The Big Waste
 

Did anybody catch this on Food Network on Sunday night? Not sure if it's going to be a series or if it's just a one-off. It pit Michael Symon (whose restaurant I really want to eat at) and Bobby Flay against Anne Burrell and Alex Gureschelli (yes I know I spelled that wrong) making a meal for 100 guests using only waste food--things that various restaurants and suppliers were only going to throw away.

It was pretty stunning to see the amount of food that is wasted.

Also, for Top Chef fans, Ashley Merriman from season 6 was a sous chef for the girl's team.

/tk

NEAT! Will have to check this out!

The first time I saw Michael Symon was on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations during the Cleveland episode and liekd him there. He did a short stint on Dinner Impossible (subbing for Robert Irvine when they fired him temporily for "lying on his resume"). He then became an "Iron Chef" but I like him much less on that show. Flay I've hated for awhile cause he acted like such a prick but I've finally warmed to "Throwdown with Bobby Flay". I still thikn he's a prick tho. :)

This show sounds kinda fun.

I've been to a couple of Symon's restaurants in Cleveland and both times they were excellent.

I'll have to check and see if this show is on again. It sounds interesting.

Did 100 people get sick?

This.

What qualifies as waste food?

Haven't seen the show, but I'm going to guess things like bones, organs, or other things on animals that aren't the 'choice parts' that are often tossed aside. Parts of veggies that aren't considered 'choice' parts either. Leftovers that can be recreated into new dishes.

sign me up for a meal of bones gg

pause

I'm actually guessing the food is perfectly fine, but just wasn't "perfect looking" or else didn't sell or was leftover or was on display and at its expiration date, etc.

The bones are generally used for soups or sauces, though I'm sure they would leave a few for you to gnaw on if you would like.

hell yea

Yep.

Also, returned food to wholesale distributors (like a person over-buys) often gets trashed because the distributor can't turn it around quickly enough after it comes back.

Also a lot of restaurants either over-buy or have very high standards for things like flour and cocoa powder, so a lot gets dumped.

And yes, groceries and farms throw away a ton of food based on appearance.

Nobody got sick that they reported. The health inspector did have to approve all the food they bought.

/tk