What do you think?
Rate this book
Too Good to Waste: How to Eat Everything
Food waste is for tossers; Too Good to Waste is about getting the very most out of your food, in the most delicious way possible."
176 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2017
1 person is currently reading
164 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 24, 2017
Too Good to Waste: Making Magic Out of Forgotten Food by Victoria Glass takes a creative approach when it comes to using up food rather than allowing the food to go to waste. I was hoping Too Good to Waste would be like my beloved The Use-It-Up Cookbook: A Guide for Minimizing Food Waste by Lois Willard, but it is not.
As to Too Good to Waste, the recipes are written for both European and American audiences. The author has included both metric, weight, and cups-and-measures, where required, in her recipes. Oven temperatures are written for both European and American cooks. For example you will read 200 degrees C/400 degreesF/Gas 6. Note: I spelled out the word degrees but in her recipes you will read the degree symbol.
Some of the recipes you'll find in her cookbook include:
Chicken Leg Ballotine Stuffed with Liver
Chicken Carcass Curry
Sour Milk Scones
Southern Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Salted Caramel, Chocolate & Beetroot Fudge Cake
Bone Marrow Toffee
The only reason why I gave the book a 4 star rating is the author should have offered some specific guidelines on when to toss food. The author writes she is fairly cavalier concerning use-by dates. She also writes commonsense has a lot to do with cooking and states she would not eat moldy mutton but would probably eat limp lettuce.
In the aforementioned Use-It-Up Cookbook the author does give clear information on when food should not be eaten. It's too bad the same thing was not done for Too Good to Waste.
Overall, this is a very good book as the author has written a creative way to prevent food waste.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.
As to Too Good to Waste, the recipes are written for both European and American audiences. The author has included both metric, weight, and cups-and-measures, where required, in her recipes. Oven temperatures are written for both European and American cooks. For example you will read 200 degrees C/400 degreesF/Gas 6. Note: I spelled out the word degrees but in her recipes you will read the degree symbol.
Some of the recipes you'll find in her cookbook include:
Chicken Leg Ballotine Stuffed with Liver
Chicken Carcass Curry
Sour Milk Scones
Southern Fried Chicken Drumsticks
Salted Caramel, Chocolate & Beetroot Fudge Cake
Bone Marrow Toffee
The only reason why I gave the book a 4 star rating is the author should have offered some specific guidelines on when to toss food. The author writes she is fairly cavalier concerning use-by dates. She also writes commonsense has a lot to do with cooking and states she would not eat moldy mutton but would probably eat limp lettuce.
In the aforementioned Use-It-Up Cookbook the author does give clear information on when food should not be eaten. It's too bad the same thing was not done for Too Good to Waste.
Overall, this is a very good book as the author has written a creative way to prevent food waste.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
I agree we waste too much food in this country. It's hard to keep up with what's in the fridge when one works and eats out way to often from so little time. I often think I should just give up on cooking and my kitchen entirely and convert the room to better use! I learned a lot from this book. I always thought that if veggies were wilted, one tossed them. I never thought to use them in anything. I mean, lettuce can be refreshed?! Also, the only cookbook I've ever seen with a recipe using SALSIFY!! I love the stuff, but can only find it jarred once in a rare while in an import store. Wish more people grew it for farmers markets here! Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing a hard copy of the book as I love to see the finished dishes in color (my Kindle only has b/w). I didn't realize my Kindle had corrupted the photos, so either didn't have them all or they weren't arranged properly. The publisher sent me another copy to download and the photos were actually better and made more sense then the copy I initially downloaded ! Yes, I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review, and my review may not have been too fair with copy I received, through no ones fault, just the way of electronics. Anyway, the dishes in the new copy look way better and are where they belong, so the main dishes are shown at the end of every recipe! I'd recommend the book to anyone who wants to cut their food bill, or at least stop tossing so much food away!
July 6, 2017
I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.
This book is not paleo friendly. Most of the recipes had grains or some other ingredient that I do not wish to consume. As such I couldn't find too many recipes that I thought I might cook so my review is not as in depth as I'd like.
