Food Waste Fridays: Half Piece of Schnitzel

Food waste.  We all do it.  When I find something rotting, molding, or otherwise inedible in my fridge, freezer, or pantry, I guiltily slink it over to the trash can, chuck it in, and make a silent vow - "That's not going to happen any more."  Only one problem - I keep finding myself guilty of food waste. 

Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, recently stated in an interview that Americans waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl Stadium every. single. day. I don't know about you, but that makes me want to at least take my family's little plateful out of that sum.

On top of all that, to make a long (Jewish) story short, the mitzvah of bal tashchit (don't waste stuff) plus the Jewish value that G-d is HaZan et HaOlam (The One who provides enough food for all of His creatures) equals any food waste being a total slap in the face to both my tradition and HaShem.  Not okay in my book.

So.  I've been putting it off for awhile (honestly, because I'm just so embarassed) but I'm finally going to start linking up to the Frugal Girl's "Food Waste Friday" post.  Each week she posts a photo of the food she's wasted that week.  She figures the potential embarassment is an opportunity  to use every last bit of food in her fridge, plus her accountability to not waste food goes through the roof.  And I agree. 

So here it is: my inaugural "Food Waste Friday" post.

Please join me in a moment of silence for this half-piece of schnitzel that was left over from Erev Shabbat dinner.  David thought I was going to eat it, I thought he was going to "feed it to the kids" (translation: make it a midnight snack.)  You know how the sob story goes.  It was discovered on Wednesday morning.  I called my dad, whose job was food safety inspections for years.  His verdict?  I could either cook it down to chicken jerky and then eat it, or toss it.

You Yidden reading this post will feel the pain that much more acutely when you think of the price of kosher chicken cutlets.

*sob*  *weep*



I'm pretty sure every time a piece of schnitzel is wasted, an angel loses its wings.  Or something.