Cooking in the Raw
We learned a thing or two about raw cooking on a recent retreat: Dehydrators are a must in the all-raw diet, you can use heat but only up to around 118°F, and anything mimicking dairy is usually some kind of pulverized nut. Even if you’re not following a completely raw diet, eating raw occasionally can give your digestive system a break, and can be especially refreshing in the summer. So, we’ve included the recipes from the retreat below plus a couple others from raw food stalwarts Pure Food & Wine in NYC and Café Gratitude in LA.
The Retreat Menu
Chef Darryl Pretorius, a fine food chef who’s getting more into raw cooking, let us watch as he prepared lunch and dinner on our second day. Here’s what we ate.
Marinated Wild Mushrooms
These mushrooms, which the chef foraged himself in the countryside the day before, are marinated in nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) and sesame oil overnight, then dehydrated for an intense flavor.
Afternoon Snack
Mixed nuts, cookies, and truffles made from blended dried fruits, nuts, coconut, and raw cocoa.
And a cup of Kukicha tea.
Zucchini & Heirloom Tomato Lasagna
Raw food expert Sarma Melngailis lends us a recipe from her first book, Raw Food Real World: “The sweetness of the tomatoes and the creaminess of the ‘ricotta’ create familiar flavors that appeal to most everyone.”
I Am Pure: Raw Kale & Seaweed Salad
Otherwise known as ‘I Am Pure,, this recipe is courtesy of Café Gratitude in LA—they have a great raw section on their vegan menu. Everything on the menu is named for an affirmation.
