Italians 'reusing scraps and leftover food'

Italians are returning to their culinary roots by reusing scraps and leftovers in the latest sign that people are struggling to weather the country's economic crisis.
A survey on Friday found that 59 per cent of Italians are now reusing pasta, bread and vegetables in the kitchen to try to eke out their supplies to the next pay cheque.
They are drawing on a long and honourable tradition of "cucina povera" – poor man's food – in which cheap ingredients can be used to make delicious dishes.
Some of the best-known examples include a salad known as "panzanella", which consists of stale bread, olive oil and tomatoes, and "ribollita", a tasty soup made from bread and leftover vegetables.
The trend may help to cut down on food waste – Italians throw away 10 million tonnes of food worth around 11 billion euros each year, the survey said.
"Anti-waste recipes are numerous in Italy," said Sergio Marini, the chairman of Coldiretti, the food producing association which conducted the study.

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