Book Review: Raw Food, Real World

Though I have decided that a completely raw diet will never be for me, the lifestyle continues to intrigue me. I think there are a lot of positive aspects of eating raw, and since my experiment, I do try to incorporate more raw foods into my day-to-day life. Additionally, I'm more adventurous when it comes to seeking out new raw foods.

I recently read the book Raw Food, Real World, by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis. Part cookbook, part lifestyle guide, part novel, this book presents the benefits of a 100% raw lifestyle, providing recipes, tips for eating out, and lots of entertaining commentary. Written by a New York restaurateur and his partner, it tells their love story and their journey to a diet comprised completely of raw food. If you're just a little bit interested in eating raw, this book is a great read.

Matthew and Sarma present the concepts of eating raw in a non-judgmental way. They understand that not everyone has access to the gigantic farmer's markets of New York City, nor to a professional restaurant kitchen and all the bells and whistles that come with one. Their immersion into raw food serves as a sort of buffet for the rest of us - pick and choose the parts you like. They teach techniques, including how to make raw smoothies, cocktails, and desserts. They share fantastic recipes for dishes that they serve in their restaurant, Pure Food and Wine; everything from a fantastic Arugula Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing to King Oyster Mushroom and Dried Cherry Tomato Fettucini.

Melngailis has an engaging writing style that draws the reader in - it's almost as if you're talking with a friend over coffee (or bee protein shakes!) and learning about a new friend's lifestyle. She shares her favorite kitchen appliances, the best places to get honey, olive oil, and a million other products, and is honest about the epiphany and transition period that led to their new lifestyle.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in fresh, seasonal cooking, and of course to those with a curiousity about the raw lifestyle. Those who aren't planning to go raw but who are currently vegetarian, vegan, or eating organic will still be interested in the fresh ideas and interesting ingredient pairings in this book.

Throw Together Pasta: Version 1

I make a lot of pasta, and when I use a recipe, I always try to post it with photos. What you don't get to see, dear readers, is the behind-the-scenes magic that occurs when it's 5:30 on a weeknight, I'm starving, and I've already put on my pajamas. In these situations, there's only one thing to do - make something happen for dinner using only the contents of my pantry.

This may be an acquired skill, but it is certainly something I'm excellent at. I've decided to try to start sharing my pantry meals with you, in the hope of inspiring last-minute greatness at your dinner table.


Throw Together Pasta: Version 1
The Veggie Version
Co-Chef: Kristi

Pasta

1 lb. pasta (whatever you've got!)
1 sweet potato, julienned
1 ear leftover corn on the cob, kernels removed
1 medium zucchini, julienned
1 medium onion, sliced thin
5 cloves of garlic
red pepper flakes
EVOO


If you aren't good at chopping or you are lazy and don't have the energy to hunt for your mandolin, feel free to roughly cut the veggies into chunks about the same size as the pasta you've chosen. We almost always have penne rigati or rigatoni, and I like to keep everything in the dish as uniform in size as possible.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a handful of salt and the pasta. Cook according to the al dente timing on the box.

In a large pan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in EVOO until soft. Add sweet potato and cook until it begins to slightly soften. Add the corn, zucchini, and red pepper flakes. Continue to saute veggies until all are heated through and slightly softened, not mushy.

After your pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the large pot. Pour the veggies and pesto over the pasta, toss to combine. Top with any grated/shredded cheese you've got on hand.


Pesto

herbs from your best friend's garden (we had a large fistful each of parsley and chives)
2 cloves garlic
small handful of raw walnuts
salt, pepper, EVOO
splash of cream

You can make this ahead of time if you must, but part of what makes this pesto so great is that it's fresh. This is "throw together pesto" - so you're using what's on hand...NOT going to the store to buy pignoli (pine nuts) or spending $5 on basil because it's not fully grown into your garden yet.

