EFOC 2024: Inside The Fighting Food Waste In Your Kitchen Panel

Growing up, I was encouraged to eat the most off my plate during dinner because, according to my parents, “we didn’t waste food in this house.” As I grew up and became an adult, I realized that many Black parents thought this way, and they were ultimately teaching us a valuable lesson and practice: how not to be wasteful. 

According to Feeding America, people waste 92 billion pounds of food annually, equal to 145 billion meals in the United States. Unfortunately, Americans throw away over $473 billion worth of food annually and waste 38% of all the food in the States. Those jarring statistics contributed to the Chefs’ Challenge: Fighting Food Waste in Your Kitchen panel on July 6th at the Food And Wine Festival Experience stage. The panel discussion led by Tanya Fields of the Black Feminist Project explored the impact of inflation as it makes it hard for people to afford food with Chef J’Kwan Fulmore, Chef Lenora Chong, and Larry Morrow. The chefs also walked the audience through how to use everything in your fridge and avoid food waste, which can make a difference. The seasoned chefs shared best practices and meal ideas to help you make the most of the ingredients and leftovers you already have in your home and, most importantly, encourage you to fight food waste through an engaging demo. 

To showcase how simple it is to leverage the food you already have in your home, Chef Chong, co-founder of Morrows and Sun Chong, decided to make one of her favorite childhood Korean dishes, “Piggy and Puff.” This dish uses ingredients that you’d typically find in your fridge, cutting down on waste in your kitchen or having to scout for new food items at the store. “For this dish, you’d use the leftover eggs, lettuce in the pantry, and rice. We can’t forget the meat, so we’ll use any meats, any proteins, like sausage and chicken. We’re also going to add some carrots, sliced bell peppers, and onions,” she exclaimed to the audience. 

Next, Chong shared how her love for cooking came about through her father: “My father and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. It was our bonding time. He was also a chef, and he taught me how to cook from a very young age. We talked a lot about ingredients. He educated me about it, so naturally, I developed a love for it and eventually went into the business,” she shared. 

In a chain of events, Chong’s family business and legacy through food expanded here in New Orleans as her son Morrow decided to go into business with her. “My mom cooked all the time at home, so it was natural for us to do a partnership together in 2018 by opening up Morrows; even though I wasn’t familiar with the culinary industry, I grew up in it, and I always loved hospitality,” Morrow revealed. 

In addition to his vast experience in the culinary space, Morrow became aware of food insecurity in America through his work with a noted nonprofit. “We taught people how to sustainably grow and harvest vegetables and then showed them how to prepare their own healthy meals from their harvest,” he said. 

Through his work with the nonprofit and promoting farm-to-table meals, Morrow quickly learned that reducing food loss and waste, as well as having access to quality grocery stores, was incredibly important, as many Black people live in food deserts. 

When it comes to minimizing waste, Chef Fulmore suggests not buying as many groceries. “People can minimize waste by buying smaller amounts of produce and maybe storing what you need and not buying as much,” he told the audience. As a solution to minimize food waste and buy fewer groceries, Chef Chong shared some quick and easy food dishes that you can make. “Lean on your leftovers, or make tacos or bowls. You can make wrap sandwiches,” she said. 

Growing your own food can also be a fun and creative way to reduce waste and save money at the grocery store, as Fulmore does so often. “I garden. I grow my own food. I grow my own veggies,” he said.