That being said, I found this to be a fairly run of the mill cookbook. I was hoping this book would be more revelatory in terms of food waste and using the tossed bits but I didn't find that much that would be useful to me (albeit someone else with a considerably less restricted diet might find this more useful). Don't get me wrong there was definitely some there (I am indebted regarding a brassica stems suggestion), just not enough for me to add another cookbook to my already burdened shelf.
I was kind of hoping this would be a more modern version of How to Cook a Wolf (which I haven't had the opportunity to read yet so perhaps How to Cook a Wolf isn't what I expect it would be either), instead this is a very well organized cookbook that help you make the most of your otherwise likely to spoil leftovers.
This book is not paleo friendly. Most of the recipes had grains or some other ingredient that I do not wish to consume. As such I couldn't find too many recipes that I thought I might cook so my review is not as in depth as I'd like.
That being said, I found this to be a fairly run of the mill cookbook. I was hoping this book would be more revelatory in terms of food waste and using the tossed bits but I didn't find that much that would be useful to me (albeit someone else with a considerably less restricted diet might find this more useful). Don't get me wrong there was definitely some there (I am indebted regarding a brassica stems suggestion), just not enough for me to add another cookbook to my already burdened shelf.
I was kind of hoping this would be a more modern version of How to Cook a Wolf (which I haven't had the opportunity to read yet so perhaps How to Cook a Wolf isn't what I expect it would be either), instead this is a very well organized cookbook that help you make the most of your otherwise likely to spoil leftovers.
January 2, 2020
I had had high hopes for this book, and while perhaps I should have adjusted my expectations, I can’t help but feel as though this book fell a little flat for me.
I did learn a few tidbits about reviving food or preventing waste, but like another reviewer here I found myself wanting a bit more depth. As well as other reviewers criticisms of lack of pictures, slightly outdated recipes, and no further elaboration on ‘common sense cooking�, I think it would be helpful to know in dishes what can be substituted in case of dietary requirement or lifestyle - as a vegetarian with an obscure allergy I will have to work around some of the recipes already, but it would be helpful to know what is absolutely necessary to a recipe rather than a bit of set dressing.
I’m hoping that this book will be useful for me in reducing waste, otherwise it in itself would be a wasteful purchase.
I did learn a few tidbits about reviving food or preventing waste, but like another reviewer here I found myself wanting a bit more depth. As well as other reviewers criticisms of lack of pictures, slightly outdated recipes, and no further elaboration on ‘common sense cooking�, I think it would be helpful to know in dishes what can be substituted in case of dietary requirement or lifestyle - as a vegetarian with an obscure allergy I will have to work around some of the recipes already, but it would be helpful to know what is absolutely necessary to a recipe rather than a bit of set dressing.
I’m hoping that this book will be useful for me in reducing waste, otherwise it in itself would be a wasteful purchase.
May 7, 2017
From Netgalley for Review:
I really love the idea of this book, there is a sickening amount of food waste and anything to bring awareness to how simple it is to waste less is a big win in my book. I would have given this book a perfect score but it is lacking a few things, first off is pictures. It has some really gorgeous pictures, but I am very much someone that needs to see the recipes end result and there are too few photos for my liking. Also, I felt a lot of the recipes require specialty ingredients, which seems counter-productive to removing waste if you have to go shopping for other specific ingredients. Granted I do really like how it shows that you can make foods that are more on the gourmet spectrum with ingredients that many would just toss, so well done there.
I really love the idea of this book, there is a sickening amount of food waste and anything to bring awareness to how simple it is to waste less is a big win in my book. I would have given this book a perfect score but it is lacking a few things, first off is pictures. It has some really gorgeous pictures, but I am very much someone that needs to see the recipes end result and there are too few photos for my liking. Also, I felt a lot of the recipes require specialty ingredients, which seems counter-productive to removing waste if you have to go shopping for other specific ingredients. Granted I do really like how it shows that you can make foods that are more on the gourmet spectrum with ingredients that many would just toss, so well done there.
