Raw Foods: Enzyme power!

Raw food conjures up gnawing on some huge daikon you just pulled up from the ground. But actually, it's part of a new movement, that even the very non-hippie-ish Charlie Trotter uber-chef, subscribes to. It's a little odd to hear a celebrity chef go on and on about how raw food is better for you, but he does say this, and Raw Foodies believe that cooking kill's the food's vital enzymes. Some people swear they have tons more energy if they follow a raw-only diet (this can include meat). If you don't want to do that, at least some raw in your life would probably be good for you.

Here are some raw foods you might already eat:

o pesto
o guacamole
o kimchi

See? Not so bad!

When I was in Minneapolis, I ate at Ecopolitan, a restaurant that ONLY does raw food, so they try to be creative about it. I'm not sure how I feel about one thing trying to pretend it's another (e.g., raw food Pad Thai), but they had this cashew "cheese" was actually pretty rich and spreadable and yummy (okay, can't compare to a drippy brie or a slice of pizza...but...)

So I cruised for some recipes, but they all use this stuff called Rejuvelac for the fermenting; it's made of WHEATberries, so of course it has gluten read here why giving up gluten/wheat may be an easy way to clear up your thyroid and/or digestive problems). I've done a little experimentation and come up with a nice cashew cheese that isn't too hard to make. I have pictures, too. Stay tuned.