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Any tips for storing onions & potatoes out of the fridge, masking the onion odor, & dealing with runaway onion skins?

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

Victoria Mulligan

Any tips for storing onions & potatoes out of the fridge, masking the onion odor, & dealing with runaway onion skins?

Answer

Uh, if you're whole food plant-based, you go through a lot of onions. Uh, if I buy a little mesh bag, they're gone by the end of the week. Uh, IJ just keep them, uh, out here. And if you're worried about the runaway skins, take them off, put them in your freezer, you can use them to make stock. They'll add some color, and, uh, I don't ever smell them. You only smell them when you cut them, and then they aromas sort of waves through the air. Um, let's see. Do you have anything to add to that, Kathy? Nope. Nope. I, you know, I, uh, I mean, there are lots of ways to store onions and we go through them, but mostly, you know, just buy what you think you can use. So, uh, sometimes, you know, it depends what your cooking habits are and what your time constraints are. Don't, you know, in any given week, uh, just plan things so that you don't have, uh, too much that can, uh, in lead to, uh, you know, that the, the onions would suffer, or any produce would suffer, and then it could lead to waste. So you wanna just manage your, your time and your, your cooking and shopping needs. I think those are, those are good. And I have to say that sometimes it's, uh, I'm often tempted when I go to a, a produce outlet where you can get like 5,000 pounds of onions for a very cheap price. It might not end up being that economical in the long run, if you're not going to use them or pre prep them and then store them in the freezer or a container or wherever.

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.