June 3, 2017
This is a great idea for a book, with food waste being a current concern. I like that the author is honest about how food waste happens, that we aren't all uncaring, but that we live in the real world. But, I have a small issue with the book. It is not a tip/guide book for for food waste reduction as there are too many recipes and not enough tips, and it is not a recipe book as there are too few recipes for a full-on recipe book. But, it's a beautiful book (the hardcover), almost a coffee table book. It is bound wonderfully and the photographs are excellent, this has lifted the book from 3 stars to 4 stars for me.
I received a copy of this book for free through ŷ Giveaways.
I received a copy of this book for free through ŷ Giveaways.
August 2, 2017
Great idea, but poorly conceived. The book itself is beautifully photographed and bound, but most of the recipes are way off the mark for this century. Lardy cake? Really? There are too many old-fashioned ideas here, heavy on meat consumption or requiring ingredients that many of us haven't used in years. Some ideas are promising - faux pho, for example - but in addition to the leftover protein required, you will need to source 20 other ingredients to complete the dish. That sort of negates the notion of waste, if you must purchase more food to add to your leftovers. But if there's a surplus of lard in the fridge, perhaps this is the cookbook for you.
October 9, 2018
Too Good to Waste by Victoria Glass is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late May.
Glass, a UK cook and writer of mostly baking-related books, speaks of reducing food waste of fruit, veg, and grains, proper food storage, fridge rotation, questioning sell-by dates, and recipes for perishable food (like limp lettuce, overripe tomatoes, stale bread, oil drippings, and sour milk). Throughout, her narrative voice is cheerful, encouraging, and isn't afraid to use Italian or Middle Eastern flavor profiles in her recipes for snacks, dips, and side dishes.
Glass, a UK cook and writer of mostly baking-related books, speaks of reducing food waste of fruit, veg, and grains, proper food storage, fridge rotation, questioning sell-by dates, and recipes for perishable food (like limp lettuce, overripe tomatoes, stale bread, oil drippings, and sour milk). Throughout, her narrative voice is cheerful, encouraging, and isn't afraid to use Italian or Middle Eastern flavor profiles in her recipes for snacks, dips, and side dishes.
March 18, 2020
Really wasn’t interested in the recipes here - they didn’t look delicious, required too much effort and didn’t work as reference material. As in, I couldn’t use them as building blocks to create something I’m more interested in eating.
I thought there’d at least be some more general information and tips but it seemed like just really specific recipes.
I thought there’d at least be some more general information and tips but it seemed like just really specific recipes.
May 30, 2022
Way too much anecdote and not much practical info
May 31, 2017
This is a cookbook designed to help people use up ingredients so they don't go to waste. The book does not have photos for every recipe, but a number of recipes have very well-photographed images, primarily of the final dish. The main strength is the wide variety of recipes designed to use up a good amount of any ingredient. Each recipe has an introduction and the recipes are well-written. The recipes I tried did not require any special equipment (though I did use an immersion blender and a ladle). I made two recipes and they both turned out very well. Neither was quick to prepare.
The Roasted celery soup was very attractive as I am not a fan of celery and always end up throwing most of it out. This time I used up the package and found the soup to be delicious, without a strong celery flavor (though that might have been due to that particular batch of celery). I'm looking forward to finishing the soup, which was simple to make, and has a fresh flavor. The Courgette and lemon risotto was delicious. I was leery of how the zucchini would hold up to the longer cooking, but it maintained it's shape and color well. It did soften and absorbed the flavors of the other ingredients.
The book is organized by type of ingredient: peas and beans, fruits, grains, and poultry and meat. Some recipes are pantry items or condiments. The meats section includes recipes for the odds and ends of fish and various meats as well.
If you need photos for (nearly) every recipe, this is not the book for you. If you want ideas for how to use up extra celery, parsley, chicken, etc., then this is an excellent choice. The book is from the UK, so includes some ingredients that may be hard to find in the US and the names of some ingredients are different (e.g., courgette instead of zucchini). I received a digital copy for review, and wish I had more time to try additional recipes, as there are a good number that I'd like to try. Overall, it's a great book for making things of items that might otherwise be tossed.
The Roasted celery soup was very attractive as I am not a fan of celery and always end up throwing most of it out. This time I used up the package and found the soup to be delicious, without a strong celery flavor (though that might have been due to that particular batch of celery). I'm looking forward to finishing the soup, which was simple to make, and has a fresh flavor. The Courgette and lemon risotto was delicious. I was leery of how the zucchini would hold up to the longer cooking, but it maintained it's shape and color well. It did soften and absorbed the flavors of the other ingredients.
The book is organized by type of ingredient: peas and beans, fruits, grains, and poultry and meat. Some recipes are pantry items or condiments. The meats section includes recipes for the odds and ends of fish and various meats as well.
If you need photos for (nearly) every recipe, this is not the book for you. If you want ideas for how to use up extra celery, parsley, chicken, etc., then this is an excellent choice. The book is from the UK, so includes some ingredients that may be hard to find in the US and the names of some ingredients are different (e.g., courgette instead of zucchini). I received a digital copy for review, and wish I had more time to try additional recipes, as there are a good number that I'd like to try. Overall, it's a great book for making things of items that might otherwise be tossed.
July 6, 2020
(Note: This book was originally received courtesy of NetGalley)
In a time where there's countless articles and stories out there about the rampant food waste that goes on in, Victoria Glass steps up and does her own part in taking on this ongoing issue with a wonderful collection of recipes meant to take foods that most people might toss away in the trash and gave them the second chance that they deserve.
This book will make a great companion to the waste-conscious cook who is pained whenever they feel like they have no choice but to throw out their wilted celery or overly brown bananas, because as Glass points out, they actually have many more options than they may initially sink.
In a time where there's countless articles and stories out there about the rampant food waste that goes on in, Victoria Glass steps up and does her own part in taking on this ongoing issue with a wonderful collection of recipes meant to take foods that most people might toss away in the trash and gave them the second chance that they deserve.
This book will make a great companion to the waste-conscious cook who is pained whenever they feel like they have no choice but to throw out their wilted celery or overly brown bananas, because as Glass points out, they actually have many more options than they may initially sink.
March 31, 2017
The intentions of this book are wonderful; we could all benefit greatly from being less wasteful. That being said, I found a bit too many recipes that relied on frying items like peels, skins and off-cuts of vegetables. Some of the things that the author states as being too difficult or extreme to attempt (in being less wasteful) are things that I have grown up doing. I think this book would be great for those who are wasteful and want tips on how to reduce that waste. The recipes were interesting, and I might try a few. And it is always a good idea to learn how reduce food waste.
**eARC Netgalley**
**eARC Netgalley**
April 22, 2017
Too Good to Waste 5
This book makes so much sense - there is so much waste in the word - food being thrown out because it looks a little limp, or best before dates followed to the letter, or people just not knowing what to do with left-overs or that things do not have to be skinned, scrapped or trimmed to an inch of its life.
This book will save you money and it will probably make you healthier and probably make you feel a little clever as well.
There are recipes which are easy to follow, not everyone will like them all, but there is enough in the book to make many good, tasty and nutritious meals.
Nothing really new in this book, it is what our parents and grandparents used to do. It is just over the years we have lost a bit of common sense or we have been brained washed into only eating the perfect.
The book is written well and fun to read - this book should make a great read for young adults when first leaving home.
This book makes so much sense - there is so much waste in the word - food being thrown out because it looks a little limp, or best before dates followed to the letter, or people just not knowing what to do with left-overs or that things do not have to be skinned, scrapped or trimmed to an inch of its life.
This book will save you money and it will probably make you healthier and probably make you feel a little clever as well.
There are recipes which are easy to follow, not everyone will like them all, but there is enough in the book to make many good, tasty and nutritious meals.
Nothing really new in this book, it is what our parents and grandparents used to do. It is just over the years we have lost a bit of common sense or we have been brained washed into only eating the perfect.
The book is written well and fun to read - this book should make a great read for young adults when first leaving home.
November 18, 2017
Lots of great ideas in this book for using every scrap of food. Well written and organized. Stop throwing out broccoli stems, potato peels and strawberry tops!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.