Montreal chefs join Massimo Bottura to fight food waste

Montreal's top chefs are teaming up with world-renowned chef MassimoBotturato combat food waste.

Bottura, anItalian cook,activist, and owner ofOsteria Francescana one of the highest-ranked restaurantsin the world launched his waste reduction campaign at ExpoMilan in October.

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He helped openRefettorio Ambrosiano, a soup kitchen in theGreco neighbourhood of Milan that used the food waste from the Expo to providemeals for refugees and the homeless.

The campaign sparked international interest.Now, Bottura is in Montrealexpanding the initiative to include chefs from all around the globe.

'Not just about a soup kitchen'

"We try to involve all the best chefs in the world, to get together with them, share these ideas, and build the future by fighting waste," Bottura said. "To build a better future, to build dignity, because it's not just about a soup kitchen."

Winter Russell, a chef at Montreal's Candide restaurant, participated in the Expo Milan event with Bottura. He said he felt overwhelmed by the amount of food that was wasted.

"You arrive in the morning and a truck arrives and that's the trash from Expo Milan, and it's beautiful food," Russell said.

"We made a dessert of golden prunes and it was magical. The grocery storehad brought too many, and they had thrown out those that had even tiny bruises on them and there were cases of them."

'Respect the ingredients'

Russell said that many people have misconceptions about food waste, thinkingthat it refers to food that is rottenor unfit to be consumed.

However, he saysthat much of the food we throw out isrejected for aesthetic reasons that don't affect the flavour or nutritional value.

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Antonio Park, a chef atRestaurant Park and Lavanderia who joined in Bottura's workshop, explained that the benefits of low-waste cooking are not only environmental, but also economic.

"For a restaurant it's essential not to waste," Park said."You have to be open to the idea of using everything."

He summed up what he learned from Bottura with two tips:"respect the ingredients, and share your knowledge with other chefs and the next generation."

The results of the chefs' collaboration wereshowcased at Montreal'sPhi Centre. Proceeds from the event, where a meal could cost up to $300,will finance other low-waste soup kitchens.

Bottura also plans to open a new soup kitchen at the OlympicGames in Rio de Janeiro.