Disillusionment of Gourmet Raw

[Sharon in Colorado]

This was really interesting to me. I find a lot of 'gourmet raw food' that doesn't taste really great, but other food I do enjoy. For the most part, though, I prefer the taste of fruit, smoothies & salads over dehydrated. And I wonder if part of it is me getting used to the taste of the recipes, since I hardly liked one recipe when I first started. Below I've included the full text & link so you can see all the responses at the bottom of the post.

Opinions?

From:

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/raw/messages/14036.html


Disillusionment of Gourmet Raw

I have always felt that I missed something because I’d never had a raw gourmet meal. My friend rectified this situation by treating me to a gourmet meal Friday night. I looked at the menu, and in the appetizer section I read “Sapote” My eyes instantly lit up! Here at long, last, the treasure I had been awaiting!

IÂ’d heard many different opinions regarding this mysterious fruit. A friend from Germany informed me that it smelled akin to baby poo. Another friend, from California claimed that it smelled earthy. And so I had formed an image of this elusive fruit, imagining it must be something like a cross between poo and dirt. As the first bite entered my mouth, I instantly knew that my preconceived ideas, based on their misleading information, were utterly and completely wrong. It tasted awesome! Like a luscious lemon flavored custard.

After the Sapote we had a couple of other unmemorable concoctions. TheyÂ’re scarcely worth mentioning because they were a pathetic and pale follow up to this succulent fruit, this gift of nature.

Then came the soup. Speaking of baby poo and dirt, I found that these were apt terms to use when describing this soup. So, at least these words came in handy. I gently took a spoonful of the soup, eagerly anticipating this, my first true gourmet soup. To say I was shocked would be the understatement of the year. My instinct demanded that I spit it out but my manners would not allow it, so I found myself sitting there with a pained expression.

I generously decided to be a gracious guest and offer the remainder of this goop to my host. My host readily accepted the soup and I was forced to watch in horror as he lapped it up, apparently without discerning the sheer foulness of the stuff. When I at last found the courage to exclaim “My god, but that soup was awful” He said “You’re absolutely right, it was terrible!”

Then came the “main entrée, a raw Sicilian “pizza”. It seemed to be wearing a disguise, something akin to a very small salad. Needless to say I was a bit shocked considering that the waitress had confidently assured us that this grandiose pizza could be happily shared between two people.

My taste buds were met with a cross between lettuce and cured vegetables. The crust was a keen reminder of a communion wafer, only slightly smaller. I guessed immediately that this was what connoisseurs of raw gourmet consider to be a “thin crust” pizza.

After we enjoyed our two and a half bites of $16 pizza, came the grand finale to this little snack disguised as dinner.

I chose the lemon cheesecake, and my host selected the strawberry mango cheesecake.

The cheesecake consisted of doughy cashew paste with a glue like texture and consistency. They kindly flavored it with 4 blueberries and 1 raspberry.

After I finished the dessert, I sat, pondering the mysteries of life. On the top of the list of mysteries I found the burning question: How have people been able to fool the public and especially the raw food community into thinking that raw gourmet is a tasty and healthy option.

The Sapote, which opened the meal, was easily far and away the best thing I was served. Having experienced my first raw gourmet meal, after having followed 8-1-1rv for over a year and a half, I found that, to my great surprise, I had not been missing anything in not jumping on the raw gourmet “imitation cooked food” bandwagon.

It made me realize just how easily and smoothly 8-1-1rv meets my caloric and nutritional needs, as well as my need for pleasure and enjoyment in eating. Eating this gourmet meal made me realize just how caloric ally and nutritionally deficient one would become eating the raw gourmet diet, which is full of refined fats, salts, spices and other unhealthy stimulants.

I also felt grateful that Dr. Graham has been there as a balanced and rational voice in the raw food revolution demonstrating a clear path through the pitfalls, distractions, and dead ends which all too often are heralded as healthy options and alternatives.

