Ultimate Guide To Equipping Your Raw Kitchen

When embarking on a raw journey, we all have the same question on our lips: how best to equip our new kitchen? I sure would have loved some guidance on the matter when I first got started, but had to do most of the research on my own. I thought I'd share some of the info I've come upon in regards to raw equipment, and my honest thoughts about how well these are faring in my kitchen.

What follows are recommendations based on my personal experience. Please bear in mind that each person's needs/preferences may vary. Consequently, what might be a 'must have' piece of equipment for me might not be at all for you. For instance, I LOVE food prep and concocting gourmet meals, and therefore really appreciate the flexibility that a dehydrator gives me for creating different tastes and textures. However, if you're not the culinary type and enjoy very simple and quickly prepared meals, you'll probably find that a good quality blender, a food processor, and perhaps a spiral slicer will be everything you need.

But before we take off on a shopping spree, let's stop for a moment and talk about budget.

Outfitting Your Kitchen... Without Going Broke
I most definitely didn't have a huge budget to play with, but I figured that investing in good quality tools would pay off in the long run. The process of acquiring all the equipment I was coveting spread over a period of several months, but was definitely worth the wait.

Quality and value being major concerns, I did my 'homework' and looked diligently around the net for the most reliable and cheapest sources to purchase from. In my case (as a lot of the suppliers are located in the States), it also meant one that would ship to Canada for a reasonable fee.

Additionally, I got to learn a few tricks along the way...

5 Tips To Save Money While Equipping Your Raw Kitchen:

1- Look for sales and rebate coupons
2- Look for refurbished items
3- Shop on Ebay - a fab place for items new or used
4- Look at classifieds on sites such as Kijiji and Craig's List
5- Browse through garage sales and thrift stores - you'd be amazed at all the cool stuff to be found!


Raw Foodies' Best Friends
Although you may find most of the tools listed in this article already lying around your kitchen, some will take on a new importance with the raw diet. There are also a few specialty items that will greatly complement your raw culinary adventure.

Blender
I feel that the best place to start is with the single most used appliance in our kitchen: the blender. It runs a minimum of 3 times a day, sometimes more if I'm making sauce, spread or dessert.

For many years I had a 'regular' blender such as a Kitchen Aid or Black&Decker (shown on the right). While it would puree soft fruits and veggies, it didn't do a fantastic job at it. And with the sort of use a blender gets around here, it generally didn't have a very long life span either.

Last Spring, we decided it was time to invest in a 'real beast': a high speed blender. Having had to replace blenders every couple of years at the most, the prospect of spending $300 or $400 on a machine that would last me for many years to come seemed like the way to go.

It boiled down to either the Total Blender by Blendtec or the Vitamix 5000. Both appliances are very highly rated by the raw food community.

In the end, the Vitamix's 7 year warranty on ALL parts is what sealed it for me. Blendec used to give 8 years on their machine, but then reduced the warranty to 2 or 3 years, and only 1 year on the carafe (the one thing that is most likely to need replacement!) Sure makes you wonder... If they had such confidence in their product, why would they REDUCE the warranty!?!

And so I went with the Vitamix 5000 and am extremely happy with my purchase. It's elegant, easy to use and reliable, and the texture of soups, smoothies, etc is just unreal! It's a wonder how I could do without it all these years!

Enters The Omni
A couple of years ago we discovered a solid high power blender alternative to the more common Vitamix and Blendtec's Total Blender. Not because these don't do a fine job, but because they leave a great big gaping hole in your budget.

At $279 (shipping included in the USA), the Omni 3 HP blender costs significantly less than similar machines and yet yields a comparable performance.

Some Omni facts:

• Electronic like the Blendtec but much simpler to use
• Substantially quieter at 85 db
• Somewhat slower RPM means thorough emulsification requires a bit more time than the competition, and for that the motor should experience less stress/longer life
• Comes standard with the 64 fl oz square container and a food tamper
• Has a six blade system
• Comes with a 7 year warranty on parts and labor for the motor/base and 1 year on the drive socket, container and blade assembly

As Don points out in his Kitchen Blender Value Review, "clearly the Omniblend V is the substantial Value King as it is about equal to the competition in functionality and expected durability for a much lower cost."

Finally the Omni also comes with a free copy of a raw recipe book that I've written especially for it: Deliciously Raw. (That's how impressed I am with its performance!)

You can find out more about the Omni V 3 HP Blender here.

Looking for a blender that will best suit your needs? Here's a thread you might find helpful.

Juicer
Don and I have been having a freshly made juice of carrots, apples, beets, celery and ginger first thing in the morning for years. Such a delicious, energizing way to start our day!

There are many different juicers to choose from, depending on what you're looking for, and (mostly!) what kind of budget you have. I opted for Breville's Juice Fountain; a centrifugal system with pulp ejection. It has two different speeds and is super easy to clean up, which is absolutely essential, otherwise you'll find yourself not using it as much as you'd like to because it's just "too much work".

