It started with something small—so small, in fact, that I almost threw it away. It was one of those hectic afternoons when I was moving too quickly, juggling too many tasks, and trying to tidy the kitchen in a hurry. In the corner of my counter sat a crumpled paper bag and, beside it, what looked like a forgotten bundle of scraps. My instinct was to sweep everything into the trash, but something made me pause.
The “scraps” turned out to be trimmings from a previous cooking project: herb stems, vegetable ends, and a few bones I had set aside without much thought. I had meant to toss them, but in that moment, I noticed something different. The rosemary stems still carried their fragrance. The onion ends had a beautiful, papery gold. Even the bones were sturdy and full of potential.
