Sydney Morning Herald Article

"The times they are a-changing!"
I was very excited to read an article in such a mainstream City newspaper this week, advocating the value of more Raw Food in our diet. Mathew Kenny has written many books on the subject & is a "leading light" in the USA;  his restaurants  are packed out with customers & his Raw Food menu exquisite ; we are  now beginning to see more & more people in Australia tending to adjust their menus to healthier & more ethical choices, especially in leaving meat off the menu.  It is such a joy to have "the choice" when dining out..... to eat healthily & in my case be able to choose  a meal without animal products.This supports the environment & the animals that have been & still are in most cases, subjected to much cruelty at some stage during their short life.
 Don't get me wrong....I have eaten my fair share & more, of meat & animal products during my 66 years & my decision to change this, began with a single step. I started to realize that what was on my plate was the result of an animal dying ( beef, lamb, pork, chicken, seafood)  or being treated in a very unnatural way just so I could enjoy my dairy products and eggs. This hit me like an emotional roller coaster & yes, the very fact that the world is mostly a meat eating society, also has massive ramifications for the planet...it has taken time to fully acknowledge what I have been part of, and then to truly FEEL it! The elimination of dairy & eggs from my diet has taken much longer, & I have struggled with this; these products were totally addictive for me, as I loved eating them....I also chose to disassociate emotionally from the cow having her baby taken away at birth & slaughtered when it was no longer viable to feed her for milk production, or the hen in a factory style  "free range" with over crowded conditions (or worse still, in cages barely able to move) , but with "Organic/ Free Range" plastered on the box!! This message is designed to make us "feel better" about our choice & to disassociate & avoid  anything that may be unpleasant or unacceptable to feel about the production process.
 My reason to share this with you is not to be in judgment of anyone out there ...I'd love to think that we are all considering  our choices more carefully though & how this is affecting our environment, the planet & our health, not to mention...dare I say, how it affects "our Soul condition"......please remember however, the decision is always ultimately up to us as individuals, & we have been given free will to make our own decisions.

Chef and Raw Food pioneer, Mathew Kenny  Photo Woodrow Wilson

                      

   Matthew Kenney is a wanted man. As a classically trained chef and recognized leader in the world of "raw cuisine" he is the go-to guy for any budding chef or health guru wanting to change our meat-obsessed world and live a healthier lifestyle.

He founded Pure Food and Wine in New York, the world's first fine dining raw restaurant, before selling his share to his partner. He went on to pen 10 cookbooks, and open three more restaurants in Santa Monica, California and Miami as well as a culinary raw food school. In 2013 he will launch the world's first classically structured online course focused on raw cuisine.

He has been nominated for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef award twice, plus won Food & Wine's Best New Chef.

Black pepper kelp noodles features on Kenney's raw food menu.

What are the biggest myths about raw food?

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Often what comes to mind when people think of raw cuisine is that it's unfinished and not prepared. To the contrary, we're actually fully preparing raw-food dishes, but we do it in a way that enhances the inherent qualities of the food itself. We'll use a host of cooking methods - such as thermal immersion, smoking, and emulsification - to create recipes so that guests don't feel like they're eating something that is perceived as unfinished.

I believe there should not be a gap between maintaining good health and enjoying beautiful and delicious food. My philosophy is really about highlighting not only the benefits, but also the pleasures of a well-prepared, plant-based diet. Once our palates are trained to enjoy this style of food it becomes a source of pleasure as well as health.

Kenney's M.A.K.E. restaurant in Santa Monica.

How long have you been living 'raw'?

I adopted a plant-based lifestyle about 10 years ago when I was living and working in New York. I had developed many upscale restaurants as a classically trained chef and a friend of mine invited me to a raw restaurant where I experienced people who were enjoying the benefits of a raw lifestyle for the first time.  This fueled my desire to change the way people feel about healthy food through beautiful and contemporary raw cuisine. 

How has raw living changed your life?

Having grown up on the coast of Maine, I consider myself an avid outdoorsman, and adopting a plant-based raw lifestyle has certainly afforded me the ability to maintain an active lifestyle with the same quick recovery that I enjoyed in my younger days.  My lifestyle has also sustained my connection to nature and seasonality, which has brought a sort of peace to my life.  

Did you eat meat as a child?

I would both consume meat and hunt animals as a child.  However, I was always inspired by health and wellness.  My diet now is very simple - high in healthy fats such as avocado and coconut, heavy on salads, dark leafy greens and I enjoy raw chocolate often.  

Why do you think the world is more open to raw food now than ever before? 

There is certainly an international demand and interest in raw cuisine.  Our students in both our onsite and online academies come from all over the world and we frequently receive inquiries from people wanting private chefs internationally or those needing consulting services for opening a raw food business in other parts of the world.  

How can people incorporate raw food into their lives and what benefits would they receive?