I used my rocket blender to make this, but feel free to utilize your food processor or full size blender. Stuff the herbs into the blender, add raw garlic, walnuts, and about 2 tbsp. olive oil. Pulse pesto until it isn't moving anymore - now you need to add more EVOO. If you have a regular full size blender or a large food processor, you can stream in the oil, otherwise, you will have to stop, add more, check it, and repeat until you get the right consistency. Once the pesto is fully combined, add a lovely splash of cream to loosen it up a bit more and make it a bit richer.

Variaions
-If you want this meal to be vegan, just omit the cream in the pesto and don't top your pasta with cheese
-If you want this meal to fall into a raw diet, steam all the veggies and serve over quinoa, smothered with pesto (since it's a raw sauce)


This pasta turned out great. Kristi and I loved the kick from the red pepper on the veggies and the raw garlic in the pesto. The sweet potato added a lot of body to the dish, the corn added crunchy freshness, and the zucchini was a bright pop of color and clean flavor. You could add curry powder in place of the red pepper if you wanted to give it an Indian twist - curry would mesh really well with the sweet potato.

The point of my throw-together pastas is to try new combinations and not let anything go to waste. Basically, incorporate all your leftover meats and veggies, and make up a sauce that works. If you know the methods for simple sauces, you can create anything you want based on what's in your pantry. I've got another version waiting in the wings (hey, I make it a lot!) so keep your eyes peeled.

+Raw Diet: Days 5-7+

So, the raw diet cleanse is over, thank goodness. It was a tough seven days, but I made it through with minimal cheating - even Kristi was highly impressed. On Day 4, I started having some pretty major back pain that I couldn't determine the source of. I was afraid that just a few days on the raw diet were already messing with me somehow, but as it turns out, I think it was a product of my less-than-ergonomic desk setup at work. After some tweaks on Kristi's massage table and a few more to my workspace, my back is feeling much better - but it took four days to accomplish that! I'm just glad that the raw diet isn't to blame.

I did lose several pounds in just a few days on this diet, but a word to the wise: like any other diet where you cut out food groups (Atkins, South Beach, the cabbage soup or grapefruit fasts), as soon as you reintroduce those foods back into your life, chances are you'll gain all the weight back. Since this was an experiment and not a weight loss program, I'm okay with that, but please just remember that this is a fact of "crash" diets.

Eating raw is a lifestyle, and in order to be sustainable, it's necessary to keep all the food groups incorporated in that lifestyle. As a seven-day cleanse, I had no problem sticking to it, but to live 100% raw forever wouldn't be possible for me, and I don't think it's sustainable for many Americans. Eating raw can be expensive, it requires extensive planning, and the sense of deprivation is huge.

What did I eat Days 5-7?

Day Five
Breakfast - cubed cantaloupe and decaf tea
Lunch - none
Snack - raw walnuts
Dinner - none

Day Six
Breakfast - apple
Lunch - none
Snack - raw almonds
Dinner - half portion each steamed edamame and seaweed salad at Sakura

Day Seven
Breakfast - none
Lunch - apple
Snack - raw almonds
Dinner - *non-raw* - cheeseburger at Friendly's

It looks like I ate really poorly on this diet, but please keep in mind that all three of these days I was in pretty major pain due to the muscle strain on my back and therefore had very little appetite. I promise that I'm back to my normal routine of eating fruits and veggies, supplementing with some cooked foods. In the next three weeks, I'll be trying to keep as much of my diet raw as possible while continuing to balance my meals.

+Raw Diet: Day 3-4+

So this was a tough weekend. I attended three cookouts, which meant I had to be on my best behavior around the delicious smells of hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. I also avoided macaroni salad, chips, cheese, birthday cake, cake truffles (that I made!), and my favorite Italian cookies. Not only that, but I also went to the movies and for the first time EVER did not get popcorn, and I went to my favorite restaurant, Brio, as they have opened a location here in CT.

I was SO good all weekend long - my only cheat was a pretty small one, I had coleslaw with very light dressing at my grandma's house today because I was so hungry, and it seemed the least of all evils. For the most part, I have not been hungry. Though I gaze longingly at certain foods, it hasn't been torturous.