This experience proved to me beyond a shadow of a doubt what a well balanced diet I am already following. I commend Dr. GrahamÂ’s integrity in not bowing to pressure or compromising his message. ItÂ’s inspiring to know that there are places where healthy individuals congregate, at events such as Raw Stock and Fitness Week, where whole, fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables are understood to be the foundation of a healthy diet.

The objective and intention behind this post is not to defame or insult any person or place but rather to provide a clear and first hand experience, so that one does not feel that by not partaking of raw gourmet fare that they are missing out.

IÂ’ve intentionally kept the name and location of the restaurant out of this post, as I feel itÂ’s irrelevant to the experience. Optimal nutrition is optimal nutrition and sub-optimal nutrition is sub-optimal nutrition no matter where one is eating.

By Michelle A.

[tracyinfo]

Fruit is great stuff! I won't argue with that. However, I really like Cafe Gratitude, and their fancy dishes.

-Tracy

[VeganVixen]

terrific article ,but I wonder what raw resturaunt they went to?

[rawpriestess]

How strange,

I took a gourment uncooking class with Victoria Boutenko and loved every one of the foods she made, plus I do raw feasts and catering in my home, all of which are gourment, and I always have a waiting list of people who want to get in.

Maybe you had some unseasoned foods, OR, your taste buds didn't like those particular combinations, OR, the food was really terrible that day.

It is hard to believe that ALL of us raw food eaters have been brainwashed to believe that dirt tasting soup actually tastes, good, but then, I used to like skynk smelling coffee, go figure.

[Revvell]

at quite a few raw "gourmet" restaurants. They vary greatly. One in Las Vegas ( I believe it was ), was one of the best I've ever eaten at. Roxanne's up in Marin County (closed now) was up in my top two ~ except for her "cheese" tray. The soup was mahvelous!

I've eaten at a rather well-known spot in Santa Monica. While the food tasted good (not as good as I expected though), I was knocked out before we hit the freeway.

What usually happens if one stays raw long enough is, as Alissa says in her book, many will start with what is called "gourmet" then eventually, due to time elements and other desires, taper off to more simple meals.

I have made Alissa's Lasagne for a dinner party of 8. They loved it. I have also made fruit pies for meat eaters. I've made Alissa's very simple "pudding" of mango/banana for a mixed group including children ~ they loved.

For me, I don't feel it's "jumping on the gourmet "imitation cooked food" bandwagon". I feel it's a legitimate way for some folk to transition ~ to feel they are eating something "similar" to what is familiar to them.

Last year Bo and I went to a raw retreat. Nothing was dehydrated or considered "gourmet" although for us, it was just excellent food with proper ingredients, blending and seasonings. It was a treat to see how easy being raw could be.

In my opinion raw gourmet can be a healthy/tasty option yet, just like fruits and veggies, depends on what ya like. I had a chance to eat some durian for the first time this weekend. "My instinct demanded that I spit it out but my manners would not allow it, so I found myself standing there with a pained expression". I gave it to someone else who'd not tried it. This fruit left it's taste in my mouth for a couple of hours. I doubt anyone could get me to try it again.

So! having said that, what it comes down to is ~ to each his/her own.

Injoy ~

Revvell

[RawTruth]

Sharon, I could have written your words that accompanied the cut-and-pasted post from vegsource. What you wrote is exactly how I feel.

As far as raw gourmet, there are some things that I find yummy and others (many others) that seem either a pale reproduction or an out-an-out bad experience. Oftentimes, I figure it's just me, so this woman's experience is validating to me.

I guess my feeling in switching to living foods is that I am definitely not trying to replicate the tastes of cooked and baked foods. However, there are times when I miss some of them. I think this is because I am at the beginning of my raw and alive journey. I anticipate my tastebuds being entirely different when I'm 3 years down the road rather than just my 3 months at 100%. I do know that long time raw foodists almost all eat very simply and, usually, have monomeals. For instance, Victoria Boutenko doesn't eat at home like the food is that she prepares at her lectures and teaches in her classes. She is very clear that those dishes and recipes are for the transition period, not for the long term. Alissa mentions this, too, as do all the authors of the (now many) books that I have. Raw gourmet restaurants cater to the transitional stage, the newbies, and the uninititated.