A really easy way to add raw foods into your diet is through juices and smoothies.  Starting your day with something fresh gives me a boost of energy and helps me make cleaner food choices as the day passes.  We developed Everyday Raw Express (both the book and the iPad application) for those who want to enjoy raw foods but don't have tons of time to commit to it.  

What has been the reaction to your raw fine dining?

We have had a wonderful response to our opening of M.A.K.E. Restaurant in Santa Monica.  Most of our regulars are not raw foodists but people who just enjoy fine dining and high-quality cuisine.  First-time guests usually arrive sceptical and leave satisfied.  

What is next for you? 

We started building The White Lotus with our partners in Miami.  The project in Miami will include a restaurant as well as a culinary academy.  We will also be expanding our online curriculum and developing our strategic partnerships, private chef placements, consulting and other areas of the business.  We feel like in order to change the way people think about food, we have to remain involved in many areas. Our 10th and 11th books will also be released this year. Next year we are introducing a high-end line of products to the market, as well as beginning to look at international opportunities.  

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/strive/some-like-it-raw-20130524-2k4u2.html#ixzz2Up5y5ht2

Beans

How To Live in Harmony

with High-Fiber Foods

Thanks to Kris for her research into high fiber foods; this is a subject I know little about other than to understand our bodies need fiber! I thought you might like to read her article, her down to earth report highlights some traps for those new to introducing more Raw Foods into our diets & Bean lovers!

Sometimes when we add more veggies and fiber-filled foods to our plate,our digestive system doesn’t cooperate very well and uncomfortable physical issues crop up. These not-so-awesome bathroom trips and embarrassing gassy moments have given fiber a bad name. But fiber really is our friend — you just have to get to know it a little better and learn a few simple fiber guidelines. Today, I hope to mend any grudges you have against fiber and show you how to live in harmony with it. C’mon, give fiber a chance!

What is fiber?

Quite simply, fiber is plant roughage — the part of veggies, fruits, beans, grains, nuts and seeds that resists digestion. So why would you go out of your way to eat things that just come out anyway? For precisely that reason. Fiber helps clean out your digestive system and get rid of things (namely extra hormones, cholesterol, toxins and waste) that shouldn’t be there.

Fiber also provides a plethora of other health benefits, including  proper colon health and intestinal bacterial balance. In addition, fiber-rich foods are essential for a strong immune system, faster metabolism and weight control, diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention, beautiful skin and better overall health. Are you beginning to see why I’m so passionate about fiber?

What’s the difference between soluble & insoluble fiber?

Insoluble fiber has a laxative effect and is found in fruit and vegetable skins, wheat, wheat bran, rye and rice. It doesn’t readily dissolve in water so it adds to fecal bulk (poop mass). It’s crucial for hearty, healthy bowel movements, which should be excreted at least once or twice a day.

Soluble fiber absorbs liquid, swells and is readily digested by intestinal bacteria. It ferments and produces gases in the digestive tract. I know this doesn’t sound so sexy, but it’s very important for colon health. Soluble fiber creates a feeling of fullness and is the kind of fiber responsible for lowering LDL “lousy” cholesterol.  You have to look a little harder for soluble fiber in the diet, but champions include chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, oat bran, barley, beans, lentils, psyllium and most fruits — especially berries.

How much fiber do you need to eat?

There’s a big difference between how much fiber the average person is eating and how much they should be eating for optimal health. The recommended intake  for disease prevention is 14 grams of fiber for every 1000 calories consumed, which averages to at least 38 grams per day for men and 25 grams per day for women. Many health authorities, however, recommend eating even more fiber to better your chances of overall health and wellness. However, the average American fiber intake  is about half of what’s recommended — 16-18 grams of a day for men and 12-14 grams per day for women.

And let’s not leave out the kiddos! Kids eat less food and should naturally have less fiber in their diet. But, fiber is still important for their overall health, and it’s important for them to have a mix of insoluble fiber-rich veggies, wheat bran, and rice as well as soluble fiber-rich beans, seeds and berries.  Loose stools are often the first sign that a child may be getting too much fiber, or an improper balance of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Why does fiber cause gas and indigestion?

Too much added fiber, too fast

An increase in total fiber, especially a jump too quickly can cause gas and bloating. But, it’s really the fermentation of soluble fiber in the colon that produces these issues. Soluble fiber hits the colon undigested, and when the gut bacteria works to break it down, gas results. A-ha! This is why the childhood song pokes fun at beans as the “musical fruit” and not lettuce — beans have a great deal of soluble fiber, lettuce has mostly insoluble fiber. Keep in mind that beans or no beans, it is actually normal to pass gas 13-21 times a day. Yes, I said it’s normal. Fart-tastic!