Saturday
Breakfast - cubed cantaloupe
Lunch - Brio Restaurant - field greens salad with pine nuts and walnuts (from my purse) with a side of fresh fruit
Afternoon Snack 1 - apple
Afternoon Snack 2 - strawberry honey banana smoothie
Dinner - Kristi's house - quinoa with spinach, 1 raw macaroon

Sunday
Breakfast - blackberries
Lunch - 1-1/2 c. watermelon, coleslaw
Dinner - quinoa with spinach (recipe below)
Evening Snack - tea with honey, apple



Quinoa with Spinach

8 oz. spinach, steamed
1 c. quinoa
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a press
small piece of onion, grated
1/4 c. raw red pepper, chopped into very small pieces
sea salt

Cook quinoa according to directions on box. To water, add garlic and onion. When quinoa is completely cooked, stir in spinach, red pepper, and sea salt.

This recipe is simple to make and extremely satisfying. I would definitely make this as an entree or side dish. It's colorful and healthy - it would be a great dish to entertain with.

**I've got to apologize for the photos on the blog lately - I've been taking pictures with my phone and posting them, due to lack of camera lately. I'll try to get better pics ASAP!**

+Raw Diet: Day 2+

Today was the second day on the raw diet, and I'll keep this entry short and simple by starting us off with three things I learned today. 1) No caffeine in the morning is rough. 2) No carbs at all is rougher. 3) Eating basically nothing but roughage definitely makes my digestive system run at warp speed.

I don't see how it can be healthy to cut out all cooked foods on a long-term basis. As a cleanse, I can sort of understand, but I've always been of the school that says "everything in moderation." I hated Atkins the moment it came out because it required total elimination of an entire food group, and eating raw is really taking that concept several steps further. I definitely don't think 100% raw would be sustainable for more than a week, at least not for me. I'm doing okay for now, but after seven days I think I'm going to be homicidal.

Attending a cookout tonight was a little rough - the smell of hot dogs on the grill combined with the bowl of Cheetos staring me in the face...yikes! I soldiered through - made the smart decision of eating my dinner before I got there, then just snacked on the veggie tray while I was at the party.

What I ate today:

Breakfast - Berry-Banana Smoothie* (recipe below)
Morning Snack - 1.25 oz. raw almonds
Lunch - spinach and green leaf lettuce salad with dried cranberries, orange segments, red grapes, bean sprouts, edamame, cucumbers, and raw walnuts
Afternoon Snack - carrot sticks
Dinner - half sweet potato with raw honey and sea salt, 1 cup steamed cabbage with olive oil
Evening Snack - crudite of orange peppers and carrots


Berry-Banana Smoothie

2/3 c. frozen strawberries and blackberries
1 banana, sliced
1/4 c. acai pomegranate juice
1 tbsp. flaxseed oil

Blend all ingredients until fully pureed and emulsified. Enjoy!

Notes: I washed fresh berries and froze them overnight to use the next day in my smoothie. I would recommend that you not attempt to freeze a banana in its skin, as this has disastrous results. Just trust me on that one.

You can add a handful of raw spinach to this smoothie - it will not affect the flavor at all, but it will add a huge boost of vitamins and minerals, plus give you some veggies in the morning.

+Raw Diet: Day 1+

Okay, so I promised to chronicle my adventures in raw food, and today was my semi-Day 1. Here's what I ate, and I'm sure you'll see why I say "semi" in front of "Day 1."

Breakfast - cubed cantaloupe
Morning Snack - ~1/4 c. dried fruit: cranberries, 2 prunes, 2 pcs. pineapple
Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts
Lunch - spinach salad with broccoli, edamame, green peas, shredded carrots, cucumbers, and walnuts with 1 tsp. EVOO, 1 tsp. vinegar (I don't like dressing, what can I say?)
Afternoon Snack - red grapes
Dinner - steamed spinach & garlic with EVOO, large red apple

I drank ~68 oz. of water today, so that's a little more than the recommended eight 8 oz. servings. Unfortunately, I flubbed with the iced coffee, but it was a gift from a friend, and I really wanted it. I'll do better, I promise. The zero tolerance caffeine policy is going to be a killer.