I assume that, eventually, we'll get to the point where we rarely prepare these meals for ourselves, and, also, we'll have grown past the need for this forum as we shake our culture's addictive focus on food. Eating raw and living will be such a part of our lives that we'll have integrated it, won't be focusing on it anymore, and will be vitally involved in our next stage -- unique to each of us. So I hope.

Revised to add:

p.s. I was writing this at the very same time Revvell was writing hers, above. I see they're similar. I agree with Revvell, also.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Maybe you had some unseasoned foods, OR, your taste buds didn't like those particular combinations, OR, the food was really terrible that day.


For the most part, a lot of my recipes (in the beginning of discovering raw) I made came from sprouted, fermented and mostly dehydrated stuff. I didn't care for the taste. I was always trying to replicate SAD foods.

Now, I'm learning what appeals to me and finding more things that are palatable. For instance, I prefer flax seed and veggie based crackers over sprouted grain crackers or 'bread'. I'm not much into nut or seed cheeses or other 'dairy' analogs, with a couple of exceptions. I don't fancy nut pates for the most part - they are way too heavy for me. I've made lasagnes and chilis, and like them for the first day or two, but then they end up in the refrigerator for too long cause I'm not in the mood for the heaviness.

I suppose if I, like the author of the post above, was eating 8-1-1 and mono mealing it for a year and a half, went to a raw restaraunt with all the seasoned and combined foods, I probably wouldn't care for it myself.

It would be a great thing if these raw restaurants offered more fruits and salads alongside the analog type dishes, to appeal to a wider raw crowd.

[Revvell]

YESSSS!!!!!




It would be a great thing if these raw restaurants offered more fruits and salads alongside the analog type dishes, to appeal to a wider raw crowd.

[VeganVixen]

YESSSS!!!!!



ditto ,of course I dont live near any raw resturants -but I agree ,normal resturants should do this too

actually I was recently in the houston medical center at the st lukes hospital and was amaised at their extensive ,fresh salad bar ,and a BIG variety of ripe raw fruits -I was impressed!

[Revvell]

That's interesting. I used to deliver pizza many years ago and had always heard that Adventists were vegetarian. Well, I went to the Adventist Hospital with numerous veggie and pepperoni pizzas. I wonder if things have changed there recently.

Kudos to any hospital that that actually feeds folk real live, natural foods ~ and restaurants also.





ditto ,of course I dont live near any raw resturants -but I agree ,normal resturants should do this too

actually I was recently in the houston medical center at the st lukes hospital and was amaised at their extensive ,fresh salad bar ,and a BIG variety of ripe raw fruits -I was impressed!

[rawpriestess]

At my raw feasts, we always have at least 5 types of raw sliced fruits and veggies, that are always available before, during and after the meals.

We also offer, raw almond butter, raw black sesame tahini, and raw tahini, in addition to various raw nuts just for dippin' and snacking.

Then of course, we offer the 4, 6, 10, and 12 course feasts.

[sweetgoddess]

awww wow, what time is dinner rp ?? :p

[siempresam]

Crap. I just wrote a whole long response and lost it all.... Ugh. Must remember to copy it this time!!

Revvell - that is interesting how you mention the Adventist hospital. I grew up Adventist (although I admit that I am not as faithful to the tradition as I once was), and of course was raised vegetarian as a result. My parents were both also raised vegetarian, but I think that is as far back as the life-long vegetarianism goes. My husband was also raised vegetarian, but there are a lot of Adventists these days who are not vegetarian - never were and maybe never will be.

I think as far as the Adventist hospitals go, there are a lot of non-Adventist employees at any of these institutions these days - and a lot of Adventist carnivores as well. You will probably also find that they serve meat in their cafeterias as well - at least I am assuming so, since they are providing their services to the greater community at large. Many carnivores are turned off by soy chicken or wheat gluten duck - it just doesn't compute!

