To many, the concept of “raw foods” elicits visions of giant, inedible zucchinis, tasteless plates of mixed vegetables, and difficult-to-chew mystery plants. I thought this way about raw foods until a friend took me to lunch at an upscale restaurant in New York City, where my salad consisted entirely of julienne raw vegetables with a dash of tangy dressing. “I could make this at home!” I thought, devouring another crisp, succulent bite. Eating raw foods doesn’t necessarily mean converting to a 100% raw diet; a crunchy, fresh raw salad can occasionally spice up your meal plans. And if you’ve never tried raw foods, this hot August may be the time; raw foods go hand in hand with “cool cooking.”
Read about the history of raw food-ism, supposed health benefits, and controversy (mostly about raw dairy and meat products) here.
We’ll leave the recipes to the experts. For a community of raw food-ists, complete with the Raw Food-ist Personal Ads (“Are you raw and single?”), visit “Living-Foods” website here. The link under “Yummy Recipes” will take you to the recipe page.
Many raw food recipes involve special kitchen equipment, like the slicer that can turn zucchinis into “angel hair pasta” or the food processor that turns potatoes (that is, raw potatoes) into “meatloaf.” Simple kitchen tools and elbow grease can replace some equipment: use a grater to julienne vegetables. For salad recipes that don’t require anything too unusual, visit Rhio’s Raw Energy website here. The ingredients may include items you’ve never purchased, like daikon radish, pumpkin seeds, or watercress. If so, take advantage of the hot weather to try something new… go raw!