Another great feature of the Juice Fountain is it's extra wide food chute. It can even take in whole apples! This means you don't have to chop food into smaller pieces, therefore saving a LOT of prep time.

I bought mine refurbished on eBay for $100 shipped. I know there are much fancier juicers out there, but I'm really very happy with the Breville.

Note: I just found out Amazon sells reconditioned Juice Fountain units for $37.73 - free shipping in the US (Regular price:$149.99). Man, what a deal! You can have a look out here.


Food Processor
Another 'must have' in a raw kitchen! A food processor is useful for chopping veggies in a snap and making anything from spreads to crackers, cookies, brownies and breads. Again, there are tons of models to choose from. The consensus seems to be that Cuisinart makes great, highly reliable machines. On the downside, they can also be quite pricey so it depends what you're looking for.

For my part, I have a humble 7 cup Rachael Ray, as it's the only model that was powerful enough and available in the local stores (ordering a food processor online wasn't flowing at the time). Definitely not the hottest fp on the market, that's for sure! I've heard people speak very highly of Hamilton Beach brands in the same sort of price range.

You might want to consider getting a smaller size food processor as well, super handy when you don't have a lot of food to process. I'd say that, unless I'm having a big uncooking day and cranking up the dehydrator, I'm mostly using my little Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus that I found at the thrift store for $3. (Gotta love used stuff!)


Dehydrator
After following a simple diet of fruit smoothies, raw soups and salads for years, Don and I started experimenting with more complex, dehydrated recipes last fall. We had a hunch that a dehydrator would greatly help us in staying raw through the winter; and we were right. Not only did it allow us to create more elaborate dishes, it provided a fast and simple way to warm up our food before eating. I'm quite aware that this is just a psychological thing, but hey, it did the trick! We find that the dehydrated recipes have come to replace the cooked stuff we used to crave, and therefore haven't felt drawn towards cooked foods at all since.

I played with our neighbors’ old handmade dehydrator for a while and quickly determined that it would be worthwhile investing in an Excalibur. And wow, what a difference! It has made uncooking so much easier and fun!

I highly recommend the Excalibur 9 tray ; it is absolutely the best for the buck! You can find others for a lot cheaper, but they usually have the heat at the bottom (which means you need to rotate the food), or no fan (dehydration takes much longer with high risk of fermentation.)

Excalibur is also available in 5 trays, but in our experience, the trays fill up quickly so that proves to be too small. The latest Excalibur model has a timer and is quite a bit more expensive than the previous one (the ED 2900). Personally, I don't find that feature necessary, as you can pick up a little timer at the hardware store for much cheaper. (Timers are handy if your food is ready in the middle of the night or while you're not around.)

For more general info on dehydrators and how they work, you might want to read Karen Knowler's 'Dehydrator 101' article.

Spiral Slicer
Here's a little gadget that will allow you to make beautiful vegetable pasta in no time at all. You'll see many raw chefs recommend the 'saladdacco' model (shown on the right). To this day, I have to say that this is a bit of a mystery to me. There's a lot of controversy around these in the raw food community, as while the saladacco apparently does work for some, it's a hit and miss thing for many others.

The good news is that there are several spiral slicer alternatives that are much easier to use. After much research, I've opted for the Benriner Cook Help (shown on the left). It produces perfect 'pasta' every single time, and gives me the flexibility of choosing between 3 different sizes - angel hair, spaghetti size and fettucini - which is an awesome feature. Additionally, it allows you to slice vegetables, such as turnip, jicama or beet, very thinly in order to make ravioli wrappers.

I just love using this gadget! It totally brings out the child in me! lol The uniform veggie pasta it produces has made a world of difference over the grated rendition I used to make. I'd swear it does affect the taste too! And to top it all up, the Cook Help is very easy to clean, and you can purchase a new set of blades should yours become dull.

If you'd like to find out more about the Benriner Cook Helper Slicer, there's excellent and helpful reviews here on Amazon. Their price has also dropped way down over the last couple of years. You can now buy it on Amazon for a little over $45. Awesome deal!

Mandoline/V-Slicer
A mandoline or V-slicer is an awesome kitchen tool that will help you create uniform veggie slices. It particularly comes in handy for making chips and zucchini noodles for lasagna, or for julienning vegetables for sushi.

One of our main concerns while looking for a mandoline was safety. As you know, these babies tend to be razor sharp, and it wouldn't take much to hurt yourself unless you have a good finger guard.

I thoroughly researched which model would suit me best (and you better believe it: there's a jungle of mandolines out there! lol) In the end, I was seriously considering the Mandoline Plus, but after reading rave reviews after reviews, I fell for the Borner V-Slicer Pro (V-4000).

This model is the next level above their previous, more common V-Slicer Plus (V-1000). Even though the latter is good, its main limitation is that it only offers thin and thick slices. The V-4000, on the other hand, comes with 3 blades, giving a possibility of 9 different cuts. (You can have a look at these here.) Also included with the V-Slicer is a great big food holder so no worries there about safety (unless you don't use it of course! lol) It's sharp, easy to clean and comes with a storing device. I've read stories of people having had the older model for something like 20 years and it still works like a charm! I can tell I'll be having mine for many, many years to come as well. Please Note that the V-4000 is currently unavailable. You can however find the 5000 model as well as the latest 7000 model (with a special patented push button to adjust thickness!) on Amazon.