After Day 1, I feel good. I sort of expected to start off with a bang - on the first day of any new venture, you're always gung-ho and wanting it to work out fantastically. I was a little hungry, but I just drank a nice glass of water before bed and finished up my burpees. I packed my lunch for tomorrow and put it in the fridge. This is something I do anyway, but especially on a diet like this, planning is key to making sure I'm not left short of food while away from the house.

*********************************************************************************

Went to the grocery store tonight after a trip to Trader Joe's earlier in the week, and I have to say, the produce aisle is quiet at 8 pm. My mom and I stocked up - between tonight's trip and the TJ trip on Tuesday, we've got two huge bags of apples, a sack of oranges, 3 quarts of strawberries, 3 pints of blackberries, a pineapple, bananas, kiwis, Chinese cabbage, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red pepper, zucchini, bean sprouts, green leaf lettuce, carrots, edamame, dried chickpeas, kidney beans, packets of raw almonds and walnuts, flax oil, and a bottle of pomegranate acai juice. *whew* I've definitely got variety on my side!

Here's to tomorrow and another day of eating raw!

~+Experiment: The Raw Diet+~

In the 6th grade Biology class tradition, I am performing an experiment.

Kristi is my favorite hippie, veggie, all-around awesome friend, and she is forever trying to convince me to try one of her cleanses, fasts, or diet plans, which I typically refuse to do. While interesting, they're usually not something I want to invest my time or money in. However, we recently started talking about raw diets - both as a lifestyle choice and as a "cleanse" option. I find the idea of eating "raw" to be pretty intriguing, so I agreed to attempt it for one week. I even talked my sister Jenna and my friend Laura into trying it with me.

After my first seven days on the "raw cleanse", I'm planning to introduce some lean proteins (fish, egg whites) and some whole grains. I want to try out the raw lifestyle - 70% raw food - for a month.

The goals of this experiment are:

1. To eat 100% raw for the first 7 days, 70% raw the remainder for a total of 30 days
2. To chronicle what I eat and how it makes me feel for the duration of the experiment
3. To determine whether any weight loss is sustainable on a "real life" diet

So I've been doing some research into the raw diet. About.com has some decent info here. Basically, the diet is based on uncooked and unprocessed plant foods, i.e. fruit, veggies, seeds, beans, nuts, etc. Therefore, it's vegan, and has major potential to be boring if I don't get busy making it interesting. Although, the same could be said about most things in life, right? You've got to make your own entertainment kids - anyone who spent hours talking on a tin can telephone can tell you this is possible.

In the interest of attempting to sustain a "raw" lifestyle for 30 days, I am going to be doing research into great recipes that assist me in my quest to stay engaged. A website called The Best of Raw Food has some info, but please take it with a grain of seaweed salt (check out their conversion table) because you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet.

Some doctors think the raw lifestyle is damaging to our bodies, saying that despite the fact that humans subsisted for thousands of years on raw foods, we've evolved since and can more easily process the large amounts of fat, protein, and complex carbohydrates that make up so much of traditional American cuisine. Proponents of eating raw say it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces fat intake, and enables the digestive tract to process food more efficiently.

If you ask me - neither an expert nor a chef - I think that a raw diet is extremely difficult for the average American to sustain. Like it or not, we're surrounded by tempting foods, some even processed, that are tough to avoid. And the fact is, in many situations, it's going to be pretty impossible to eat raw. What to do at the movie theater, the ballpark, or happy hour? A child's birthday party, your in-laws for Sunday dinner, or an amusement park? I'll keep you posted on what I'm eating, what I'm buying, recipes I find, and how I really feel about going raw.

It's going to be an interesting month people.