The Big Waste.

Normally I write soley about food and the cooking of it. I try to stick with simple dishes and include pictures. But I was watching the Food Network the other day (big surprise for those who really know me), and saw an ad for a new special called “The Big Waste” ( http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-network-specials/the-big-waste/index.html ) and I was SO Impressed with the direction that this show could go in. Notice I say could go in, because it appears that the shows direction is to have the FN chefs creating a meal out of thrown away food. And while doing this they “stumble” across the American publics need to buy “perfect” food. If this is the direction that the show goes in I will be hooked for sure!

In one of my many career reincarnations, I worked in a produce department. I bring this to mind because of he fact that this area of the store is the most superficial of all areas. People will dig through produce to find the best looking, blemish free piece of photographic miracle, that has ever graced this earth. I can say this, because I do the same thing. “That head of leaf lettuce has a small fold in one of the leaves, that orange (peel) has a small brown spot, that cucumber is too curved.” I mean really? Aren’t you going to chop up that lettuce, peel that orange and slice up that cuke. Why is it acceptable to us to drive a Prius, recycle, compost, but select only the most perfect food? I understand the cost argument. I do. But do you realize that costs would go down if we bought everything offered at our local retailer, regardless if the quality? Now I’m not saying you should buy wholey unusable spoiled products, but I am saying that, we (myself included!) need to be less selective in the drive for perfection.

Now that being said, I go back to the show and one scene, edited for us to see, where Anne Burrell is talking to what appears to be a grocery store clerk who says, they throw away 14 bags of food a day. 14! I can say that I’ve seen that and more depending on the sales volume of the store I’ve worked in. Imagine how much food is wasted while people in our own country, our own cities, our own neighborhoods, and our own familys, go hungry.

I must say I can’t wait to watch this show and hope to see it make a difference, and not just end up being another cooking challenge rerun. Way to go Food Network. Keep up the responsible programing. Now to see more health consious programs, so less of us will flip between “Paula’s Best Dishes” and “Biggest Loser”….