As Cutlery and More didn't ship to Canada, we found an awesome source in Quebec called PaulsFinest.com. Paul is a really great guy and his service is terrific!

Again, I am totally stoked about my choice as this slicer totally rawks!


Sauerkraut Maker
Until I discovered the raw diet, I was unaware of the numerous health benefits of consuming fermented veggies. If you'd like to get into making your own, I highly recommend the Pickle, Sauerkraut and Kimchi Maker sold by Mike at his The Raw Diet Heath Store. It has a lot of great reviews and, best of all, is quite inexpensive (about $30 including shipping); a much more affordable alternative than the traditional large ceramic crock pots.

RawVegan4Health has ingeniously come up with a home made version of the Sauerkraut and Kimchi maker for roughly $9. You can have a look at his instructions, posted on our forum, Raw Freedom Community.

You might also want to check out my blogpost on Sauerkraut Making here.


Odds and Ends
As you know, there are all kinds of smaller gadgets and tools that are essential to any kitchen, regardless of the diet. These are the ones we find indispensable:

• Knife - A good, sharpened knife is invaluable
• Cutting Board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Coffee Grinder - For grinding small seeds such as flax and sesame
• Garlic Press
• Grater
• Small Citrus Squeezer
• Strainer
  
• Peeler
• Various shape pans - For making lasagna, cobblers, pies, cupcakes, quiches, etc.
• Spring form pans or medium plastic tub - For making cakes
• Ziplock bags
• Plastic or glass storage containers

But specific to raw food prep, here's some kitchen tools that can be particularly helpful:

Offset Spatula - A gem when it comes to spreading batter for crackers, breads, wraps and the like. I'd say the best 10 bucks I ever spent in my kitchen!

Regular Spatula - To get the last scraps out of your food processor or blender

Pizza Cutter - For easily scoring breads and crackers. And yes, to cut raw pizza too! lol

Lettuce Spinner - "No dressing will ever taste right if tossed in wet greens." as Nomi Shannon points out.

Gallon Jars - For sprouting or making kombucha tea

Mason jars - For storing nuts, seeds, dried fruits, etc and for sprouting

Cheese Cloth - For covering the sprouting jars

Plastic Trays - For sprouting (see this post)

Nut Cracker - We've been buying fresh nuts in their shells in the fall and around Christmas and are loving them. We even have some left from last year and they're still good! Unshelled nuts are cheap and taste so much fresher than the shelled ones. The trick is to have the right tool to help you tackle them. We have the nut cracker shown on the right that we paid something like $12 for at a local kitchen specialty store, and it works like a dream!

Nut Milk Bags - For separating the pulp while making nut milk which can then be used in recipes such as breads and cookies. (Paint straining bags from a paint store or Home Depot work beautifully and are a lot cheaper!)

Raw Recipe Books - There's tons of raw recipes floating around the net, but you might also want to add a few books to your collection. Check out this thread for highly recommended titles. And there's of course my ebook that I released a few months ago, "The Best of The Sunny Raw Kitchen". It features 21 tried and true recipes, some of the best creations to have come out of our raw kitchen.

MacGourmet - A fantastic recipe program for Mac computers, that allows you to easily organize your recipes. Truly invaluable for me! I talk a little more about some of the fab features it offers here.

A small extra freezer - Not essential, but super handy in order to store ripe bananas and other fruits (for smoothies and ice cream), nuts and dehydrated goodies like breads, cookies, pizza crusts, burgers, etc.


There's all kinds of kitchen gadgets available these days: from avocado or cherry pitters to zesters and ice cream makers; it would be impossible to name them all! But I guess I'll stop here for now, as I think I've pretty much covered the key stuff. (Do let me know if I'm forgetting anything important!)

Hope this article will prove to be of some help to anyone seeking to equip their own raw kitchen.

Happy Outfitting!

Technorati Tags: Raw, raw food, raw recipes, recipes, kitchen, kitchen equipment, raw kitchen, raw equipment

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Hi guys! I'm back with our big news!

We've recorded a short video in which I tell you about the unexpected possibility that we were presented with and our resulting change of plans for the winter months.

I thought I'd go into greater detail in writing about this major decision and how it came about...

Becoming Nomads
As most of you probably know, about 2 1/2 years ago we gave away most of our possessions in order to become nomadic. It clearly felt like everything pointed in this direction and in hindsight we can totally see how that was the right thing to do. I must admit that I was surprised by how quickly I adjusted to this new life 'on the road'. It felt sooooo darn good to lighten up and shed some of our accumulated stuff and become fluid. I also loved not having to worry about all the expenses related to a sedentary lifestyle.

