Raw food cuisine—part 1

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, June, 2004 by Marjorie Roswell

A column devoted to informative alternative health rsesources on the internet

I'm not a "raw foodist," though I will happily describe myself as a "raw food enthusiast." I host surprisingly gourmet (if informal) raw food potluck dinners. Folks might bring a prepared dish or some items from their garden; Friends have also brought fresh herbs that they've only vaguely heard of before they purchased them. We make soups, salads, wraps, dips, desserts, and on weeks when I can manage it I prepare flax crackers, fresh from the dehydrator.

My first bit of advice about raw food is "just try it." Participate in local potluck dinners, try items from recipe books and online sources, invest in your first piece of new kitchen equipment, whether a good sharp knife, or a Vitamix. Choosing to eat raw food sometimes doesn't mean you must give up anything dearly beloved in your diet (unless you want to). But it will be a wondrous addition to both your palate, and your health.

Raw Vegan Potlucks

http://www.livingnutrition.com/potlucks.html

http://rawfoodinfo.com/directories/dir_rawpotlucks.html

http://rawfoodnetwork.com/potlucks.html

http://rawde.org/dc/rawDC.html

These are some good starting points to find local potluck dinners. Can't find one near you? Start your own!

Recipes on the Web

http://living-foods.com/recipes/

http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/recipes/main.html

http://www.fresh-network.com/recipes/index.htm

http://www.sunfood.net/recipes.html

http://vegweb.com/food/raw/

http://www.rawfoodwiki.org/index.php/Recipes

Okay, now you've got a potluck to attend. What to make? Honestly, no one will mind if you bring a regular salad or fruit salad. If you want to explore something outside your usual fare try the recipe sites above. On my site, rawfoodwiki.org, you can actually add your own recipes directly. (Please take care not to delete anything.) You can also search for recipes by ingredient. On Vegweb.com, you can submit your own recipes which will be reviewed and edited before being added to the page. Scroll down to the raw options, at http://vegweb.com/cgi/submit.cgi

If you find a recipe that you love on one of these pages, let me know, I'd like to try it too! My current favorites include the Cream of Celery Soup, Tomato Soup, and Raw Apple Pie.

Books

* Raw Family: A True Story of Awakening

* Eating Without Heating

* Detox Your World

* Hooked on Raw

* The Saucy Vegetarian

* Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Book

These are some of my favorite recipe books. Raw Family has only a few (great) recipes, but it tells a terrific story. Eating Without Heating is by the teenage children in that family; their recipes are delicious and accessible. Detox Your World is a superb self-published book by Shazzie. Get it directly from detoxyourworld.com. I once combined the last two books into a wedding present. A recent raw food enthusiast has put together a more extensive book list, at http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/RawBooks.htm

Raw Buddy

http://www.rawbuddy.com/

This is an attractively-designed site to help you find "raw buddies" in your area, no matter where in the world you live.

Before and After

http://shazzie.com/raw/transformation/

http://www.alissacohen.com/before.html

http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/RawPictures.htm

My favorite inspiration to eat raw food comes from pictures of people who've done it. They look great. "SAD" in the third URL stands for "Standard American Diet." I've got a collection of more of these visual transformation stories at http://www.rawfoodwiki.org/index.php/Photographs

Durian Palace

http://www.durianpalace.com/

http://www.durianpalace.com/photogallery.htm

Speaking of photographs, check out the Durian Palace. There's never been a more loving tribute to a fruit. In contrast, here are some accurate and amusing quotes about how bad durians smell, even when perfectly ripe and ready-to-eat. http://www.confabulist.com/root?story=durian_returns

Here's a good illustration--a man with a durian and a nose clip!--http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues99/sep99/durian.html

Can you guess that I'm not a durian fan? I know some people who think it's the best food on earth! Decide for yourself. You're most likely to find one at an Asian market.

Here are some raw tips:

1. You don't need exotic ingredients to make great raw cuisine. Ripe, in-season, fresh, organic produce will delight.

2. You don't actually need a juicer to make juice. A blender will do, along with a mesh bag from: http://www.purejoy livingfoods.com/products/equipment. shtml or http://www.raw family.com/products.htm. (These bags can also be used to make nut milks, or to grow sprouts.)

3. If you have a Champion Juicer, you can use it to make soft ice cream. Frozen ripe bananas plus raspberries blend into a delicious treat.

4. Salad always tastes great with the Boutenko family's "Generic Salad Dressing Recipe." I have a copy on my website, at www.rawfoodwiki.org--the first "hit" if you search for the word "generic," but I recommend their books, for more great recipes.

5. Sharing food is more fun.

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