it as "plant-forward" instead.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cookbook with personality! I would have never guessed a cookbook would fall under my enjoyable reading category. The Zero-Waste Chef was well written and nicely organized. Both a cookbook and a guide it certainly motivated me to make changes and consider alternatives that I would've previously thought were too time consuming. The "You Can Make That? Staples and Scraps" section was very useful and included tips that I'll actually use.

I made the Mexican Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding, Hamburger Buns and Swiss Chard. All recipes I'd recommend and try again. I'm looking forward to making the Preserved Lemons and Sparkling Tepache. I appreciated how the author built on previous recipes and gently led you from recipe to recipe without wasting a thing.

[Yodamom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
great recipes and fabulous ideas for saving money and the environment

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of recipes and ideas to make low cost zero waste sauces, condiments and foods. I've been follow Anne-Marie Bonneau on the Internet for several years and am so glad to have it all in book form.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of ideas for reducing waste, some kind of obvious, others eye opening. Tip #1: get a lemon tree

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best and most useful cookbooks I have ever looked at. I love that Bonneau offers advice not only on identifying what we use and dispose of most often (i.e. trash audit), she also offers a variety of suggestions to get around plastic packaging. The recipes are simple and explained well, and she offers advice on how to use the left over bits and bobs in your next meal. I got so many tips and tricks out of this book, beyond just the recipes! I can't wait to use more of these recipes and ideas in my own kitchen! I highly recommend this book!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know Anne-Marie in person so I may be a little biased, but Zero Waste Chef recipes are a staple in my kitchen. From sourdough bread to sourdough pancakes to sourdough crackers, oh and also other non-sourdough things too, I’m a fan. I’ve also been lucky enough to sample some of her test recipe trials!

This cookbook starts with a few introductory chapters on how to ease yourself into a zero waste lifestyle in the kitchen. I think Anne-Marie takes a practical, generous approach in understanding that we all live busy lives and are just doing the best we can, but maybe we can also reduce our culinary waste and plastic consumption while we’re at it. There’s a little tip after each recipe on how to incorporate leftovers from one dish into another, which is helpful—some of the suggestions are pretty ingenious. I love the recipe introductions—there are so many cutting one-liners. Relatedly, I can see the traces of an English literature major in these pages...

Reading this cover-to-cover has gotten me started trying out making my own ginger beer. Plus I’ve already made the zucchini bread, pastry, and empamosas, plus I’ve left sticky notes on a dozen other recipes.

Hot tip: if you like what you’ve seen in the cookbook, check out her blog for even more delicious recipes (I personally recommend the soft pretzels...)

[Laura Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the books profiled in this blog post, this is the one you should buy instead of borrow from the library. The kitchen is the greatest source of waste so focusing on ways to be zero-waste while cooking and baking is essential. Her number one tip is to go big on glass jars (saved, found, etc) for storing and freezing food.

What I like: Most of the book is actually recipes including “save scraps vegetable broth”, sourdough everything, sides, mains, desserts, etc. Best of all, the recipes are easy and low waste. At the end of each recipe, it has recommendations for how to use the food waste from that recipe for another recipe! Genius.

Best tip: “Zero waste is not a consumer lifestyle. It’s a conserver lifestyle.” Rather than advocating for buying more things, Bonneau is all about using what you have and not falling into the trap of fancy zero-waste gear. I love it! Smart and manageable.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book! It's straightforward and occasionally funny, with a great message about preventing food waste and cooking in a more eco-friendly way. I particularly loved the "Now for your next recipe..." section on every recipe where Bonneau explains what to make with leftovers and extra ingredients. The only thing holding me back from five stars is that cooking with the book is a real commitment. Most of the recipes are interrelated, so you can or should make one in order to make another (which is sometimes cumbersome). Quite a few of them also call for sourdough starter or sourdough discard. Personally, I don't have a big enough household or the inclination to make my own sourdough, so I won't be able to make those recipes. If you do want to commit to sourdough though, and/or love to pickle and ferment, "The Zero-Waste Chef" is for you!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is both a cookbook and guide to zero waste living. It's written in a very approachable manner, and the recipes are sound. The desert chapter is especially strong, and there is a pretty big section on canning, food in jars and fermentation that is worth checking out if you're interested in that type of food prep.

The author has been plastic free for a pretty long time, and I found her tactics to be practical, not preachy. While I don't think that I'll be following in her footsteps full throttle anytime soon, there are a lot of easy ideas in here for reducing family waste - even if you only adopt a few of them, you'll be helping the planet (and usually your wallet). I thought this was a good book to read if you're trying to eat or live more thoughtfully and in balance with the planet.