In the last 26 months this adventure has taken us across Canada and all around the periphery of the US. It was thrilling to have wheels for the first time in several years, allowing us to explore some of the wondrous North American wilderness and meet beautiful fellow health and personal growth seekers as we went. More than ever, it seemed, we felt surrendered to Life, letting ourselves be guided and making as few fixed plans as possible. We learned how to feel our way along and have gotten pretty good at it.

We had no reason to believe that this nomadic lifestyle should change in the near future, and so this summer we worked towards setting into place the next stage of our winter travels. It was becoming apparent that life on the road in a small van, especially with our two furry friends, was beginning to seriously take its toll, so we undertook the project of upgrading to a used RV. After consideration we decided that while a camper might be more fun, a trailer or fifth wheel would be far more practical, allowing us to leave it behind when we needed to go shopping. Also we wouldn't be left on the street in the event of a mechanical breakdown.

We almost immediately found a buyer for our lovely van, although we were all sad to see it go. In spite of the starting troubles we had last year, it was such a sweet ride and had come to feel like our home for the past year and a half. In keeping with our plan we then purchased a used truck in order to pull our new RV. Not being a 4x4 or diesel it wasn't exactly what we had in mind, but we figured it would do just fine. After that the search for a suitable trailer began in earnest. We quickly realized that with the budget we had at our disposal the options were rather limited. To complicate matters even more we also discovered that the RV would have to be under a certain weight to avoid taxing the truck too much. The last thing we'd want is a blown transmission in the middle of nowhere! Keeping these criterias in mind, in spite of our combing ads daily in local papers and online for months, no trailer felt quite right for us.

When Life Throws a Curved One at Ya
Then around mid-September, as the pressure to find a trailer became increasingly palpable with the first signs of Autumn, a friend who was visiting the property where we were staying happened to mention that she'd be looking for renters for her family's cabin. Although I wasn't particularly keen on the idea of staying in Canada for the winter, I knew better than to ignore this piece of information thrown my way, and so I mentioned it to Don. Over the years we've learned to pay very close attention to what Life is trying to tell us. Remembering how difficult finding a place to rent for the four of us has sometimes been in the past, we had no choice but to acknowledge how this opportunity had been literally dropped in our laps. Don later confided the great sense of relief he felt as soon as he heard of the possibility. While he was prepared to meet whatever challenges Life presented on our path, he couldn't shake off a sense of apprehension at the idea of getting back on the road, with all the stress and energy demand that it implies, given all our circumstances.

We've witnessed over and over how when something is meant to happen it does so almost effortlessly, falling into place with only the slightest of interventions on our part. And so it was with the prospect of staying here for the winter at the cabin. Still, I felt torn for days, wanting to make sure that we were doing the right thing, what was for the highest good. I sensed a strong pull to go to the States in order to connect with some of the wonderful friends we've made during our past travels, our 'fammunity'. What if we were meant to cross paths with yet more people who needed to hear our message about health and how to prepare for the financial crisis?

Flight of the Single Snowbird
An idea occurred to me which I almost discarded at first: how about if I was to fly down there on my own and spend a few months? This still looked far from ideal, being away from Don and the furries for such a long stretch of time. While talking over the unexpected possibility of remaining in Canada with our friend Diane, pieces suddenly began to fall into place. Like us she could see that Life seemed to be pointing to our becoming sedentary for a while AND she was absolutely overjoyed at the idea of my visiting her. At last it felt like an ideal solution, one that we could both feel good about, was taking shape; we could go with the Flow and rent the cabin here for the cold months while I traveled south on my own for part of it.

"What about Raw Vee," you ask? This new development is not to say that we feel called to give up on our nomadic lifestyle altogether. We're looking at this as a short break from our travels and an opportunity to save more energy and money so that we can be better prepared for the next chapter of our life on the road. It will also undoubtedly open the possibility of acquiring a much nicer home on wheels than we could at this stage.

Living in a Palace
The move to our new home for now couldn't have gone smoother, with our truck certainly coming in handy. We don't have any furniture but thankfully there already were a few pieces at the cabin, and friends lent us the rest. The house is an old centurian home and is a bit funky but is suits us perfectly. All we really need, after all, is a roof over our heads. Old as it is the cabin has never been properly insulated, but we've done what we could to make it more comfortable, closing off the whole upstairs to save heat and covering the windows with plastic.

I can't tell you how strange it is to be in a house again after almost 2 1/2 years of near constant travels and camping! We are in awe at all the little comforts that can be so taken for granted: running water, hot water, shower, electricity, an indoor kitchen complete with counters and fridge, having so much space to live in, being able to do the Tibetan Rites indoors when it's cold and rainy outside, and having everything right here under a single roof. It all feels like such sheer luxury! It's also so nice to be able to be together with the animals for most of the day, something we haven't been able to do in months.

Speaking of the furries, they felt immediately at home. Sure didn't take long for them to lay claim to our bed. We have to keep reminding Kylo to wait at least until the wee hours of the morning before joining us or else he'd stretch and take over the entire thing! hehe

I remembered how much Puss loved to lie on our computer chairs, still warm from our presence.