Digestive disorders

Irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive disorders affect how much gas moves through the intestinal tract and can increase intestinal gassiness as well as bloating and painful discomfort. Like anyone new to a high-fiber diet, folks with sensitive or otherwise challenged digestive systems should increase fiber intake slowly and ensure a mix of both insoluble and soluble fiber-rich foods.

Soluble fiber like the kind found in chia seeds and flax seeds helps to soften stools and make happy bowel movements with minimal discomfort. Raw vegetables and cruciferous vegetables may provide special challenges for those with digestive disorders. If this is the case, eating smaller quantities or cooking veggies thoroughly may give some relief.

You’re not drinking enough water

To avoid constipation (which often goes along with extra gas and bloating), be sure to increase fluid intake as you increase fiber intake. If you’re dehydrated, your body pulls water from your food waste, making your poop more difficult to pass. Women need (on average) at least 2 liters of water a day and men need at least 3 liters a day. You can also calculate this by dividing your body weight in half and drinking that quantity of water in ounces (a person who weighs 200 pounds  needs to drink 100 ounces water daily).

The rest of the culprits

Eating too fast, smoking, chewing gum, not chewing your food thoroughly, drinking carbonated beverages, eating lactose found in dairy products, even chewing on too much fructose (fruit sugar), and loading up on too many raffinose-heavy foods like beans, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can increase gas production. In case you’re curious, raffinose is a hard-to-digest sugar. Kombu (a seaweed) helps break it down, therefore making it easier to digest. (I share my tip for using kombu while cooking below.)

A diet too high in fatty foods can also increase bloating and digestive discomfort. Fatty foods (even of the healthier fat variety) slow down stomach emptying and lower the transit time of foods through the digestive system.  This gives the body extra time to get gassy and uncomfortable.

Do the root causes we just covered sound familiar? If so, read on and learn how to live a thriving and comfortable high-fiber life.

How to calm digestion and prevent gas while eating fibrous foods

Here are some easy ways you can increase healthy, fibrous foods while avoiding pesky digestive issues:

• Ease into eating more fiber slowly. Add 5 grams of fiber (the amount in 1 large serving of vegetables, 1/3 cup of cooked beans or lentils, or 1 ½ servings of fruit) no sooner than every 3 days. Trampolining into too much fiber too fast is a guarantee that you’ll get gassy, bloated, and perhaps have too many bathroom trips. And chances are, you’ll blame the fiber and go back to your old low-fiber ways. Once your system is used to the added 5 grams of fiber, add another 5 grams. The minute you feel discomfort, scale back slightly and try again in 3 more days. Keep going until you’re fiber-strong! It often takes a month or more to fully transition to a superpower high-fiber diet. And don’t forget to increase water intake as your fiber intake increases — at least 2 liters for women and 3 liters for men daily.
• Balance soluble and insoluble fiber. If gas persists, replace some of the soluble-fiber rich foods (beans, lentils, split-peas, berries, chia seeds, oats, flax) with foods rich in insoluble fiber (veggies, fruit, wheat, wheat bran, and brown rice). Soluble fiber is often to blame for gassiness and insoluble fiber helps move things out more quickly allowing for less gassy time potential.
• Cook beans with kombu. After soaking dried beans overnight (or at least a few hours) and before boiling them, drain the soaking water (it contains some gas-causing compounds), add new filtered water and a strip of dried kombu seaweed (found at any health food store). The kombu contains enzymes (unlike our digestive tracts) that breakdown the gas-causing raffinose simple sugars in beans and cruciferous veggies.
• Eliminate high-fat and fried foods. Fat slows stomach emptying and can increase gas and bloating. Reduce even healthy fats like nuts, avocados, seeds and healthy oils to see if fat may be the culprit.
• Chew slowly and avoid carbonated beverages and gum. The less gas you consume, the less gas that has to get out. Simple!
• Add fresh ginger to meals. Ginger is a big-time gas reliever, digestion easer and nausea and motion sickness remedy. Add ginger to stir-fries, green juice and bean dishes. Enjoy hot ginger tea before and after meals or a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger before meals.
• Take a probiotics supplement and eat probiotic foods. Probiotics help restore good bacteria and ease digestion. Foods that are naturally high in probiotics include pineapple, tempeh, kimchi, natto, sauerkraut and miso. Or supplement with a high-quality probiotic like Dr. Ohirra’s, Primal Defense, Healthforce Nutritionals (Friendly Force) and MegaFood’s Megaflora.
• Exercise. Any cardiovascular exercise that strengthens your abdominal muscles (walking, running, bicycling) also helps strengthen your digestive muscles. This eases digestion. Plus, getting your heart rate up also increases your intestinal speed. Less time in the tract can often help alleviate gas. Certain yoga poses that increase blood flow to the digestive tract like the seated spinal twist can also help soothe indigestion.
• Wheel out trapped gas. Lay on the floor, legs up in the air and move them in a bicycle motion. Wheee! Trapped gas can be really painful, and this exercise will help you get some relief.

