RAW DIET LIVING FOOD RECIPES
Review by Barb & Ron Kroll
The Raw Truth - Recipes and Resources for the Living Foods Lifestyle
(Celestial Arts) ISBN 978-1587610400 158761040X
Learn how to prepare sprouted, cultured, dehydrated and fresh living foods for raw diets. Besides 200 raw recipes, Jeremy Safron provides information about edible flowers, sea vegetables, juicers, dehydrators, food processors, sprouting equipment and the benefits of a raw food lifestyle,.
Several living food recipes in The Raw Truth are raw food versions of cooked dishes like pizza, lasagna, cabbage rolls, falafel, fruit pies and brownies. Other raw dishes are designed for a living food diet, such as pumpkin cashew seed cheese and sunflower seed carrot croquettes.
Raw food dishes
Using easy-to-understand explanations, Jeremy Safron describes how uncooked food preserves enzymes destroyed by heat and processing. The Raw Truth organizes recipes by category, from raw appetizers and main dishes to raw desserts and drinks.
In many of his raw recipes, Jeremy Safron uses dates as sweeteners, Bragg Liquid Aminos as a salt substitute and nuts, avocados and coconut for creaminess.
Cashew milk variations
In his introduction to each raw diet recipe, he provides culinary tips and recipe variations. To vary his cashew milk recipe, for example, he suggests blending in seeds from half a vanilla bean or adding three tablespoons raw carob with the dates and nuts.
Food photos by Eniko Perhacs depict living food recipes from The Raw Truth and some of the vegetable, fruit and herbal ingredients.
Types of juicers
In the Raw Tools chapter of The Raw Truth, Jeremy Safron provides advice about buying juicers. He explains the differences between centrifugal or spinning juicers, like the Miracle juicer and Juice Man juicer, and homogenizing, or masticating juicers (e.g., Champion), which are more efficient.
He also discusses the pros and cons of juice presses, including the Norwalk juicer, which is an electric press, and screw presses, such as wheatgrass juicers. Jeremy Safron notes that stainless steel juicers are durable and easy to clean, while aluminum utensils are extremely toxic.
Seed sprouting times
A helpful chart provides soaking and sprouting times for seeds, including adzuki, kamut and wheat berries. Another chart lists drying methods, times and temperatures for fruits and vegetables, such as apples, coconut, sprouts and tomatoes.
The 216-page cookbook includes a reading list with the titles and authors of books about raw diets and living foods.
Sample raw recipes
Coconut milk. Nut shake. Pesto wraps. Carrot pine nut dip. Celery and almond butter. Apples with ginger chutney. Mango pudding. Ginger pear soup. Peach melon soup. Creamy red pepper soup. Curried almond soup. Sweet mustard dressing. Mango ginger vinaigrette. Carrot cashew ginger dressing. Red pepper chipotle salsa. Fruit and nut essence bread. Pumpkin butter. Coconut custard. Frozen fudge. Carob hazelnut torte. Cashew sauce.
Contents
Introduction- Raw Facts
- Raw Foods
- Raw Tools
- Raw Techniques
- Recipes
- Drinks
- Appetizers
- Fruit Dishes
- Fruit Soups
- Savory Soups
- Salads
- Dressings
- Sides
- Entrees
- Desserts
Author
Jeremy A. Safron was the owner of Raw Experience, two living food restaurants in Maui and San Francisco. He is the founder of Loving Foods, a raw food education company, and a consultant to several raw restaurants.