That reminds me that I think I remember seeing on Supersize Me that a lot of hospitals these days have food courts that have McDonalds and Burger King. It seems like hospitals should be a place of health, but instead they have allowed themselves to compromise. It just doesn't make sense that a doctor who tells his dying patient to lay off the burgers and fries to go and order a Big Mac and Big Fries for himself.

Our society seems to be going away from the whole organic process - everthing is just so overly processed that it is a wonder that we aren't all made out of plastic by now. Hopefully our kids won't be plastic. It's one thing to be plastinated after you die - but while you live?!

Anyway, I know that I ventured off topic a little. There are a few raw restaurants in our area that we want to try. Some seem to be a little pricey, but we should budget it in sometime. I want to try Quintessence and I have also heard of a few others that are supposed to be good.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Our society seems to be going away from the whole organic process - everthing is just so overly processed that it is a wonder that we aren't all made out of plastic by now.

I'm seeing the opposite, although it's a slow process. Well, maybe not about the plastic, but about whole foods in general. It seems like there are way more options for organic and whole foods. Fast food restaraunts are offering salads and more choices to their customers. We are seeing organic produce in grocery stores more than ever.

Sure, we are still seeing junk, but when Frito Lay starts offering 'natural' chips it is a move forward, even though gourmet and natural junk food isn't good for us, it's a step up from the overly processed junk that emerged from the 60's and 70's.

People are dipping into hummus, guacamole and salsa instead of french onion dip. And they are dipping with carrots, celery, baked blue corn chips and pita instead of ruffles.

Canned fruits are being canned in their natural juices as an option instead of sugar syrup. Baby food is not processed with salt. Yes, they are still all cooked, but at least without all the extra additives.

We are seeing more 'whole grains' on the market, instead of the overly processed ones.

Restaurants are making salads with romaine, spinach and other greens instead of iceberg lettuce.

And things are being labled with allergens to alert consumers. That's a big step forward.

Even though we have a long ways to go, I see a trend slowly getting us there.

[rawpriestess]

Sweetgoddes

Whenever you want.

I too see a massive trend towards the organic, natural lifestyle.

Although there have been nudist colonies, and sun worshipers, natural eaters and the like forever, there seems to me to be a swing back to nature now.

The pendulum of consciousness swings from one side to another, until if finally comes to rest somewhere in the middle.

If you take a look at history (I prefere to call it herstory) in the last 100 years, as I can only attest to what my grandparents told me of a normal life then you can see drastic changes in the way we eat. We used to can from home and everyone had a root celler, and a small veggie garden, many had a fruit tree or two, and a couple of chickens (even in town), If you were wealthy, you would have a cow and maybe a pig and goat.

Things always change dramatically during war, so WWI started some major changes, they started issuing coffee as a food to soldiers, they gave them dehydrated rations, and canned foods, and they started canning commercially in factories.

The depression hit, and small farms were lost, as people moved into the cities to find work.

Then, there was WWII and they made more cans, and the world turned upside down for most Americans, and we started rationing food, and the women did the men's jobs (really well too) and the men went off to war, and not alot of them came back.

So, more people were moving from the farm country and large families, of uncles and aunts and grandparents and distant cousins living together, to the city, using more fuel, needing more housing, living singular or small family exsistances.

Then came the atomic age (Korena Police Action-NOT a war--yeah right), where everyone wanted the prosperity of their own home, not living with mom or dad, working for the big companies, and having that "George Jetson" kitchen where they could cook food in multiple ovens.

Then the mod 70's (Vietnam War)and everything was fast paced, McDonalds didn't taste good, but it was fast, cheap and easy, and you could drive up.

The newly emancipated working woman could still go to work, pick up dinner and enjoy time with her husband and family IF she used these services.

Also the TV dinner, the microwave the fast fast fast way of everything came into being. Cyclamates were a sugar substitute and no one knew they caused cancer, thelidomyde was the pain medicine of choice for pregnant women (thank god only in Canada) and no one thought a thing about it.