As wonderful as it feels to be given a house of our own to live in for a few months, the real treat is its location. The cabin is on a super quiet road, yet still within walking distance from the small town. The area is breathtakingly beautiful!

The view from the cabin.

Snow has recently come to decorate the mountaintops.

We are just a few meters away from the entrance to a provincial park where we can enjoy our daily walks. Does it get any better than this? The trail goes along the lake and is in almost fairytale like surroundings.

These photos really don't do justice to how lush and bright the flora is - almost fluorescent green.

A lonely mini mushroom growing on a rock among the moss.

These remind us of miniature trees.

The furry boys enjoying their new walk.

Kyky, look at me!

One afternoon, the cloud formations were stunningly beautiful.

Back in the Kitchie!
I was surprised at the surge of energy and uplifting of spirit that took place within me almost as soon as we settled into our new residence. I hadn't realized how much energy was required in living out of doors, making the smallest of tasks more complicated. I was particularly delighted to observe how my interest in food prep came back virtually right away; suddenly inspired to whip up different dishes and, at last, some raw desserts! Woo hoo! Nothing too complicated and fancy but nonetheless a much welcomed digression from our usual fare. We've enjoyed some old favorites: Tostadas, Tuna Salad, Hemp Burgers and Kelp Noodles and Marinated Veggies with Satay Sauce.

And on the sweet side I was excited to work with Irish moss again. I made a simple but delightful Chocolate Mousse from Sweet Gratitude, and the Pecan Pie from the same book. I'd made the latter a couple of times before, and while it is real yummy it is also super sweet, so I tweaked it a little.

Pecan Pie
Adapted from a recipe from Sweet Gratitude
Posted on Amyitis Gardens here

Crust:
2 3/4 cup of macadamia nuts
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Process the macadamia nuts and salt to a dough-like consistency. (Do not over-process or the macadamias will release too much oil.) Press into a 9-inch pie pan.

Filling:
1 1/2 ounces of soaked Irish Moss*
1/2 cup of water
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 cups of pecans
9 ounces well-packed finely chopped dates
2 tablespoons yacon syrup
2 tablespoons liquid vanilla** (or vanilla extract)
1/8 teaspoon of salt

*For tips on how to work with Irish moss, see this post.
** To make liquid vanilla, blend 3 whole vanilla beans with 1 cup of water until completely dissolved. Will keep refrigerated for at least 1 month.

Topping
1 cup of pecans

Blend Irish moss with water and agave until smooth. Set aside. Food process pecans until a paste-like consistency is achieved. To this add your blended ingredients, as well as vanilla, yacon syrup, and salt; process again until smooth. While processing add the chopped dates in small amounts until smooth. Spoon mixture into crust. Top with pecans. Chill in fridge for 10-15 minutes.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I didn't have macadamias so I made a simple walnut crust instead: 2 cups walnuts, 1/4 cup dates, 2 tsps liquid vanilla, pinch of salt. I food processed the ingredients until crumbly. (If the crust doesn't stick when pressed between your fingers, add a little water - 1 tsp at a time - and process again.)

~ From having made this pie in the past I knew that it is way too sweet for my taste. This time I used 1/4 cup + 2 tbs coconut nectar and 2 tbs agave instead of the 3/4 cup agave called for, 7 ounces soft dates and I kept the 2 tbs yacon syrup for the deeper color.

~ I couldn't bring myself to pay $32/kg for pecans at my local HFS so I used a mixture of wild pecans I still had around the kitchen and walnuts.

~ Chilling time for the pie is more like an hour or so.


I decorated the pie with lovely wild pecans that were given to us by a farmer in Arizona. Sure was a meditation to crack those little guys open but definitely worth it. To help further cut down on the sweetness I served it drizzled with a Cashew Cream. Mmmmm!

Still in dessert mode - no doubt wanting to make up for the summer's long dry stretch - next I tackled the Spiced Pineapple Cake from Matthew Kenney's Everyday Raw Desserts.

It's one of those giant size cakes like in Cafe Gratitude's books, calling for something crazy like 8 cups of nut flour (Eeek!), so I halved the recipe. I didn't have enough Brazil nut flour so I substituted with part almond flour that I already had dehydrated. Otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe to the T. For the cake batter I don't have a standing mixer so I just used a food processor, being careful just to pulse the mixture, as suggested, so that it stays on the light side rather than heavy and dense. That seemed to work quite well.

I opted to make only 1/4 of the Banana Cream for the middle layer and to frost the top of the cake with Elaina Love's mucho yummy and light Whipped Topping. For the finishing touch I sprinkled on a blend of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Spiced Pineapple Cake with Banana Cream
From Matthew Kenney's Everyday Raw Desserts
Posted on Living Rawesome here

Makes one 9 inch cake

Wet Ingredients
Mashed bananas
Chopped pineapple
Date paste- Which is 1 cup dates, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice
Almond milk
Vanilla
Salt

Dry Ingredients
Brazil nut flour
Coconut flakes (powdered in vita-mix)
Cinnamon
Ginger
Nutmeg
Cloves
Vanilla bean
Sea salt

*¼ C Irish Moss Paste can be used with wet ingredients or ¼ C flax meal with the dry. This is optional and creates a fluffier mixture.