           NB    This Final pointer seems like a fairly desperate measure (smile, the mind boggles !)  Susan x

Fruit & Veggie Carvings

SOME PEOPLE ARE SOOOO CLEVER!

I was looking at some fruit carvings on the Internet recently & thought I would like to share these couple of relatively simple designs with you......needless to say it is a complete Art in itself & many do elaborate pieces for table decorations at Weddings & all kinds of Celebrations. Asian Cultures are especially clever in creating amazing masterpieces.

Carved Radish Flowers--Noi's Fruit Carving

Watermelon Bunny

Pear salad with beautiful presentation!

Strawberry Owl




























The traditional art of Thai fruit carving including watermelon carving, began in Thailand in the 14th century during the reign of King Phra Ruang, the 1st King of the Sukothai Kingdom. The first fruit carving is said to have been created to decorate a kratong during the Thai festival of Loy Kratong. Originally seen only in the Royal Court of Siam, Thai craftsmen and women have, over the last seven centuries, transformed the ancient craft of fruit carving into an art form of exquisite beauty unsurpassed elsewhere in the world and fantastic examples can be seen at weddings and feasts as well as being on display in many of the larger hotels in Thailand. Thai fruit carving is also prominent as part of religious offerings.

Cherie's Secrets to great Dressings and Sauces

When I was training at the  Living Light Culinary Institute 18 months ago, I learnt that the most flavorful Sauces and Salad Dressings have five important components: Cherie Soria demonstrates this with these beautiful pictures & advise below; I have much to be grateful for in my training as I believe Cherie teaches & offers possibly the most exciting & recognized Gourmet Raw Chef Career opportunities in the World; her many programs are offered at the Living Light Culinary Institute in Fort Bragg USA. & students come from all over the World. I know of at least one of my blog readers from Australia who is now training there right at this moment. Go Girl!!



There is no limit to the variety of exciting salad dressings, sauces, and soups you can make once you understand the principles involved. A good dressing or sauce can enable you to be totally satisfied with your salad every day, even if you do not consider yourself a “good” cook. Salads never have to be   boring-you are free to create a delicious new dressing for every salad!

•  Tart/sour/acidic: Producing a sharp sensation of taste and smell; piercing to the mind; sharply penetrating, expressive and stimulating.
• Sweet: pleasant and agreeable to the palate and mind, gratifying, with sugar-like overtones.
• Fatty or creamy: smooth, rich, oily, luscious, lush and velvety.
• Salty: increases intensity of flavors already present; adds additional taste by enhancing flavors.
• Herbs and Spices: complement and add drama and zest to the flavor of foods

Many ingredients satisfy two or more of the five components, so it’s possible to create a simple, yet delicious, dressing or sauce using only three ingredients.

For example, pineapples, oranges, and tamarind contain a natural balance of two important flavors-sweet and tart. These fruits, therefore, satisfy two of the basic elements. That makes them ideal as a base for salad dressings.

You may also use several different ingredients from the same category. For example: garlic, ginger, and hot chili peppers all fall into the spice category and, when combined with other ingredients from the basic five, they can help to create extraordinarily flavorful dressings for salads.

Celery, sea vegetables and miso all fall into the salt category, yet they can be used together in one recipe to add different salty flavors and create an individual, yet united, effect. When using more than one salt ingredient, use much less of each salty seasoning. Salt should be used sparingly, so the addition of herbs and spices are very important, since they help to flavor dressings without the overuse of salt.

Another important element is fats or other ingredients that add creaminess.The majority of salad dressings contain oil, although it is not necessary to use oil. There is no limit to the number of dressings and sauces you can make using whole-food fats (like avocado, young coconut and tahini) or fruits (like mango, pineapple, tomatoes, and cucumbers) that thicken and add creaminess. Whole-food fats are great sources of essential fatty acids, which are necessary for good health. Of course, that doesn’t mean, “if a little is good, a lot is better”, but for most people, a small amount of fat can be included in a health promoting diet. Fats also add to the “mouth-feel” or creamy texture of salad dressings. A few whole, soaked raw nuts and seeds like cashews, almonds or sesame seeds can also be used to achieve the creamy texture people enjoy so much on their salads. For easy digestion, we recommend you use only one fatty ingredient in a dressing at one time. In other words, when making a sauce or dressing, choose oil or avocado, but not both.

If you are avoiding fats in your diet, you can use peeled, seeded cucumbers or sweet red peppers and fruits like mango and papaya to create a satisfying, creamy texture. Add a tablespoon of lime juice to balance the sweetness and some fresh herbs or hot chili peppers, with salt or miso and garlic to round out the flavor



                                         Here we have Cherie in The Institute's All Raw Kitchen.....YUM, YUM!