Vegan

I fell in love with raw food and rawing—as opposed to cooking—with Juliano’s RAW (reviewed here), but on discovering a new and excellent work on raw food, this passion keeps flowing. Too, the internet displays excellent sources of raw recipes, where creative writers have you running to the kitchen to prepare mouthwatering treats and entrees that are carefully explained for the novice non-cook. It seems that infusing the recipes with a touch of the person under the chef’s hat is key for me when buying into anything I put in my mouth. And why not? A particular taste takes on an important role in my mind’s reflection. I think raw food does this: as a sensory experience it harkens back to a memory of purity and delicious goodness… like when you first tried raw peas or corn, that didn’t seem any more un-cooked than raw tomatoes in salad, even though your mother warned it wasn’t good for you!

Ani Phyo is one of those charmers whose books are filled with her persona. Two of her recent titles, “Raw Food Essentials” and “Ani’s Raw Food Asia” are rich with food content and anecdote about Ani’s life… sharing lifestyle, not just a good recipe. This is motivating—because I look for cultural identity in a recipe book—what’s there that I know I like and how is it prepared in a way that’s new to me? But more importantly, an “if I eat this will I become healthier?” syndrome lurking in the background guides my choices. Could be one ingredient that sings out, “try me this way!”, like a namul from “Ani’s Raw Food Asia” which features nama shoyu and sesame oil, apple cider vinegar and other spices, as a savory massage for mushrooms, cucumbers, spinach, ocra, or bean sprouts. You could experiment with others like green peppers (of all kinds!), perhaps green beans, kale, etc.?

Namul: a prepared vegetable side dish, marinated to wilt or soften without cooking
Nama Shoyu: soy sauce made without wheat