I have to admit:  When it comes to programs that air on The Food Network, I'm a bit jaded.  Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the cable network and like to watch many of the cooking shows that they feature.   I just have gotten tired of watching the countless barrage of "specials" that get passed off as programing.  You know - it sometimes seems like it's one "Iron Chef" or "Chopped" episode after another.  And, how many "cupcake war" shows can one person really watch?

But I did see a "special" that caught my eye and actually held my attention through the entire episode.  It's called "The Big Waste" and features some of the Food Network's celebrity chef's working as a team to produce gourmet-quality food using only ingredients that were on their way to the trash.

Now don't misunderstand the premise;  The food that Bobby Flay, Alex Guaraneschelli, Michael Symon and Anne Burrell used was completely edible.  It's just that these were the type of ingredients that you would usually see in the "dent and ding" bin or the compost pile.  Bruised tomatoes.  Short-rib ends.  Etc.

The food they produced using "other people's garbage" was impressive.  And, the show did make you think about the food waste in this country.

I believe that this Food Network "special" was truly that:  a special and not a series.  But, if you encounter it on the TV schedule, I recommend it.

 

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