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Do you have any tips for cooking for one without wasting food in a very tiny kitchen with basically no counter space (I use a cutting board over my sink)?

Chef vs Chef

Char Nolan & Cathy Katin-Grazzini - Chef vs Chef

Recorded

This event was on January 21, 2025

Join Chef Char Nolan and her special guest, author and Rouxbe grad, Cathy Katin-Grazzini the author of Love the Foods that Love the Planet, Recipes to Cool the Climate and Excite the Senses.(HCI, 2024). Cathy Katin-Grazzini’s life took a dramatic turn when a health crisis in her family led her to embark on a transformative health journey. Join us for an intimate conversation with Chef Char and Cathy as they share their experiences, delve into the world of recipe development, food photography, and the profound impact of a plant-based lifestyle on the environment. Prepare to be captivated by their warm and engaging discussion.

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Question

Diane Kirschner

Do you have any tips for cooking for one without wasting food in a very tiny kitchen with basically no counter space (I use a cutting board over my sink)?

Answer

Well, I think that what really helps if you have a small kitchen is to plan a weekly menu, a shopping list, and a weekly menu so you know exactly what you're going to have. And while you are busy chopping a bunch of onions, and three of your recipes have onions, uh, that will be in them, is to get some good food storage containers so that you're not constantly bringing out your cutting board and putting it over your sink. Uh, you'll also save a lot of money that way. And, uh, I know that that works for a lot of people. Uh, I live in a 100-year-old house. We had our kitchen, um, uh, redesigned a couple of years ago, and the kitchen is 10 by 10. So, uh, even though it looks like it has a lot of counter space in it, I have to kind of think that way of, you know, being organized and getting a shopping list and not having a ton of food waste either. So, uh, I hope that, uh, that helps. The other thing is what you might think as waste. You can put in a container in the freezer and use that if it's a vegetable or fruit for making a solid and delicious vegetable stock.

Char Nolan & Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Chefs

*Char Nolan* is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer. *Cathy Katin-Grazzini* is a sustainable chef, and author of the Love the Foods that Love the Planet, Recipes to Cool the Climate and Excite the Senses(HCI Books, 2024) and Love the Foods that Love You Back, Clean, Healthy, Vegan Recipes for Everyone (Rizzoli, 2022), both photographed by Giordano Katin-Grazzini. In addition to developing healthy, climate friendly recipes from around the world, Cathy is a culinary instructor, teaches about the environmental and nutritional impacts of our food choices, and helps people take steps towards a greener, healthier lifestyle. Cathy manages her food blog, cathyskitchenprescription.com, and since 2015, has offered cooking classes, lifestyle counseling, and run corporate employee wellness programs. From 2017-2022 Cathy was Food Editor for VEGWORLD Magazine. In 2024 Cathy attended Climate Reality Leadership Corp’s NYC Training program. She and her husband Giordano Katin-Grazzini live in Ridgefield, Connecticut.