Too polite to make a noise while munching in public, or maybe just too ladylike to scrape away the cheese dust caked on your fingers? Lucky for you Doritos has announced they will be making a chip specifically for women! Less crunch, dust, and fuss for all you dainty ladies out there trying to attract less attention! Plus it will be packaged in a itty-bitty bag to fit perfectly into your handbags! Because who knew crunching was only for the manly?

According to Indra Nooyi, chief exec of PepsiCo, ladies should leave the crunchin’ and dustin’ to the dudes. “Women would love to do the same,” Nooyi told Freakonomics Radio, “but they don’t. They don’t like to crunch too loudly in public. And they don’t lick their fingers generously and they don’t like to pour the little broken pieces and the flavor into their mouth.” My freshly dusted fingers be scratchin’ my head.

Nooyi tried selling the concept for this less-crunchy (a.k.a. stale) snack as more accessible to women: “Women love to carry a snack in their purse. The whole design capability we built in PepsiCo was to allow design to work with innovation. Not just on packaging colors, but to go through the entire cycle, and say, ‘All the way to the product in the pantry, or how it’s being carried around.’” That sounds like the ideal snack, because now when I’m discovering my way out of the kitchen, I won’t get hangry along the way!

This “tired gender stereotype” was quickly shot down, when spokesperson of the Women’s Equality Party responded: “No doubt some male consumers will welcome the chance to have a bigger package. But the idea of shrinking products for women, no doubt for the same price, is as old as the Ad Men making these decisions. Companies that perpetuate these tired gender stereotypes will continue to lose out on the single biggest consumer group: women.” Not to mention that tipping over an empty bag of Doritos to shower yourself in crumbs is not a matter of gender, but etiquette and whether or not you give a damn about licking cheese-dust off your hands in public.

It’s unclear when this gendered-grub will be launched in the states, but according to Telegraph, the Advertising Standard Authority is cracking down on advertising gender stereotypes over in the UK (where they understand that size, and ridding of sexist stereotypes, matter).

But the biggest hope is that once these Dame-Doritos hit stores, they’ll eventually make a Girls Night Out verizon: petite-packaging to fit into a clutch, completely dust-free to avoid textured lipstick application, and perfectly sealed with two chips alone as to not overgorge oneself before a night out on the town.

top photo from flickr

More from BUST

Feeling Stressed? Snack On These Foods

Is Your Yoga Practice Making You Harder On Your Body? Is Your Yoga Practice Making You Harder On Your Body? 

Why You Should Be A Lady Who Lifts — And How To Get Started

The first 20-plus times I went dumpster diving, it was out of necessity. I was raising three small children and to supplement our meager grocery budget, I’d sometimes make use of the “expired” goods that grocery stores threw out. Thanks to random dumpster scores, I learned how to cook with zucchini and ate the best-tasting, juiciest mango of my life, discarded because it was just over-ripe. 

At its core, dumpster diving is punk rock—most people find the idea of climbing into a stinky bin abhorrent—and an easy way to “stick it to the man” while protesting capitalism and excessive waste. Also: free food! Unsellable food policies are store-specific, but you may find everything from dented canned goods to ripe or wilted produce to bread and baked goods several days past their “sell by” date (which, according to the FDA, refers to quality rather than safety, but judge with your senses, too). Generally the best time for dumpster diving is in the wee hours of the morning, or at night just after closing. If a store is closed on Sunday, you’ll likely find a dumpster bounty on Monday. Fortunately, most “dumpster diving” doesn’t actually involve climbing into a dumpster. Plenty of markets put produce and perishables in boxes next to the dumpster. But dress as though it’s a possibility. Wear comfortable shoes that you’re not afraid to get dirty, and carry hand sanitizer and/or baby wipes—sometimes a store’s discarded produce actually is dumpster-worthy.