Wet Ingredients
In a vita mix thoroughly blend all the wet ingredients except for the coconut oil until smooth. Then add the coconut oil and continue to blend until well combined.

To make Cake Batter
In a mixer or food processor mix the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients. It is better to use a standing mixture as this will keep the mixture lighter and more fluffy, but if you do not have a standing mixer it can be done in the food processor if you lightly pulse the wet ingredients in. You do not want a dense heavily blended mixture.

Assembly
Divide cake batter into two. Press one layer of batter in a 9 inch spring form pan and alternate with 1/3 of frosting. Add second cake layer. Refrigerate just before serving, remove from spring form, and frost with remaining frosting.

Veggiegirl's Note: I made the dry mixture and the wet mixture separately and placed them in bowls. I do not have a mixer and my food processor was too small to fit all of the mixture. I think the mixture turned out fine, just by adding the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Carmella's Final Thoughts:
I thought that the overall texture was good, very much along the lines of Cafe Gratitude cakes I've tried. Unfortunately I was somewhat disappointed by its lack of flavor. I had used fresh pineapple in cakes before and had found that the flavor was almost completely lost. It proved to be the case again in this particular cake. If I was to make it again I would use dried pineapple that has been rehydrated or perhaps fold by hand whole pieces of pineapple, fresh or dried, into the batter. I would also add extra spices.

Now the countdown is on! Woo hoo! I'm leaving for Southern California in less than a week and there's all these things I have to do: greens and parsley to dehydrate, root veggies to store, and whip up at least one more decadent raw dessert! ;-)

Wishing you all a wonderful Autumn! I promise to keep in touch!

Raw Celebration: Triple Layer Chocolate Cake and More!

As I mentioned in a previous post, we celebrated two occasions earlier this month: I turned 39 years young and, I have been walking alongside Don for 10 years now. Wow, what an amazing journey Life is turning out to be!

Although I hadn't spent much time experimenting in the kitchen for months, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to do something about that. Since we were expecting the visit of our friends, Mosaica and Pontifex a few days after my birthday, I thought "What the heck! How about we have TWO celebratory feasts!" I wanted to whip up something a little special, and if you recall, I asked for your help in planning the menu, but only a couple of people responded. (Thanks Jozzy and Lisa!)

After much pondering, browsing online and flipping through my recipe books, I finally settled for the following yummies...

Raw Feast #1
On my birthday, we started the meal off with a recipe that another Lisa - one of our hosts in Washington - shared with me. I was glad to finally have an opportunity to try the smoked sea salt I had bought in the States. It gave the soup a delightful subtle flavor. I did cut down on the chili called for as we have a pretty low tolerance to heat. It was still a wee bit too spicy for us but still very delicious.

Ruby's Smokin' Hot Tomato Soup
By Penni Shelton of Real Food Tulsa

2 cups fresh tomatoes (I like cherry or grape baby ones)
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked (save the soak water)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours
1 cup soak water
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup shallot, chopped
1 TBSP red pepper chili flakes
1 TBSP agave nectar or raw honey
1 tsp smoked sea salt if you have it
pure water to thin as needed
fresh herbs for garnish

Blend all ingredients in your blender, combine until you reach a creamy consistency. If you want to reduce the heat, use less chili flakes.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I used 1 cup red bell pepper and only 1 cup dried tomatoes.

~ I used 1/2 avocado instead of olive oil.

~ I used less chili as we don't like too spicy.

For our 'plat de resistance', my friend Jozzie had suggested a  Beet Terrine that Tofu666 featured on his blog, but the instructions were very vague and I didn't feel up for filling in the blanks. Keeping with the idea of a layered dish, I chose the Basil & Spinach Flan from Matthew Kenney's Entertaining in the Raw (which I highly recommend, by the way.)

I'd only used Irish moss in a savory dish once before and was itching to give it another try. The texture was interesting although I was expecting something much lighter, as Irish moss gives to desserts such a light/melt-in-your-mouth quality. The flan was accompanied by a Brazil Nut Foam which didn't turn out quite as foamy as it should. I thought that the foam's hint of cardamom blended very nicely with the flan's milder flavors. I halved the recipe and somehow didn't have enough of the white cream to make several layers so I settled for one thick green stripe flanked by two thin white ones. I served the dish with a simple spinach salad with slices of cucumber and tomato and homegrown sprouts.

Sure made for a lovely presentation!

Dessert was the easiest part to decide on, although there's a little story to it...

With our months on the road I've fallen behind on what all's been going on on the raw scene. Since our return some of my energy has been freed so that I can at last do some catching up and scout for new recipes and ideas. (I am soooooooo ready to revamp our staples; it feels like we've been eating the same dishes for like a year!)

