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Newsletter May 2012
Were you a fan of Sesame Street growing up? Or perhaps your kids were? If so, then you may remember that each episode was sponsored by a different letter of the alphabet. So with a nod to Jim Henson, this month's newsletter is devoted to the letter 'M' as in May, mother, Memorial Day, mandoline...and Muppets!
I've gathered some marvelous, magnificent, and mouthwatering recipes that give a nod to warm weather eating indoors and out. And, as always, I'll share my top tips and secrets for making food prep fast and easy, so you can spend more time enjoying your food, and less time making it.
So why not take a moment for yourself? Put your feet up, grab a cool, refreshing beverage, and let yourself be transported to a lovely place where every meal is well-done and all the food is raw.
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M is for 'Mayberry'
|  May 31st marks the end of Spring and the unofficial beginning of summer. The arrival of May also signals wider availability of locally grown 'Mayberries.' Actually, I'm talking about strawberries that become more widely available starting in May. Delicious and nutritious, strawberries have less than 50 calories in a l-cup serving. That makes a sweet May treat you can truly indulge in without worry.
Strawberries are extremely versatile. They're great finger-good just as they are, with no additional enhancement necessary. Just 'grab and gobble' (or 'grab and savor' if gobbling isn't your style.)
One thing that I love to do with strawberries at breakfast time is to cut them into chunks and put them in a bowl with a spoonful (or two or three) of my Vanilla Cashew Cream, a healthy, but no less delicious, alternative to whipped cream. A few slivered raw almonds on top is the crowning glory.
Another great use for strawberries is in a composed salad. A composed salad is one where the ingredients are carefully positioned on the plate rather than randomly thrown together as in a tossed salad. Here is a great recipe for an elegant Composed Salad with Mayberries, I mean strawberries.
I think you'll love it! |
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M is for Mother's Day
|  You know what the hottest trend in Mother's Day gifts are for 2012? Edible arrangements. These hand-carved fruit displays are fast replacing flowers as the preferred way to celebrate Moms and all they do. The idea behind edible arrangements is that they are beautiful and brilliant. The problem is often in the execution.
One thing that works against commercial arrangements is that the fruit is chosen for consistency of size and appearance. But as you know if you've ever eaten an oddly shaped, strangely colored heirloom tomato, the 'ugliest' fruits and vegetables sometimes have the most delicious flavors.
Another reason pre-made arrangements can fail is that the fruit may not be fresh or ripe because of the demands of commercial production. Or the items are dipped in chocolate which not only masks the flavor of the fruit, but adds a lot of unnecessary calories.
If you want to get in on this hot trend, I recommend that you make your own raw food edible arrangement. Since strawberries are in season, I suggest you delight Mom with the Mango Carpaccio with Strawberries and Kiwi Fruit that's featured in my book Raw for Dessert. The fruits are colorful and exotic and the use of a mandoline lets you create delicately translucent fruit slices. When you arrange the fruit on a platter, the results are reminiscent of a vintage Tiffany lamp. (See the sidebar story for more information about mandolines)
This edible arrangement is a true work of art that's sweet and pretty...just like Mom.
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M is for Memorial Day Weekend
|  Memorial Day is the 'unofficial' start of summer with lots of picnics and barbeques. One of the challenges of dining alfresco (Italian for 'in the open air') is preventing food spoilage. Burgers, hot dogs, and mayonnaise-y salads that sit in the sunshine all day can cause all kinds of stomach upsets.
But raw food is perfect for eating outdoors because its much less likely to go bad. So sticking with this month's 'M is for...' theme, I'm going to talk about mushrooms and how you can create a wonderful raw food dish that's perfect for picnicking.
The smaller size makes Appetizer Stuffed Mushrooms perfect for outdoor eating. No utensils are required, or even a plate. That's good news when you've got kids who are running around having so much fun they won't sit down to eat.
In terms of working with 'shrooms, the most important bit of advice I have is that they should never be washed. Rub them with a moist paper towel to remove dirt. Washing will water-log the funghi.
Mushrooms come in every shape and size imaginable. Button mushrooms are probably the most common, and the cost is modest; generally under $3 per pound. Next in line are the 'exotic,' but still relatively common mushrooms including Portabello, oyster, Shiitake, and morel. They're more expensive, but still affordable.
At the top-chefs-only end of the scale is the rare and costly white truffle. How costly? Casino owner Stanley Ho paid $330,000 for a specimen weighing 3.3 pounds...or about $100,000 per pound!
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I hope you've enjoyed this month's newsletter as much as I've enjoyed putting it together. It's a real pleasure to be able to connect with people like you who share my enthusiasm for raw food and recipes.
I've got a lot on my professional plate this month and I'll tell you more about it in June. Until then, I hope you'll keep in touch by visiting www.learnrawfood.com. You'll find plenty of recipes, video demonstrations, and links to products that can make your foray into raw food preparation easier than ever.
I especially hope you'll add thoughts of your own to my blog posts. It's a great way to be a part of the raw food community and a wonderful place to 'sound off' with your opinions.
Yours in Fruits and Veggies,
Jennifer Cornbleet
Learn Raw Food
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M is for Mandoline
|  One of my favorite 'M' words is mandoline. This musical-sounding kitchen tool transforms even the most modest fruit or vegetable into something special.
Take zucchini for example. With a mandoline, you can easily create long, fettuccine-like sheets that can stand in for pasta. Or roll the sheets around a bouquet of freshly cut red pepper and onion strips for a quick all-vegetable roll.
Professional chefs pay a premium for large stainless steel mandolines with dozens of interchangeable blades that help them prepare a wide menu of recipes. But there are many types of mandolines, and I've got some suggestions that I think will fit your cooking needs and your budget, too.
The Borner V-slicer makes it easy to cut thick and thin slices of fruits and vegetables, as well as julienne strips. It's compact and easy to use. Another terrific mandoline is the Kyocera Ceramic Slicer. It's exceptionally lightweight, making it a perfect choice when you want to slice ultra-thin pieces of onion, cucumber, carrots, or cabbage right on top of your salad.
One of my special favorites is the Oxo Mandoline. In general, I really like Oxo products because they feel so comfortable in my hand. Like the more expensive Borner V-slicer, the Oxo mandoline can be adjusted to produce slices of varying thickness and can also create a mountain of julienne strips.
Mandolines slice vegetables and fruits as well as they do because they're sharp. And that means they can be dangerous, too, if you're not careful. Be sure to use the holder that comes with most mandolines to keep your fingers out of harm's way.
Long before there were mandolines, there were knives. So if you don't have a mandoline, that doesn't mean you can't create super-thin slices of your favorite ingredients. With a little bit of patience and a good, sharp blade, there's nothing you can't do!
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Best of the Blog
| Have you visited my online blog lately? If not, these are the stories you may have missed:
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