nanopolitics handbook - Minor Compositions

Voku Pocu:making a people’s kitchen— Irina Burgertraduzione dall’italiano di Paolo PlotegherIn the spring of 2012 in the northern Italian town of Bolzano, VokuPocu (Die VolksKuchl La Cucina Popolare) was born: a people’s kitchenorganized by a small informal group of people who came togetherthrough meetings to discuss degrowth and sustainability in the city. Apeople’s kitchen has nothing to do with charity: the aim is to changeyour own and people’s sensitivity by reflecting and experimenting withrecycling and re-using otherwise wasted food, building cooperation,solidarity and self-organization. What follows is a recipe to nourishand invigorate yourself and your city or neighbourhood.The basic ingredients for setting up a people’s kitchen are:A nearby fruit and vegetable market (better if it is operated by local farmers).Or, if there is no market, a supermarket from which you can skip 1 discardedfruit and vegetables (in this case, don’t expect to be warmly welcomed!);A bunch of sweet people;A space for cooking (a kitchen, an ambulant handcart with portable cookers,an open air oven...);And, obviously, some improvisation skills!1. Skipping, or Dumpster Diving, refers to the activity of going to take discarded food from markets,trays, bins, etc.255