I wasn't so out of the loop though that I didn't know that Matthew Kenney was releasing a new book, Everyday Raw Desserts. I finally got a chance to hop over to Amazon to check it out and was stoked to discover that I could take a peek inside the book. The table of contents alone got me drooling! Everyday Raw Desserts has chapters on cookies and candy, brownies, bars and fudge, puddings, flans and custards, pies and tarts, cakes and cheesecakes, comfort food, ice cream and frozen treats, chocolate and finally raw dessert staples. Wow, this promises to join Sweet Gratitude and Heathy's Just Desserts on my shelf of 'raw dessert essentials'!

Not sure how I did it but the first time I browsed through the book on Amazon I managed to see a bunch of recipes such as Cinnamon Cake, Marzipan, Vanilla Almond Panna Cotta, Double Chocolate Pudding, Baklava and Cinnamon Cake. *wiping the drool off the keyboard* I somehow had the wits to leave the tab open and was able to glance through them at will, which was a great thing as when I tried going back later all I could access were excepts from the first chapter on cookies. *scratching her head*

One of the recipes that caught my attention was a Pear Frangipane; a French classic. I love love the rich flavor of almond extract so decided to make it for my first birthday feast. I didn't have any ripe pears on hand but that didn't deter me; I used blueberries instead. Traditional frangipane is a fragrant, moist filling flavored with nuts (usually almonds, but also sometimes hazelnuts or pistachios) and used in pies, tarts and cakes. It's usually egg-based, which puts it in the custard family, although its texture can vary greatly, ranging from a light pastry cream to a firm batter.

The raw rendition in Matthew's book is a combination of almond pulp (left over from making milk) and Irish moss paste. Let's pause here for a moment... Irish moss paste or gel consists of a mixture of Irish moss and water. However if you've come upon these in recipes before then you know that every chef has its own version of it, using a different ratio. There were no specifications in the Frangipane recipe as to how to make the paste. I'd stumbled upon another recipe to be featured in Matthew's upcoming book, the Triple Layer Chocolate cake on his site, which called for Irish moss paste but same deal, no specific directions. Hum, what to do? I decided to drop Matthew a line and inquire about the matter.  Within hours I received a reply from Meredith who works with him and happens to be the actual recipe creator. She was so kind, walking me through the process and answering my questions.

You guys will have to patiently wait for Everyday Raw Desserts to be released (hopefully next month!) before you can try this recipe at home, but I'm sharing the few mods I made anyways.

For the crust, I used a mixture of cashew and coconut flours instead of just cashew, and then completely forgot to add the coconut oil. I don't think it was a big deal; it still held nicely.

For the filling, I doubled the amount of almond extract, used vanilla powder instead of scraped beans (so much easier to work with!), and agave only as I had no honey. I also cut down on the amount, using about 1/4 cup less sweetener.

Oh, and I would recommend sifting the agave powder before adding it to the other ingredients as I had trouble getting rid of the lumps.

Meredith sure was inspired for this one as the texture was awesome!

For the Fruit Topping, I used about 1 1/4 cups blueberries instead of the pear. I also skipped the dehydrator step, just tossing the berries in a little agave, lemon juice, liquid vanilla and salt. I then had fun creating a blueberry lattice.

Lastly, instead of adding an agave glaze, I drizzled the left over liquid mixture on top. Afterward I wished I had thickened it up with some of the Irish moss paste; I remember using a similar technique in one of Sweet Gratitude's recipes.

Tada!

The glaze ended up being absorbed into the frangipane filling so it didn't look as pretty but boy, was it ever tasty!

Heavenly! And so different in texture than anything I've tried before!

Ahhhhhhh! What a feast we had ourselves! But the best part was that we were up for another one a few days later with our friends! Yay!

In the meantime we ran out of dessert (now can't have that happen can I?) so I whipped up Cafe Gratitude's Strawberry Brilliance Pie which I served as parfaits. Not only was it a great way to use some of the extra Irish moss but it sorta fell in line with my birthday tradition (my mom would always make me strawberry shortcake). This is really to live for! In fact, a friend even told me that it was THE best dessert she EVER had! How about that!?!

Raw Feast #2
The next feast began with a variation on one of my all time favorite soups by Jennifer Cornbleet, again on Jozzie's suggestion. I came upon a cooked zucchini soup that sounded interesting which was a breeze to turn it into raw. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. (I certainly did!)

Creamy Zucchini & Basil Bisque

Serves 4

4 cups chopped zucchini (or 4 small to med. ones)
1/3 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup cashews
1 small avocado
2 garlic cloves
1 green onion
1 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt (or 1 tsp miso)
Water until desired consistency is reached

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

If you wish a warm soup, use hot water or heat it up gently on the stove on medium heat while stirring constantly.

The main course was BBQ Skewers from Sarma's Living Raw Food. The recipe calls for Lapsang Souchong tea to give a slight smokey flavor to the veggies. This technique was also used for the delicious Portobello steaks we enjoyed at Matthew Kenney's restaurant in Florida. On Jozzie's recommendation I used half of the amount of tea called for which also helped reduce the level of caffeine - a bonus for me.