While there are local codes that might prohibit dumpster diving, it’s legal at the federal level thanks to 1988’s Supreme Court case California v. Greenwood, which ruled that when a person throws something out, that item becomes part of the public domain, aka free for the taking. Entering a property after hours or getting in the dumpster itself, however, might be prohibited. So make sure there aren’t any “No Trespassing” signs in the area. If you get caught by a grumpy store manager or law enforcement, remain calm and polite during questioning, and namedrop Greenwood for good measure. But that’s unlikely—in my dozen or so years of sporadic diving across several states, I have yet to be bothered by authority figures.  

Finally, follow dumpster diving ethics: take only what you’ll actually eat, leaving the rest for those who follow. Happy diving! 

By Leah Nelson
Illustration by Lindsay Stripling
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2019 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!

More from BUST

The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove

Banning Straws Hurts People With Disabilities—And Misses The Point

This Artist's "Plastic Bag Store" Is A Trashy Treasure 

All the classics of this holiday meal, scaled down for a socially distanced celebration.

My mom’s idea of Thanksgiving dinner was a far cry from the traditional turkey, stuffing, and apple pie suppers my school pals were having. Mom opted for Empire Kosher chicken (roasted with no seasoning whatsoever), canned asparagus, and, if we were lucky, an Entenmann’s cake shaped like a turkey. In my adult years, Thanksgiving became what I call an orphan supper. I’d invite my friends over who either had no family or wished they didn’t, and put together a bountiful potluck supper laced with love. (If you don’t get the family you want by blood, get it by choice—this is especially true in my gay community.) Of course, lots of issues come up with T-Day: on the top of my list is how friggin’ horrible its colonial roots are. Plus this year, we’ve also got Corona to contend with! Which means swapping large, glorious gatherings for intimate settings. So I’m cooking a Thanksgiving dinner for two, using it as an occasion to be grateful for my chosen family, the indigenous history of the land I live on, and the foods I find most comfort in. (If you’re decolonizing your diet, take only what works for you!) Then I’m inviting a slew of my favorite people to join me from their own suppers on Zoom.

Yum Town Turkey Thighs

I think white meat turkey is an abomination. I’m a thigh girl all the way—the dark meat is so much sexier and more interesting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dry two turkey thighs with paper towels. Rub all over with salt, pepper, and paprika. Melt a stick of sweet butter, mix with a few smidgens of chopped fresh rosemary and fresh thyme, and a good plop of mustard (any kind will do). Toss the seasoned turkey thighs in the herb mustard butter, getting it under the skin, too. Slice up two white onions. I like to cut them into half-moon shapes, but float your boat. 

Drizzle a little olive oil into a baking pan and spread it around. Put the onions in the bottom and lay turkey thighs on top, skin side up. 

Roast for about one hour, or until your meat thermometer says 170 degrees. I always baste once or twice along the way with drippings. Let the thighs rest for 10 to 15 minutes tented under foil before carving—it makes it way better.

Simple, Glorious Baked Sweet Potatoes

I’ve tried all kinds of fancy shmancy Thanksgiving sweet potato dishes, but I always go back to simple, baked spuds. Wash (I mean really scrub) and dry one average-size sweet potato for every person you want to feed (leave that gorgeous skin on, it’s got loads of nutrition). Poke holes with a fork around the potato, a few times on each side. Lay on a baking pan lined with parchment or foil, because it will get messy! Roast at 400 degrees F until a fork stuck into the sweet potato comes out easily, probably 40 to 50 minutes. Cut open that sweet potato and slather with butter or vegan butter, salt, and pepper—it’s pure heaven. 

Gotta Love the Sprouts

Buy one bunch or package of fresh Brussels sprouts. Trim hard ends and any funky outer leaves, then cut each sprout in half the long way. Toss sprouts in olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Lay them on a baking sheet and roast in oven at 400 degrees F until sprouts look brown and feel soft, about 30 minutes. Sprouts may look a bit burnt—that’s fabulous. Eat them plain, or mix a few dashes of Sriracha with a good plop of honey and toss the hot cooked sprouts in it for sweet and spicy glory.