Then the awareness of the 80's hit and we started wanting to be more free and have more things, we had been out of a major war for almost a decade, we understood that the cyclamaetes had indeed caused cancer and the medicines were doing much more harm than good, and we, as people, started demanding that the drug companies, tobacco companies and others be held accountable.

But we still wanted our fast paced lives in front of the TV set, but now we had microwaves.

I am not sure when pudding pops became a major staple, or ketchup became a vegetable, but it was in there.

Our own government, who we supposedly elected were making these decisions for us, because we didn't want to take the time to find out for ourselves.

We allowed the government to tell us that we needed inoculations for our children before they could go to the public schools that our tax money paid for.

Then somewhere in there, someone woke up and started asking questions about the fact that we lived faster lives, but not healthier lives. We could nuke our food and have it ready in an instant, but it tasted like plastic (because it was).

There were more fast food establishements in the city than real restaurants, and we had an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, cancer, and death at early ages.

In the 1970's I knew of only one health food store in the Seattle Tacoma are, there may have been more, but I only knew of one.

Now I know of about 200, including raw restaurants, and even a couple of raw bed and breakfasts, in addition to healing retreats and natural inns, where there is nothing that isn't 100% natural even in the building.

You can walk into safeway and find all kinds of organic and natural products, even McDonalds has good fresh salads.

There are countless places on the internet to buy natural products that most didn't even exsist just a decade ago.

We have special full spectrum lighting for cloudy areas of the country, we have hybred electric/gasoline cars that are now (finally, after only 80 years) becoming popular, although they had a great one in the 1920's that worked well.

People are finally making documentaries and movies about healthier lifestyles.

There are countless articles, magazines, movies, books, lectures, seminars and tapes about healthier lifestyles.

And they aren't quacky ones, like using electric probes to feel energized.

So, all in all, I feel like we are swinging the other way for a while on this pendulum of health, and maybe, just maybe each one of our lives will touch others, who down the road will touch others, who will touch others, and the process of regaining our health will come back to us, and we will see the need for fast efficient things in our lives, but not as more important that our health.

[Pailani]

<<even McDonalds has good fresh salads.>>

I keep reading this. But every time I order a salad at McDonalds or any other fast food place, it comes prepackaged with cheddar cheese sprinkled on it. And it's impossible to pick it off because the shreds are so tiny and when they touch the lettuce, they melt because of the liquid on the lettuce, and those tiny shreds work their way into half the salad.

[swingbolder]

Most of the gourmet dishes I've tried at home have not turned out that great. Some were downright awful tasting! However, I've eaten at a couple of raw restaurants -- In the Raw (Woodstock NY) and Quintessence (NYC) and the food was absolutely delicious, so I know it can be done.

[rawpriestess]

How odd about the McDonald's cheese,

I guess they are different in different parts of the country, as ours up here have the cheese, bacon bits, croutons all separately packaged, and the lettuce and tomatoes are always truly fresh and ripe and crisp. Never wilted or white tomatoes, or any of that yucky stuff.

HUMM, of course, we don't have some of the things that they showed in super size me, so I suppose things are different in different parts of the country.

I usually go to Taco Bell, order a huge taco salad with everything on the side, that way I get fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onion, with all the other stuff somewhere else.

That is if I want it fast, cheap and easy.

[siempresam]

Rawpriestess, I can see what you are saying. I guess it is all in how you look at it.

For me I grew up next to my grandparents with my grandpa working in the garden. Every summer we'd have fresh corn on the cob, and ripe tomatoes, and squash, cumcumbers, and even grapes and raspberries and blackberries. My grandma and mom would work in the kitchen canning and freezing all of this great fresh home-grown food. Little did I realize at that point what a lucky person I was. I always was looking across the fence - wanting french fries and strawberry shakes from the local fast food place, and the best stuff was at home. And now that I have access to all of that fast food and I have seen the effects of fast food/processed food on Americans, I wish that I could have a garden and grow my own vegetables...