[Nicole Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book inspired me to do things (make myown vinegar from fruit scraps? YES! Make soup from corn husks? Definitely) that I have not actually done yet. I think for any new method of cooking you need to have an initial outlay of cash; I'm cash poor at the moment. And, an outlay of time. I'm time impoverished. BUT-- this book will make you really think about how to minimize food waste. I am not a big food waster as it is, using my freezer and rehabbing leftovers. But this takes all of that to a whole new level,and I am eager to try.

[Michelle Snarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cookbook that's fun to read. I'm savouring it chapter by chapter but have also used it for two recipes so far - the preserved lemon hummus and the kimchi fried rice. Thanks to Anne Marie's sensible advice to use a recipe as a guide rather than an immutable blueprint, I modified the recipes for what I had in the kitchen. As for the reading, every so often there's a little giggle (see "small appliances" on page 52).

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the flow of this cookbook. The way one dish leads into the next. Just when I’m wondering what to do with the parsley stems left from the tabbouleh recipe, I look below on the page and see ideas for pesto and bean burgers. It’s as though Anne-Marie is in the kitchen with me, reading my mind, anticipating my questions.

Food waste is such an important part of the climate problem. We need this book now more than ever!

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

We should put the onus of single use plastics and convenient packaging on oil companies and corporations rather than individuals but I like how this book works to change thinking about cooking from "I need X ingredients for X recipe" to "what can I make with what I need to use/what I have." Taken all together it can be overwhelming, I just want to support my local bakery instead of making bread for 3 days.

[Kathleen Celmins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, this is one of those books that has ALREADY changed my life.

I'm not typically the type of person who reviews cookbooks, and this book is half cookbook, but it's also a really good manual for how I want to live in 2022 and beyond: looking to the refrigerator to figure out dinner instead of looking at recipes and heading to the store.

We've already made creme fraiche, and we'll be making more things by hand. More plants, less waste.

[Amy Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an important book for our times! The Zero Waste Chef offers advice, tips and tricks to reduce food waste and eliminate plastics - all the while making us laugh! This book is worth the read even if you don’t cook a thing! So much fun to read. Well organized and beautifully done with tasty recipes that will become your new favourites. Love it!

[Christine Bergsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a longtime follower of Anne-Marie, this book sums up how I feel about food (and waste). Easy to follow instructions, recipes and thought-provoking, this book has it all. It should be one that circulates in every household as part of educating ourselves on how to take care of what we easily take for granted.

[Jane Wilder-OConnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent help to reduce waste

This book offered so much useful and practical advice to reduce waste that, having borrowed it from my library, I decided purchase a copy as a permanent reference book. Since my biggest struggle with reducing waste is in my kitchen, I found the recipes plus one more just what I need.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting guide to creating less waste and living sustainably. I appreciate that the author is encouraging those of us who are making small changes gradually (as opposed to huge steps immediately) to achieve the goal of less waste. I just wish I had more time to devote to the process, particularly for making more foods from scratch. Looking forward to trying some of the recipes!

[Jennine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this whole book cover to cover. Great facts about why we need to reduce food and plastic waste, tips for living without plastic, and of course great recipes! I’ve tried several already - pumpkin sourdough quick bread, tepache, sauerkraut, vanilla extract, and I’m working on several others!

[Kerry Culp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! So many great tips that help you along the road to wasting less and doing more at home without being overwhelmed. Can’t wait to make some of these recipes!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing resource for anyone looking to reduce their waste in the kitchen or just eat better! Love her writing style and sense of humor, too.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all the reading parts of this book and I'm just left with the recipes. I enjoyed the tips and will try to incorporate some of them into my life. I'm looking forward to trying the recipes!

[Emily Kamminga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing! Super eye opening and definitely going to take some of these practices into my home.

[Angela Tolsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wish I had, had this six months ago at the beginning of my CSA box. Especially for peppers. Glad to have it now!

[Marian Kvamme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally got this book from the library, but I love it so much I bought myself my own copy! So many great recipes and tips! And its just generally enjoyable to read. Highly recommend!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this, I can see myself using a lot of the tips, tricks and recipes in this book, but it was a bit overwhelming to get it all at once.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cool book and the author is very funny to boot.

[Anna Xie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this cookbook

[Theresa Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many of these recipes & life swaps are manageable: it's just about repositioning time (& reevaluating lifestyle).