The veggies were first marinated for a few hours, placed onto skewers (I just left them 'loose') and dehydrated on teflex sheets for 3 hours. I was amazed at how 'cooked' they looked!

In her book Sarma serves the BBQ Skewers with a coleslaw. I didn't read the recipe properly and just went ahead and made the Dill Mayonnaise, thinking it was to accompany the veggies. When I realized that it was intended for the coleslaw I set it aside. I used it later for tomato and sprout sammies and it absolutely rocks! Really very good!

And last but not least, we enjoyed the Triple Layer Chocolate Cake, also from Matthew Kenney's upcoming Everyday Raw Desserts. 

Triple Layer Chocolate Cake
Posted by Matthew Kenney on his site
From his upcoming Everyday Raw Desserts

Makes one 9 inch cake

Wet Ingredients
    •    3 C Date Paste
    •    ½ C Almond Milk
    •    ½ C Maple Syrup or Agave
    •    5 tbsp Vanilla
    •    ½ C Coconut Oil, melted

Dry Ingredients
    •    4 C Almond flour
    •    4 C Hazelnut flour
    •    1 C Coconut Powder (finely ground dried coconut)
    •    1 C Cacao Powder
    •    1 tsp Salt
    •    ¼ C Irish Moss Paste* can be used with wet ingredients or ¼ C flax meal with the dry. This is optional and creates a fluffier mixture.

* To Make Irish Moss Paste

Yields 2 Cups

Approximately 2 Cups prepared (soaked) Irish Moss
½ Cup Water (use less if possible)
3-4 Tbsp agave
1 tsp lemon juice

To prepare Irish moss. Thoroughly rinse the seaweed to remove any sand or particles.  Soak rinsed moss in cool water for 3-4 hours. You do not want to soak it too long because it will decrease its gelling potential.

In the vita-mix blend the moss adding the water a little at a time, the moss varies in water content so you may need less or more depending. You want the paste to smooth and thick, not watery. Once the desired consistency is achieved add a few Tbsp agave and about a tsp lemon juice. This makes the perfect Irish moss paste for use in desserts. It will store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I roughly chopped the Irish moss to make it easier to break down.

~ I halved the recipe at first but it wouldn't blend properly so I added an extra 1/2 cup of moss thinking there wasn't enough liquid in the blender. It still wouldn't blend. I kept adding water so that I could get the moss to 'explode' (as someone once described it) into a gelatinous mixture. In the end, it worked out to be 1 1/4 cup water to 1 1/2 cup moss (before chopping). When I told Meredith about my difficulties she said that it depends on the moss, as the gelatinous content can vary. Ahhhhhh, I'd never thought of that before but it makes sense!

~ I omitted the agave and lemon juice as I wanted a more neutral paste. I figured all I'd have to do is add a bit of these to the desserts instead.

Wet Ingredients
In a vita mix thoroughly blend all the wet ingredients except for the coconut oil until smooth. Then add the coconut oil and continue to blend until well combined.

To Make Cake Batter
In a mixer or food processor mix the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients. It is better to use a standing mixture as this will keep the mixture lighter and more fluffy, but if you do not have a standing mixer it can be done in the food processor if you lightly pulse the wet ingredients in. You do not want a dense heavily blended mixture.

Fudge Frosting
    •    2 C soaked Cashews
    •    2 C Almond Milk
    •    ½ C Maple Syrup
    •    4 tbsp Vanilla Extract
    •    1 C Cacao Powder
    •    ¼ tsp Salt
    •    ¾ C Coconut Butter (I'm thinking she meant oil), melted
    •    Cacao Shell*

Frosting
In a vita mix thoroughly blend all the wet ingredients except for the coconut oil until smooth. Then add the coconut oil and continue to blend until well combined and creamy. Place in the refrigerator for 30 min to an hour until slightly firm, but still able to be easily spread.

Assembly 
Divide cake batter into thirds. Press one layer of batter in a 9 inch spring form pan and alternate with frosting. Refrigerate just before serving and glaze with Cacao shell.

Carmella's Notes:
~ I made only half the recipe as it seemed to be a huge cake.

~ I made the Cake Batter in my food processor.

~ For the Fudge Frosting, I totally read  'Cacao Butter' instead of 'Coconut Butter' since the Cake layer called for Coconut Oil. Anyhoo, I used Cacao Butter and it worked beautifully. ;-) Also, you know how whether the oil/butter is measured before or after melting makes quite a difference? Well in this case the amount before melting didn't feel right to me. I was concerned that the frosting wouldn't be firm enough so decided to go with 3/4 cup (well, actually half of that) of melted cacao butter. I also added 1 tbs lecithin, just to be safe.

And thus ended an array of exquisite gourmet treats. Guess I'll just have to pretend that every day is 'special' from now so that I can keep experimenting, eh? ;-) I'm lovin' all that novelty!

Wishing you all a very blessed and special day too!