I agree that there is a movement of people that are wanting more organic and healthful things, but I also see the fight against that. Don't know if you all have seen, but Burger King has come out with a frightening new omelet sandwich. I think it is called the "Enormous Omelet Sandwich" and here is the description from their site:


Wake up to a mouthful of breakfast with the Enormous Omelet Sandwich. Two slices of melted, American cheese, two fluffy eggs stuffed with three crispy strips of bacon, and a sizzling sausage patty, piled high on a toasted bun.
If that isn't a rebellion against the health trend and retaliation against "Supersize Me" and its portrayal of the fast food industry, then I don't know what is.

Well, and I guess I just see how a lot of New Yorkers eat. So many people don't stay at home and fix their own food here. A lot of people here would rather go spend $5 - $10 on their lunch at a fast food place than take a little time to make something better at home.

I hope that the organic movement continues to grow - it most certainly needs to!!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I haven't been to Mickey D's in a while but the last time I was there, about 2 years ago, I got a side salad for 99 cents. It was made with very green baby field greens with Newman's own dressing on the side. I don't remember any cheese on it either but there were a couple of cherry tomatoes.

Pailani was yours a side salad or an entree salad? I was thinking maybe you can get a couple of side salads since they are so puny.

Siam have you ever been to Caravan of Dreams in New York City? It is a raw food place I heard about.

[DotfromOz]

<<even McDonalds has good fresh salads.>>

I keep reading this. But every time I order a salad at McDonalds or any other fast food place, it comes prepackaged with cheddar cheese sprinkled on it. And it's impossible to pick it off because the shreds are so tiny and when they touch the lettuce, they melt because of the liquid on the lettuce, and those tiny shreds work their way into half the salad.

Same here. Even when I was eating SAD, the cheese slime all over the raw stuff disgusted me. Yukkola!

Give me one of my "grazing through my fridge" salad-building expeditions any day!

I like Greens+ bars as fast food, as they're easy to tuck in my bag as a just-in-case. Kinda expensive at $2.50 a bar as 2 bars are recommended on their wrapper as a full meal. One does for me just fine with a big ol' "windmill punch" to wash it down. (Which means water, for all you cityslickers ;)) That's both a cheaper and far better meal than a MickeyD's salad, sez me.

[Ariella]

Sharon

I think it is all a matter of taste. I dont really care for the raw gourmet personally. It is just way to heavy and leaves me feeling tired and well heavy. I do occasionally like a raw desert though. My SAD eating hubby also really enjoys teh deserts. If I try to make the raw gourmet nobody wants to eat it, my son wont touch it, he prefers smoothies, fresh juices, nut milks, raw fruits and some veggies and my husband doesn't like it (the main dishes) so I guess I figure why bother most of the time. I do occasionally like a nut pate but not very often, I agree with you those also seem to be too heavy. These are just my opinions though, if I ever had the opportunity to go to a raw restaurant I am sure that I would. I think that would be a fun and special treat ;)

I have to agree with the author of that article about soups, I have not found any raw soups that I can say that I really like. To me they all taste pretty gross. But again this is just to me, I would rather just eat a salad.

Thanks for the interesting post :)

Ariella


JUICE PLUS+
www.juiceplus.com/+dj73561

[rawpriestess]

I suppose everyone is different, that ultimate omelet thingy, sounds like death to me. First, you have to eat dead animals, that have been sliced and nitrated, then disguised by grinding the flesh down into little pieces, then salted and spiced so you don't know what you are eating, then you take the embryo of another species and heat it so it vulcanizes, then add more salt and coagulated lactate of another species and smear that on, then you take moldy lactate of a being and then add that, good lord, I couldn't eat something like that, I can't even think of it.

I don't do TV, radio or newspapers, I am an ostrich (I hope) so I really don't see any commercials or know what is going on in the world. I like it that way.

I can actually focus on my artwork, and living a peace filled experience.

It keeps me closer to God/dess and I can much easier do therapy session for my clients, because I have no knowledge of outside influences, so I can't draw my own conclusions, they must tell me their conclusions on their experiences. Makes it much easier to understand them.

