Why Waste? The Zero-Waste Video Series With Massimo Bottura & Co.

Individual households are responsible for the majority of the world's food waste, around 61% of the total, according to a UN Environment Programme report. It's a shocking statistic that we can all have a hand in reducing by getting a little creative in the kitchen.

Why Waste? is the exclusive video series from Fine Dining Lovers, featuring Massimo Bottura and his team of chefs, that teaches us how to cut food waste in delicious and imaginative ways.

Jessica Rosval of Casa Maria Luigia, Karime Lopez of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura, Francesco Vincenzi of Franceschetta58 and Takahiko Kondo, sous chef of Osteria Francescana, offer up some amazing and simple tips in four video episodes, discovering the best ways to store ingredients, and how to give kitchen leftovers a second life in a selection of easy and memorable recipes.

Here's a taster of a few of the delicious treats they have in store:

Discover the four episodes below:

Why Waste Meat and Fish? Massimo Bottura and Jessica Rosval

First up in our Why Waste? video series, Jessica Rosval, Bottura's chef at Casa Maria Luigia, offers up some food storage tips on meat and fish that will help you reduce your own food waste at home. There are also two great recipes, one for golden beef fat and another for leftover empanadas with spiced yoghurt.

Take a look:

Why Waste Vegetables & Herbs? Massimo Bottura and Karime Lopez

In this next episode of Why Waste?, Bottura and his chef Karime Lopez, from Osteria Gucci da Massimo Bottura in Florence, offer you some tips that will make vegetables last longer in the fridge. There's also a delicious recipe for a deep umami-rich, sticky demi-glace from vegetable trimmings and peels, plus another for crunchy, fluffy vegetable croquettes using leftover vegetables you might have in the fridge.

See more:

Why Waste Dairy? Massimo Bottura and Takahiko Kondo

In episode three of Why Waste?, Bottura and his sous chef at Osteria Francescana, Takahiko Kondo, will teach you how to store milk, and how to wrap cheese to make it last longer. There's also a wonderful trick for turning Parmigiano Reggiano rinds into fluffy crackers using Taka’s one-minute microwave trick, plus Bottura's favourite fried chicken recipe in the world.

Find out how:

Why Waste Cereals? Massimo Bottura and Francesco Vincenzi

In episode four of Why Waste?, Bottura enjoys the recipes of chef Francesco Vincenzi, from Franceschetta 58, who teaches us how to store things like bread and cooked rice to extend their life and waste less food. There's also a great way to use leftover pasta in a crispy, cheesy, maccheroni pie - or “second-life pasta pie” as Massimo calls it - as well as how to turn old bread crusts into a wonderful caramelised bread crust cake.

Time to get cooking: