Cooking with brains

Created: 09/30/2022, 08:00

By: Helena Grillenberger

A buffet of leftovers: the students taste their creations together with teacher Anna Bucher (right) and food sharer Christian Kornberger.

© Stefan Rossmann

"Cooking freely" was the motto for the students at the Ebersberg Agricultural School.

As part of the Bavaria-wide "Week against food waste", the home economics department of the agricultural school started a cooperation with the Erdinger foodsharing group.

Erding - The concept of the food sharer: food that can still be eaten should also be eaten.

The principle that always applies to the group is: boards first.

However, there are foods that the Tafel is not allowed to accept – unpackaged and expired items, for example.

But because "expired" does not mean "bad", the food sharers take these foods and distribute them around them.

The thought behind it is exaggerated: "Anyone who is happy about an expired yoghurt because it's free should think about what to do with the food in their own fridge that has passed its sell-by date," says Christian Kornberger, Erdinger Foodsharing Ambassador.

In order to take a realistic approach to the "against food waste" approach, the Ebersberg Agricultural College turned to the Erdinger foodsharing group.

With the groceries that Kornberger handed over to the students on Monday and vegetables from the school garden, the students then said: "We'll cook leftovers!" the subject kitchen practice with a smile.

In the end, however, everyone was enthusiastic about the idea.

The challenge of the task was not to buy and cook according to a recipe, but to use what is there.

"The students simply enjoyed the freedom, without a prescription you don't know exactly what the outcome will be," says Bucher.

That was also exciting for her.

"I can only cook creatively if I have a repertoire of recipes as a foundation," she explains.

The results of the four teams of two were then tasted together in the school dining room: from kale chips to bread casseroles to Thai curry and sweet French toast.

This also showed the creativity that was required of the students: because, for example, there were no more eggs left, the poor knights were prepared with eggnog without further ado.

Above all, the task was about thinking while cooking.

"Think about it and don't just look at the date," says Brigitte Mogensen, deputy headmistress, picking up on the thoughts of the food sharers: "Just smell it and see if it's still edible."

According to official figures, around 70 kilograms of food per capita end up in the garbage every year in Bavaria.

That corresponds to two full shopping trolleys and a value of around 200 euros.

Mogensen says that the ability to cook with what the refrigerator has to offer is currently very relevant, particularly because of rising prices.

And if there is more in the fridge than is needed, you can also contact the food sharer, because: "It can also be shared privately across the group," explains Kornberger.

Contact points in Erding at www.foodsharing.de.