Scraps, Wilt & Weeds — Mads Refslund

Most of what we throw away is still good food. Mads Refslund — one of the original partners at Noma, the celebrated Danish restaurant — built this book around that idea. One hundred recipes that use the parts of vegetables, fruits, and proteins that usually end up in the bin: carrot tops, cauliflower stalks, overripe fruit, stale bread, salmon skin.

This isn’t about sacrifice or making do. The recipes are genuinely good — approachable for a home cook, and built around flavor first. Refslund uses 100% of the ingredient where he can, and finds real uses for things that are too young (green strawberries) or too old (yesterday’s bread).

A few recipes from the book:

• Carrot Tops Pesto
• Roasted Cauliflower Stalks with Mushrooms and Brie
• Pork Ribs Glazed with Overripe Pear Sauce
• Crispy Salmon Skin Puffs with Horseradish-Buttermilk Dip
• Beer and Bread Porridge with Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Includes 100 photographs, sidebars on ingredients and technique, and a section on making the most of leftovers. A practical, honest book for anyone who wants to cook with less waste and more intention.