Basic, Fabulous Cranberry Sauce

In a saucepan over low heat, mix up a half coffee cup of sugar, a few smidgens of brown sugar, a half coffee cup of orange juice, and a half coffee cup of water. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Dump in a bag of fresh cranberries. Cook until the cranberries are all soft, about 10 minutes. Then turn up the heat a little and cook until the cranberries all burst. Reduce heat to low and cook until everything looks nice and cranberry saucy (another 10 to 15 minutes more). I like to throw in a good pinch of salt to even out the sweetness and a good pinch of fresh ground black pepper for a little zing. I have also been known to toss in a dash of hot sauce. Hey, why not? 

By Chef Rossi
Photographed by Ify Yani

More from BUST

Today's Election Got You Stress Eating? Check Out This New Avocado Cookbook

Napa Valley Is Led By Women Winemakers — Here's How To Support Them

Health Is Wealth: Black Plant Based Chefs Bring Community Healing Through Afro-Vegan Food

Lauren Paige Richeson is a chef based in France who started her career at Project Parlor in Bed-Stuy, but her newest project is all about one of the most talked-about foods of the 2010s: the mighty avocado! Hailed as the ultimate millennial fuel and the reason young people can’t afford to buy houses, Richeson’s Avocado Obsession is filled with creative and easy recipes that go beyond your typical avo toast.

Richeson got her start by recreating recipes from restaurants that she wanted to try but couldn't afford at the time. “From there, I started just developing new and different recipes. I started cooking for other people, and I would cook at a bar called Project Parlor in Bed Stuy. I could have never imagined at that time that this hobby would turn into a career,” she says.

“Avocados are a kind of occult food, and they have such a wide reputation; what makes this book so great is that it is for everyone,” explains Richeson. Some of her favorite recipes in the book are the Avorita and the Prosciutto and Double Cheese Pizza with Creamy Avocado Sauce. “They're recipes that we are used to eating all the time, but they incorporate avocados in a way that completely surprises you,” she adds. If you're already salivating, you're in luck. You can check out her pizza recipe below and buy the cookbook here.

Images via Lauren Paige Richeson

More From Bust:
Health Is Wealth: Black Plant Based Chefs Bring Community Healing Through Afro-Vegan Food

5 Ways To Take Care Of Yourself And Your Community This Election Day

Is COVID Impacting Shopping Habits? These Female Bosses Break It Down For You

We're bringing you this delicious-sounding recipe as an excerpt from Vegan Food for the Rest of Us by Ann Hodgman.

The day of chocolate mousse has come and gone. But not for vegans, who haven’t been able to eat it in decades. When you serve this, you’ll find that no one will say, “Isn’t this kind of . . . dated?” It sounds slightly insulting when a recipe calls for “high-quality” chocolate. Not the kind you’d usually buy, you cheap slug. Here, though, you should go for the best chocolate you can find; there’s not much but chocolate in this mousse, so you do want the best kind.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or grated (170 grams)
1 cup aquafaba, at room temperature
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rum (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate and let it cool.

2. In a large bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the aquafaba, salt, and cream of tartar. Whip until the mixture forms soft peaks; how long this will take is hard to predict, but it will happen. Gradually whip in the sugar. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the cooled melted chocolate, rum, if using, and vanilla until evenly mixed in.

3. Spoon the mousse into four to six dessert dishes or parfait glasses. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving.

Chocolate Mousse from Vegan Food for the Rest of Us by Ann Hodgman. Copyright © 2017 by Ann Hodgman. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Top photo by Crystl/Wikimedia Commons

More from BUST

7 Vegan Bloggers To Follow For Yummy, Easy-To-Make Meals

8 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes That Are 100% Indulgent

12 Vegan Macaroni & Cheese Recipes To Eat All Year Round