Another Tasty Combo

Makes two 12oz glasses of juice- tastes great!

Have the fruit and veggies cold from the fridge.

1 red bell pepper
1 cucumber (peeled if not organic)
2 stalks celery
1 small Braeburn apple

P.S.
Kids also gave this a thumbs up!

Two are so much friendlier than one...

I feel GREAT about eating any food that is lovingly prepared by someone else.

I love the cooked vegan dishes made by the folks at Cafe Flora and Carmelitas.

Juicer vs Vitamix

The irony is that what they are saying makes a juicer better than a Vitamix (there is no pulp in the juice, so it passes directly into the bloodstream) is exactly what makes it worse than a Vitamix.


http://www.discountjuicers.com/vitamix.html
With the pulp or fiber removed, the nutrients do not have to go through the long and energy-consuming process of digestion... thus the nutrients can pass directly into the blood stream. It is almost like intravenous feeding! The most important thing to remember about juicing is that the very purpose of juicing is to remove the pulp or fiber so the nutrients can go to work immediately without going through the digestive process. Advantages in bypassing the digestive system are that this allows for very minimal loss of the nutrients before they reach our cells, and also this saves our body from expending energy for digestion.

So where does the "Vita-Mix" fit into what we have been talking about? First of all, IT IS NOT A JUICER! Listen to their own words in a recent ad: "The 'juice gurus' on television claim that their juice extractors provide phenomenal nutritional benefits. A recent laboratory study reveals that juice extractors actually decrease the number of vital nutrients you get from fruits and vegetables. That's because they extract and discard the most nutritious part - the pulp.... You'll easily get 4 to 6 times more fiber by drinking Vita-Mix Super Juice instead of regular juice!"

Actually, the "VITA-MIX" is nothing but an expensive, glorified blender that blends the juice and pulp into a thick mush, to which you have to add water in order to drink. Listen to their own words again: "Only Vita-Mix makes 'total juice' which includes the cholesterol-lowering fiber... What is 'total juice?' It's made by pureeing whole fruits and vegetables to the consistency of pudding." But what they don't tell you is that because there is pulp in the juice, the nutrients cannot pass directly into the blood stream as does pure juice from a juicer, and thus must go to the stomach and through the digestive process. Because this blended pulp and juice is in a liquid form, it does not get chewed in the mouth where the digestive enzymes would normally be released as when whole raw foods are chewed. And so this "puree" goes directly to the stomach without the digestive enzymes and becomes a difficult substance for the body to deal with.

Chef Russell James

If you want more raw chef inspiration- see what Russell James is (un)cooking up at www.therawchefblog.com. All of his recipes are raw and vegan.

If you take his three question survey (regarding how he can serve people in the raw community better) you can download PDF versions of his Marbeled Chocolate and Orange Tavoletta, Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Ginger Chocolate Mousse, and Fennel and Cherry Tomato Tart with Macademia Cheese. He gives what looks like very thorough directions.

I have been wanting to try the Tavoletta for a while but am intimidated. He mentions using a high power blender for the mousse. I'm looking at it- wondering how this would work out with my $30 blender. I could substitute raw almond butter for the cashews in the marbeling. The rest of the recipes- I think may be doable with my blender and $30 food processor. (It cost $60 for the two appliances together at Costco. I mention this because one criticism of some raw (un)cooking is that it requires expensive equipment.)

GlobalIssues.org & Anup Shah

GlobalIssues.org.

Chef Matthew Kenney

Chef Matthew Kenney:

I am annoyed by one review of the Kenney book, Everyday Raw. The person reviewing on Amazon complains this book makes raw food complicated. One can grab a handful of nuts and an apple and call it breakfast, or have a big salad and call it lunch. Do you need a book to tell you that raw can be simple? I think the opposite is true- most people need a book that shows them amazing raw food.

Kenney is an incredible chef who elevates (un)cooking food to an art form. Given the love and creativity that goes into Kenney's preparation of raw food I can't understand why any raw foodist would scorn his book. Does this person not understand that reviews affect book sales? If that person wants to eat a very simple raw diet- go for it- but why spoil the fun for others who enjoy a gourmet raw experience?

The recipes in the last two of Matthew Kenney's books I bought turned out great every time I tried them. (I have his first book. It is cooked and carnivorous.) He puts a lot of careful work into preparing these books. And, the books also have gorgeous photography.

Herbivoracious

I found a great site called Herbivoracious. The guy who writes it interned at Cafe Flora. He appreciates wonderful, beautiful vegetarian food. There are lots of recipes and lovely food photos to inspire you!

Link to Herbivoracious from the links section.