‘Chef sin Desperdicio’ is a zine by Sofia Lesnewski and me that covers an episode of the series by the same name by Diego García-Vega. The show illustrates the intersection between the socio-cultural significance of food as well as how modern gastronomists are exploring more sustainable options for replicating some staples in cuisine. This was my first print publication that was produced entirely in Spanish.
Each episode the host explores cultural trends in both local and urbanized communities, examining a combination of contemporary and traditional techniques for creating a more sustainable future in food. For our Iberian Cultural Topics class, with a focus on food, we chose to center in on García-Vega’s episode about Spain.
Sofia and I chose to include some of the major themes of the episode, such as ecoaldeas (eco-conscious villages) and dehesas (free range countryside farms), both of which incorporate sustainable practices that are rooted in tradition as well as modern technological advances.
For a recurring symbol, you may notice the inclusion of a bee on almost every page, as this was not only the logo for the series, but also the quintessential metaphor for the sort of minimal waste providers and backbone of the food industry that gastronomists like García-Vega revere.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this project for me was seeing how both of our past experiences as artists helped influence the creation of this zine. Both Sofia and I had experience creating zines previously, so when she mentioned the idea we immediately knew how we wanted to approach it. You can distinguish two separate styles in this zine, though both marrying well to incorporate the central content of our topic.
