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Food waste is a major contributor to our planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Between packaging, unused waste and “imperfect” products that don’t sell, there is a whole lot of food and packaging that rot in landfills, creating ungodly amounts of methane. But not everyone in the culinary world is guilty of contributing – Green Matters emailed zero-waste chef Ian Thurwachter about how his gentle cooking is changing the planet.
“With zero waste as the goal of getting as much as possible out of what you have, you need creativity and dedication,” Thurwachter tells us about his zero-waste restaurant. “Developing the flexibility to work with constantly changing ingredients, be it local, seasonal products or different pieces of protein that we process through every whole animal slaughtered here, is a practice. Teach your team the importance of sharing ideas with long-term planning for semester preparation is a critical but rewarding challenge. “
Thurwachter and his wife opened the Intero together and were inspired by Italian customs and their hometown.
Thurwachter is the head chef and co-owner of Intero, a zero food waste restaurant based in Austin. He tells us that as a lifelong Austin resident, he has always been driven sustainably. Then he started his culinary career in an Italian restaurant, and eventually Thurwachter and his wife, who is also a cook, teamed up and opened a food-free Italian restaurant in the capital of Texas.
“[Zero food waste] is the Italian way! In order to deepen my passion for the naturally sustainable concept of Italian cuisine, we wanted to work with our local farmers and ranchers, ”Thurwachter tells us. “They work so hard to raise and grow these vegetables and animals – how can we not respectfully support them and do our best to use every ingredient to the full? Everything closes when you work on it … “
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“Based on the need to use regional and local ingredients, [operating low-waste] corresponded to and furthered my personal interests in sustainable practices. My head chef shared a similar background and shared beliefs, which makes it easy for us to advance these ideologies in our own place, “he explains.
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How did your zero waste approach compel you to get more creative in the kitchen?
Whether you’re a zero waste artist, chef, or just following a zero waste lifestyle, you know that zero waste forces you to get creative. You learn to expand the use of different materials or ingredients, and you realize that you can recycle certain things – or foods – well past their prime.
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“I always ask myself and my team how far you can stretch an ingredient or explore other ways to use scrap,” he explains. “My favorite development over the years has been the use of koji and fermentation. Both practices are invaluable in their transformative power for turning the humble leftovers into a range of cooking components like sauces and condiments.”
“One example that I like is a seasonally popular cabbage dish that we prepare every year,” Thurwachter tells us. “After the cabbage is cut, any leftover leftovers are fermented in brine – this brine is then used to poach the cabbage just before cooking, and offers a specific tangy light taste that you would not otherwise have.”
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“I don’t take any ingredient for granted – it’s a constant journey of discovery to keep expanding the possibilities,” he says. “I’m probably still too hard on myself, but I used to push myself too creatively on my own where I now try more and more to approach everything with new eyes through teamwork and brainstorming in order to achieve the best results.”
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