What are Urban Outdoor Skills?

 

 

Many of the skills our forefathers knew have largely been forgotten and many of us are more dependent than ever on a system that provides daily necessities such as food, gas, shelter, electricity, etc.

 

Most people take it for granted, but as we've seen in the recent past, the system can fail us. Natural catastrophies can create havoc and interrupt the food distribution system. In addition, the processed and packaged foods that you purchase at the store is usually genetically modified, which is a growing concern to a lot of people. Most importantly, the  economy has many folks living paycheck to paycheck wondering if they'll be able to buy necessities.

 

What would happen if you found yourself dependant on your own skills?

 

Urban Outdoor Skills are about teaching city dwellers - just like you and me -  to use resources in their immediate environment and become more self-reliant.

 

You actually don't need extreme scenarios to benefit from knowing urban outdoor skills. A simple desire to cut down on the utility bills by using alternate energy sources or lowering food expenses by supplementing your diet with wild and home/apartment grown food can be incentives enough.

 

If you are a foodie or into cooking, wild foraged foods are not only a delicacy, but also a source of nutrition. Being connected to your food source from harvesting to cooking is rewarding and satisfying.

 

Some of the Urban Outdoor Skills are not just for self reliance and preparedness. Other goals include enabling the city dweller to be in harmony with the world around them and reach a inner balance between the urban and natural environment. The natural resources existing around us are a fascinating source of icrafts that one can learn as a hobby or to complement one's income.

 

Above all, the classes we teach are meant to be educational, fun and enjoyable.

 

Examples of Urban Outdoor Skills include:

 

Ability to use alternate sources of energy should the need arise (i.e. solar cooking) or simply to save money.

 

Knowing and foraging local native plants.

 

Primitive, traditional and modern methods to preserve your own food (with or without the power grid) such as fermentation, pickling, salting, canning, drying, etc.

 

How to create gourmet food with edible plants you can find in your local environment.

 

Skills to survive in the city if you had to leave your house/apartment for a undetermined length of time. (Sourcing food, water purification, etc...)

 

Making your own wine/beer using simple ingredients and wild plants.

 

How to make your own organic soap with wild aromatic plants.

 

Medicinal plants

 

and much more....

 

What is Transitional Gastronomy?

 

Transitional Gastronomy is a culinary discipline where we create unique gourmet experiences using accessible resources in our immediate environment, such as home gardens and edible plants you find in the urban wilderness. It’s a cooking style based on fresh, foraged wild food and simple ingredients. We value self-reliance and sustainability and incorporate old world, traditional food preservation techniques along with modern and even molecular gastronomy.

 

Visit our other web site at: www.transitionalgastronomy.com for more information