Last Spring, my kids worked on an eco-project at school, collecting food scraps for composting bins. Then, a local garden used them in their planting efforts. Every kid in the school knew the basics of being environmentally-friendly and they fully embraced this at home and at school. Have we? I have been recycling for years and reusing my bags and containers. But there is so much more that can be done at home, in your own kitchen! One day I was cooking for the week while reading Rachael Ray’s magazine and came across a spotlight on one amazing chef that is leading the way in how we reuse the produce that is normally discarded. Looking at my bowl of scraps I would normally toss (not really a gardener), I instantly loved this idea. Alison Mountford, the chef, mom, entrepreneur, and innovator behind Ends + Stems is making huge strides in reducing kitchen waste and cooking smarter. I asked Alison about her business, cooking advice, helping the planet and more in this online interview.
When did you first think of the Ends & Stems idea and how long did it take you to make it a reality?
I started E+S as an instagram feed after noticing how often people would ask me for tips. Since I’ve been a professional chef (in various forms) going on 14 years now, I always get a lot of kitchen questions. Once I started posting a bit about food waste, there was a significant amount of interest in that, so I figured there was much more here than an instagram feed. I have multiple streams of income between cooking and consulting so there isn’t any pressure to “make it a reality”. It’s more important to decide how much time I spend on E+S versus consulting or other projects.
You already ran a business with “Square Meals”. How has this business been different and which business skills have you developed thanks to it?
Square Meals was very tangible, production heavy cooking business with employees. What I’m doing now is more virtual, social and enticing people to follow along. Square Meals did teach me about networking, being scrappy and resilient and how to have fun celebrating the small wins along the way. I learn something new every day.
What is your cooking background?
My mother was a math tutor at a culinary school where I grew up and became friends with some of the chefs. They’d come to our house and make cool things, which got me interested as a teenager. I went to culinary school in San Francisco after graduating from a 4-year college and working for a year. After that, its allllll practice.
How do you handle stress in life and in the kitchen?
I’m better with kitchen stress probably! In the kitchen there’s always a plan A, B…and C and D. I’m resourceful. When I was in heavy food production we used to say “It’s just food” to keep ourselves calm and functioning. In life, I try to think of my “happy place” (a tropical beach) and remember how lucky I truly am. I have a beautiful family, fantastic friends, and my health.
Are you driven more by money savings or eco-friendliness of “waste not”? What appeals to you most in this movement?
Eco. We need to stop climate change in its tracks or face a future that frankly scares me a bit. It’s also about the respect for ingredients, resources and the collective effort of everyone in the supply chain that enabled any given apple to grace your fruit bowl. The financial savings are just common sense icing on the cake.
Which hat is bigger – your chef hat, your mom hat or your business hat?
Chef hat, Mom heart, and Business brain.
What are some ways people can reduce and improve on their kitchen waste?
Start out by noticing and keeping a list of what you throw out for a few days. You will probably see categories of things that commonly go to waste in your home. Maybe, with good intentions, you buy too many bananas each week but you’re always throwing 1 out. Maybe, you never finish a loaf of bread. Then you can adjust your shopping habits which saves money and food instantly. The next step is to work on your cooking habits.
Do you garden? Do you enjoy seeing those stems from the beginning?
I WISH! I live in San Francisco’s fog belt and that is not helpful to a novice gardener. I’m also embarrassingly terrified of spiders and they are abundant in gardening. I do grow herbs in my windowsill and enthusiastically applaud your efforts in the soil.
Are there cuisines that work best with the “waste not” food?
I don’t think so. I think it’s more of an age thing – most people who lived in the 1930s/40s are very reluctant to waste food. Its only become acceptable in the last few generations.
Do you have favorite kitchen tools?
I am not a gadget chef. I love and will spend lots of money on a good, sharp, well-made knife. I do enjoy my microplane, a big wooden cutting board, sturdy glass storage containers and a couple of heavy pots.
One issue I run into often is storage. If you prep food, you have a lot of containers. Plus, fresh food taking space. How do you balance the two and how do you keep it all fresh?
Ideally, buy less at one time which means you might shop 2x per week. In professional kitchens, cooks always FIFO – First In, First Out. We’re rotating the fridge so that you only grab what’s in front and needs to be used. Investing in a nice, matching set of stackable glass storage containers will help the fridge stay organized and neat and have a method of where each type of item is stored.
Are there foods you always have in your fridge?
Butter, a chunk of real parmesan, carrots, eggs, sriracha (and probably 10 more things).
Do you think environmental awareness has changed over the last 20 years?
Certainly. Some basics have become ingrained in my generation – I was sixteen 20 years ago and even curbside recycling wasn’t a given. Even the government has taken huge strides in a lot of areas, which is why it’s so disheartening to see financial interests taking us backwards rather than into the future. Policy and business seem to go where the money is, so it’s great when there is a new business focused on being good to the planet. That said, I do not believe we are currently doing enough to ensure that we will have a clean, beautiful environment as we know it by 2050. Collectively, we are capable of so much more and there’s no excuse for ignoring the science and what’s happening around us.
What advice would you give moms that have less than 30 minutes to make dinner?
Meal plan! And do some meal prep one day per week when you have an hour or so. You can get a leg up on chopping, cooking grains/potatoes, even some meat so that on a busy weeknight, you’re just finishing off the dish and heating it up. That’s how restaurants cook.
I love the Weekly Meals section. When you’re in a rush, nothing helps more than a plan. Do you have a theme for these?
I choose the 4 recipes to have some overlap in ingredients and a variety of tastes and presentations. Theme is always to cook from end to stem!
Who are your biggest supporters? How did they help you in this process?
My husband who’s on this crazy ride of entrepreneurship with me whether he likes it or not. But every time I question my path, he reminds me that I wouldn’t be happy without this immense challenge. My dad who’s my silent business partner in everything. He’s always there to help me problem solve and look at numbers. My girl friends who make me laugh and overload me with compliments – they’re amazing.
If you were on a desert island and could only get one dish, what would it be?
Pizza. Amazing, southern Italian pizza.
What is your dream vision of your life 5 years from now?
Ends+stems is an innovative app helping millions of people around the world reduce their household food waste, saving money, and cooking more and more easily at home. My kids healthy, thriving and cracking me up while we spend a month every summer in Hawaii.