But, we are all different, thank goodness, so we experience the world differently. and it's food.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

My friend and I went to Victoria Boutenko's seminar once. My friend loved every food prepared. I liked the slice of cucumber.

I still have not found a "prepared" raw dish that I really like. I made the onion bread and thought it was great. The 2nd time I made it, I thought it was okay. The 3rd time I made it - well they are still sitting in a bag - guess I better toss them. I do like my smoothies. But then again it contains just strawberries and bananas and occasionally I'll throw in a splash of apple juice.

I prefer whole fresh fruits and veggies. Now to find some good produce that I don't have to throw out once I cut it open or take a bite out of it!!!!! I sure can't wait for summer to get here with the wonderful, locally grown produce!!!!

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Revvell]

*^'5's the priestess on not listening to radio, watching t.v. or reading newspapers* It's a wonder-filled life, isn't it?

Injoy ~

Revvell

[Sharon in Colorado]

Helen I did *exactly* as you with the onion bread. 1st time loved it, 2nd time liked it, 3rd time, the bag sat around so long I eventually trashed it.

[JustMe]

I think a part that is played into wanting gourmet or simple is our bodies probably telling us it wants variety. I believe it was ann wigmore whose site i read this on. It's important to get a variety in your diet to get a broad spectrum of nutrition. that is probably why something will be good once or twice, but then after it's time to move on to something else.

anyone second that "theory"?

:confused:

[rootstotoot]

:D :D :D :D Went to Arnold's Raw Rest. in Pa. last summer. Got a raw burger and pizza to go. My hubby and 4 children got some goodies to eat on the road too. The burger and piaaz were great! So good in fact that I had a hard time keeping the rest of my family from eating all of it. My hubby and 4 children are 75 raw and 25 cooked. They had plenty of their our food to eat but no, they all wanted to eat mine. Wanted to stop at Arnold's on the way back to Tennessee but we left too late. Maybe next time we go home to New Jersey we will be able to go there again. Sigh!

[VeganVixen]

*^'5's the priestess on not listening to radio, watching t.v. or reading newspapers* It's a wonder-filled life, isn't it?

Injoy ~

Revvell

I COULDNT DO IT!!! -but cheers for you that can -I DO think though that the media has a purpose ,knowing whats going on in the community -schools-homeless -dirty politics ect. I JUST WISH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE MATTERS WORSE WOULD TUNE OUT ,LOL!!!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I think a part that is played into wanting gourmet or simple is our bodies probably telling us it wants variety. I believe it was ann wigmore whose site i read this on. It's important to get a variety in your diet to get a broad spectrum of nutrition. that is probably why something will be good once or twice, but then after it's time to move on to something else.

anyone second that "theory"?

:confused:

I agree with you. When I want 'gourmet' it's usually something that needs to taste cooked. A lot of the nut based things turn out too heavy for me. One thing I really love is what Cherie (Rawkinlocs) suggested to me - marinated and dehydrated veggies. They are really good because they're fairly light and they are flavored from the marinade.

But, I do go between wanting something light and simple to complex, depending on my mood and of course the time of the month, LOL!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Sharon & Rawkinlocs,

Are there a couple of marinades that you two like? I have dehydrated some veggies before, but I just used olive oil. I'd like to try something else with my veggies.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[rawpriestess]

My favorite marinade for veggies, is olive oil and braggs, about 3 cups of veggies, and 1 T each of olive oil and braggs.

I also use fresh sliced ginger and orange juice with a dash of cayenne and olive oil, this makes veggies sing, very Asian tasting.

And another favorite of mine is Olive oil, garlic crushed, basil, oregano rosemary and thyme, this gives it a Mediteranian flavor. some people like a touch of salt, but I don't add salt until AFTER I am done dehydrating as it draws out the liquid in veggies too fast, and can make them tough.

[Sharon in Colorado]

Helen - Here's an excerpt from my last journal entry. I forgot to write that I used the juice of an orange. Gave it a nice sweet flavor. If you don't want to use the soy sauce, just use a pinch of celtic salt or no salt at all.


