Why I Cook – 14 Reasons to Learn to Cook from Scratch using ingredients from a package free shop

Long ago I cooked but didn’t know the pleasure of it. Long ago I did what needed to be done solely because we needed to be fed. I didn’t understand the rich, rewarding experience that cooking could be.

The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. THOMAS MOORE

I am not talking about the Master Chef style event of cooking or the soufflé dinner party. It is about the daily practice of making meals. Handcrafting the simplest dishes (whether heated or raw) from package-free shop ingredients. Turning them into something wonderful and nourishing (nutritious or not).

So here are my top reasons for learning to cook from scratch using goods from a package-free shop like Wasteless Pantry:

Home-cooked food is fresh and perishable. The ability for my food to be picked at its ripest and most flavorsome. Prepared and then eaten before it is wasted is a delight to me. Food that is overly processed has never satisfied me the way a home-cooked meal will. The idea that it can last for weeks, months or years due to preservatives, too much sugar, or too much fat scares the bejeebers out of me!
I know what it is that I am eating. I know what ingredients have been used and I can tailor it to suit my tastes and dietary needs.
I know where it came from. Cooking from scratch gives me the opportunity to connect to my local providers. It grounds me in the place where I live. If you have ever prepared a dish using food grown in your own garden you will know what I mean.
The accomplishment and skills you will learn from cooking are immeasurable. It is not just how to bake a loaf of bread, but also patience and good judgment to let it rise for just long enough.

Then there is also:

Cooking from scratch is a sensory experience. You are engaging all your senses. From the touch of the produce to the visually appetizing display to the aromas of fresh baking or the sound of toasted pine nuts on the pan, all the way to the final tastes as your meal is served.
Food has a way of bringing you back to the present moment and to the full experience of life. Cooking from scratch is essential for slow living in this busy busy world.
The skill of cooking is a skill in crisis management. Knowing how to cook means that last-minute entertaining, one more day to pay day, and sick days can all be managed without scrambling to the shops or having to buy takeout.
Whether it is magic and love or science, cooking is a marvel of nature. The way that flavours and ingredients can be combined into something delicious. The chemical reactions that go into brewing your own ginger beer, creating ANZAC biscuits, or thickening a sauce are simply amazing if you stop to notice. Try making pasta from egg, flour, oil, and a little salt, and tell me that isn’t the coolest trick in the book!
It connects you to the seasons. In winter I love cooking soups and stews as it warms my body and my home. In summer I prefer salads and light meals. I know that spring has sprung when my asparagus is ready to harvest and I know that winter is upon us when my raspberry plant finally stops providing us with fruit.

And even:

There is belonging that comes from cooking together and even doing the dishes. Sometimes you don’t have the words, but preparing a meal together or helping in the kitchen provides the opportunity to show that you care, that you share this common ground, and that bonds can be strengthened through the most simple of acts.
Cooking from scratch allows every cook an outlet for creativity. Even if you follow the recipe, that meal will be slightly different, slightly more you.
One of my favourite reasons is this – another chance to live ‘hands-on’. I love practical things and the opportunity to get my hands dirty. To step away from the overly analytical and theoretical aspects of our existence and embrace instead the simple pleasures available every day.
Of course, cooking your own meals with package-free shop ingredients also means that you have control over the waste you produce. From packaging to food miles, to food waste, it is your choice!
Sharing food that you have made with care and effort has so much more meaning. My most enjoyable meals have been at home dinner tables breaking her bread, trying his sauce, and serving up helpings of my pasta. Simply magnificent.

Do you cook from scratch?

What do you think is a good reason to get on board and learn something new?

Bulk Food Store Skills: 9 Ways to Shop at Wasteless Pantry

Shopping Options at Wasteless Pantry, more than another Bulk Food Store

We want it to be as easy and enjoyable as possible to shop at our bulk food store. We know that it seems daunting to start on your waste less or zero waste journey! But, really, it doesn’t need to be inconvenient or difficult. Just start with a few products and then expand from there.

Bulk food stores are there to help you reduce your food waste, by allowing you to only buy in the quantity you actually need. This way when you get home you have just enough for the meal you are making, without the leftover prepackaged amount staring at you guiltily every time you open your pantry. Plus, because you have only bought what you need, you know that it is as fresh and tasty as it should be. No stale spices, no inactive yeast, and no using up last years latest super food. Just remember to bring your shopping list so you don’t get tempted to buy all the goodies you find and be sure to bring your reusable shopping kit of reusable shopping bags, produce bags and containers if you are trying to reduce your packaging waste too!

So apparently there are at least 9 options for shopping at Wasteless Pantry – check out our latest how-to video on Youtube…

Use paper bags
Use a produce bag
Fill reused containers – bring your own or grab donated ones
Fill a new reusable container
Pick up pre-bagged mixes
Drop off your containers for filling
Drop off a shopping list
& 9. Call or email your shopping list to be filled & picked up at your convenience

So there you have it, so many options to get you started. Are you ready?

Who Do We Think We Are?

We are not a franchise (yet :P).

We are not business people using green washing to make a buck.

We are not health super foodies (although we do like healthy food).

So if not that, who are we?

Jeannie is a Mum. She is also a Local who seems to know everyone and doesn’t go a day without having a visitor to the store wanting to chat. She is a Paramedic by trade. Jeannie is also a keen gardener and chook keeper. She grew up on an orchard. And she is a sustainably sourced palm oil enthusiast who is passionate enough about Zero Waste Living to start a store with….

Amanda, who is also a Mum. A local too and can dehydrate, preserve, bake, grow and create more than you would expect. A Psychologist by trade, locavore at heart and dedicated enough to the Zero Waste Living cause to convert a few ladies to Diva/Juju cups and produce bags.

Together the idea for the store was conceived, developed and nurtured into what it is, as well as what it is growing into.

Luckily we have great staff supporting us.

You would have met Lizzy who is our sustainability expert and sushi maker. Lizzy was the one juggling produce bags on Facebook a little while back. She has a keen interest in waste reduction and learning about all the foods we have on offer, especially the rices and spices.

Jade is our most knowledgable source of gluten free healthy food ideas. She is studying health coaching and can talk about raw, paleo, dairy free, gluten free and many other specific diet options in practical terms (not something you come across often)!

James is a violinist who is studying Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology. He is developing his waste reducing skills through his family’s enthusiasm for the idea. James is super helpful and willing to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

Emily is studying Occupational Therapy and comes from a family who values living waste free. She is growing her knowledge of which companies are ethical and sustainable in their business practices. Emily is highly involved in the community and keen to help anyone who is finding the change to a more sustainable lifestyle challenging.

So that’s us.

Not a fanatic, megalomaniac or carbon copy in sight.

We are still learning and trying out new things but now at 3 months in, it’s starting to feel like we will be able to do this sustainably for the foreseeable future.

Lots of people love the idea of the store and many have suggestions for what we can add or subtract to grow the idea even further. We love the feedback, just remember it’s all a work in progress….