Dumpster Diving Freegan-Style

freegans Dumpster Diving Freegan-Style

Freegans are a close relative to the vegan movement and form their name from two words, “free” and “vegan”. Like their vegan cousins, Freegans avoid buying anything that may have contributed or promoted to the mistreatment of humans, land, and animals. However, they take the vegan concept one-step farther by avoiding consumerism, which they believe is the reason for most, if not all, of the mistreatment that has become synonymous with modern lifestyle.

In order to acquire food, Freegans generally participate in what’s called ‘dumpster diving’. They begin by studying the garbage removal habits of local restaurants and grocery stores to figure out the best times to forage for unwanted food and products deemed not fit by retailers. Then, at peak times, they will rummage through the dumpsters; taking with them food they consider still good to eat.

In larger cities, Freegans need not worry about storing the food they collect since there is an abundance of freshly disposed food ripe for dining several times a day. Some Freegans even have unofficial agreements with employees who leave food beside the dumpster rather than inside.

As admiral as these waste-not-want-not dining habits are, Freegans are not generally viewed in a positive light, particularly by businesses who claim that the food and products in their dumpsters are not fit for human consumption. Anything that is, has already been donated to local charities but Freegans argue the validity of ‘best before dates’ and stand by their beliefs.

However, Freegans do have standards in what they will consume and do not take opened packages or perishables such as fruits and vegetables that are clearly rotten.

Freeganism is not for the faint at heart, or stomach. They take their lifestyle very seriously and if they must purchase a good, they will attempt to buy it second or third hand, rather than new. They will also trade their own possessions or offer a service instead of money to obtain any items they may need.

They believe their dumpster diving is an opportunity to make a moral and political statement about the wastefulness of today’s society.

freegans2 Dumpster Diving Freegan-Style

Tell a Freegan that they’re freeloading and they’re likely to agree but will quickly add that their lifestyle is the only thing that makes waste worthwhile.

Worried that you are being consumed by your consumerism? Maybe Freeganism is for you.

How Real Men Cook

Let’s be honest – real men hate cooking. Don’t get me wrong – we like grilling, barbequing and marinating, hell; we don’t even mind occasionally boiling a pot of water. But when it comes to aprons, whisks and words like ‘béchamel’, ‘demi-glace’ or ‘flambé’, we want no part of it.

Unfortunately for mankind everywhere, we get hungry. In fact, we get really hungry several times a day. Since a man’s got to eat, we’ve come up with a few creative ways you can cook some grub and still keep your manliness intact. After all, we don’t care how it’s cooked as long as we can eat it.

1)    Iron Grilled Cheese

 

Somewhere along the line, we’re sure a friend, a girlfriend or your mom gave you an iron. We suggest taking it out of the box, dusting it off and putting it to good use making a classic grilled cheese sandwich. Just make sure the steam setting isn’t on.

2)    Torched Leftovers

 

Still got some Mushu pork from House of Hong leftover in the fridge? Grab the blowtorch, throw it in a non-plastic dish (we can’t stress this part enough) and give that take-out a good searing. It’s much cooler than using the microwave and who doesn’t like a good excuse to play with fire?

3)    Electrofried Hot Dogs

 

Hot dogs are a staple in any man’s home since they’re so damn easy to cook. You can boil ‘em, fry ‘em, grill ‘em and for the man who loves a dangerous challenge, you can electrocute ‘em, too. All you need are few simple tools like a power cord and wire strippers, and you can enjoy a delicious hot dog and maybe even a 220v shock.

4)    Radiator Eggs

rm4 How Real Men Cook

Every man likes eggs in the morning and that goes double if you’re hung-over. So when you wake up on a cold morning feeling like a bus hit you, turn up the heat and throw a pan of eggs on the radiator. It’s the ultimate in lazy cooking and if the radiator is next to your couch, you don’t even have to get your hurting ass up.

5)    Cooking with 500 Horsepower

 

One of man’s most prized possessions is his car. They’re reliable, easy to fix and even help pick up the ladies, so it makes sense they can cook our grub too. Whether you’re taking a road trip with the guys or just feel like showing off, you can cook an entire steak and potato meal on your car’s engine. Dirt and grease won’t help the flavor so make sure you have some tin foil on hand.

6)    Caveman Cooking

 

There is no more sacred or manly method of cooking food then over a roaring, open flame. When the iron is broken and the car’s in the shop, get in tune with your ancient cavemen and make a fire pit in your back yard. Grab a lawn chair, open a cold one and you won’t even feel like you’re cooking when the smell of the outdoors and charred beef hits your nostrils.

Bonus:

No meal is complete without a frothy brew to wash it down so for the ultimate beverage dispensing machine, hook up a keg of beer to your fridge’s water dispenser. This gentlemen, is what we like to call a ‘culinary masterpiece’.