I made a mouthwatering marinade with nama shoyu, tamari, ume plum vinegar, fresh garlic & ginger, celtic salt, grapeseed oil, and a few drops of hot sauce. I marinated in a zip bag and then put it in the dehydrator to warm and served it on top of carrot noodles (made with a veggie peeler).

RP I'll have to try that without the salt next time. I mean, there's a lot of salt already in the nama shoyu or braggs, I wonder if I tried doing it without salt at all and just used citrus juices.

[Cinnamon]

I love to marinate veggies and my favorite mixture is the juice of 1 orange, several tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, some garlic, bit of ground flax, and sprinkle of nutritional yeast. I use this not only for a marinade, but it is my daily salad dressing too!

I can't eat any added salt but I am sure some bragg's or celtic sea salt would make a nice addition. Some olive oil would be good too, just not for me though as I don't eat any added oil.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I'm going to have to look them over again. A lot of the ingredients I saw above, I have never used before, tasted and some I have no idea what they are:

balsamic vinegar
nutritional yeast
grapeseed oil
sliced ginger
hot sauce
tamari
ume plum vinegar

Anyway, thanks. I'll see if I can come up with a marinated that I and my family will like. It sure won't hurt to try something new that we haven't had before.

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[rawpriestess]

balsamic vinegar
nutritional yeast
grapeseed oil
sliced ginger
hot sauce
tamari
ume plum vinegar

Hi,

Balsamic vinegar is made from grapes, has a wonderfully heavy dense flavor, very dark, and is cooked, but you only need a little. you can find it in Italian delis or some nicer supermarkets, expect to pay about $6. for a small bottle if it is high quality. It should be black.

Nutritional yeast, get this at a health food store, it is flaky and you don't need much. It really stinks, but makes things taste cheesy.

Grapeseed oil. another wonderfully flavored oil, although NOT raw, but you can find it in most deli's.

Sesame oil is marvelous also, again not raw.

sliced ginger, simply ginger root, peeled and sliced, this is about $4 per pound in asian markets or deli's I keep mine in the freezer, it tastes devine.

Hot sauce, I am assuming that people make their own, as you can buy many different cooked brands, when I say hot sause in my recipes it is usually a tomatoe juice based sauce, with jalepeno, onion, and chili powder, or cayenne.

Tamari, is a wheatless Soy sauce, although again, not raw, it tastes like Nama Shoyu, or Braggs, but a little lighter, not as salty.

Ume plum vinegar, not sure about this one. I have used plum sauce, and make my own, anthough it is supposed to be cooked, it is basically a sweet plum sauce. (like apple sauce) I haven't heard of this vinegar, but I bet you could get it at an Asian market, or maybe a Trader Joes, as they have a wondrful assortment of many things.

Hope this helps. it's alot easier to know what to substitute if you know what the thing is in the first place. LOL

[sweetgoddess]

Hi.
I found Raw sesame oil in a health food store in poulsbo. You poured your own bottle out of this big barrel. Just wanted to let you know you can find it raw.

[Sharon in Colorado]

For the hot sauce, I used a couple drops of tabasco, but chili powder would work fine.

The Ume Plum vinegar and tamari I used is by Eden Foods.

You can get toasted and untoasted sesame oil. Of course the toasted is going to have a much deeper flavor. Spectrum oil makes both kinds of sesame oil and this company advertises making their oil with a very low heat.

I used the grapeseed oil in place of olive because it has a very mild flavor. I'm not sure if it's heated much during the processing.

The most natural (and least questionable as to being raw) marinade would probably be fresh orange and lime juices, fresh garlic and ginger and sesame seeds. I'm going to try doing that the next time I marinade.

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Ladies,

Thanks so much for clarifying what some of these ingredients are. Most of them aren't raw, so there's no sense in me trying them, then getting hooked on them since my goal is to be 100% raw . . . . someday.

I'll look into the ones listed that are raw and see what kind of combination I can come up with. I have dehydrated my veggies in olive oil, but I'm sure there's something else I could add for a little extra flavor or punch.

<>< Helen of Tennessee