Fad Diet or a Modern Take on an Ancient Way of Life?
Raw food -As our pseudo leading ladies of Hollywood would say- that's Hot. Once only associated with Hippies, Tree Huggers, cults and the occasional over zealous purist, the art of raw food has become a movement all unto to itself.
With a doctrine that states that food may only be cooked to 118 degrees Fahrenheit, this sensation is taking the culinary world by storm. Followers of this diet believe that cooking food destroys enzymes, which aid in the digestion of food, thus depriving our own bodies of enzymes, which lead to toxicity, over eating, weight gain, obesity and less energy, as well as a myriad of other unpleasantries. With a history that predates modern man, the consumption of raw food has shaped the world (though fans of the well-done steak may disagree), as we know it.
Surprisingly the meal options on this diet are more diverse than one would originally believe. Many opt for the simpler menus of salads with beans for protein, vegetables, fruit and raw fish. Others, such as renowned Chef Charlie Trotter opt for a more creative, time-intensive take on the movement.
Trotter have taken the reins on this modern rendition of a post-modern diet. Not only co-author of cookbook "Raw", Trotter serves up a raw and living foods tasting menu at his Chicago based restaurant. Filled with wildly innovative dishes full of exotic ingredients such as: ginger, galanga, lemon grass, coconut — along with raw garlic and citrus juice, his menu pleases the palate in a surprising way.
To do this diet ‘right’ Trotter says that a dehydrator is a must. Since heat is the enemy ovens are out, but by dehydrating ingredients over several hours concentrates flavors and provides a wider spectrum of textures. Also essential to success is a juicer and a blender -fruit smoothies seem to be a staple for the newbies.
Given that it is our cooking methods that we usually rely upon to kill the bacteria in our food, and since heat is the enemy of the movement, choosing organic, pesticide-free produce is essential. As summer is upon up farmers markets are abundant. A directory for those local can usually be found in your town’s newspaper.
Sample Raw Movement Recipe:
Raw Ravioli From AlissaCohen.com
Wrapper:
- 4 turnips
Peal the turnips. Slice the turnips into very thin slices, by cutting them in half and then using a spiral slicer, mandolin or other vegetable slicer to make thin round disks.
These will be used as the wrapper which would normally be the pasta dough.
Cheese filling:
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 1 cup walnuts
- 6 t braggs
- 8 t lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup parsley
Blend the pine nuts, macadamia nuts and walnuts in a food processor until ground. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well, until creamy.
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic
- 6 dates
- dash of olive oil (optional)
Soak the sun dried tomatoes until soft. Blend in food processor, the tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and garlic until well blended . Add the dates and olive oil and blend until smooth. This sauce should be thick.
Directions for assembling the ravioli:
Remove a single turnip slice from the batch. Place a teaspoon full of cheese filling in the turnip slice and fold the turnip over until all the sides meet. Squeeze the edges together. Some of the filling will ooze out, but this is what will hold the edges together. Just put the excess back into the bowl to reuse. If you don't have enough filling in them they will not stick together. Place them in a single layer on a large plate and drizzle the tomato sauce on top, allow to sit for a few hours. The turnip will become soft from the tomato sauce. Use a spatula to scoop the ravioli's up and serve.
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