Raw Bay Area Newsletter
April 2010
Upcoming Classes

Green Smoothies & Juices 
April 22 in San Francisco

Raw Food For Beginners
Forget Cooking!
April 15 in San Rafael
 
Asian Fusion
April 17 in Berkeley
May 24 in Oakland

Flavors of the Mediterranean
April 19 in Oakland

Raw Food Retreat
April 30 - May 2
 
Raw Fuel for Athletes
With Diane Haworth and Michael Varbaek
May 6th in San Francisco

Mexican Fiesta
May 8 in San Francisco
 
American Comfort Foods May 15 in Berkeley
 
This month's
favorite links
Looking to move?
We have a home for rent on our property.  Join our healthy food, garden loving little community here in Oakland.

Raw Food and Mental Health Research Study
You may want to participate in this interesting study

Buy Raw Bulk Foods Locally
There is now a raw food coop in Berkley. Check them out.

Adeba's Krazy Krackers
I LOVE Adebe's Cracker recipes.  She now has e-books on her website and even videos.  Yipee!

My Favorite Juicer
People often ask me to make equipment recommendations.  Here is my favorite juicer of them all. 

More Bad News about Agave
Take this - and the positive news about agave nectar too - with a grain of Himalayan salt.
HOW ABOUT A WEEKEND GET AWAY TO REFRESH AND DETOX?

10% off if you sign up with a friend.

Join us this
 April 30 - May 2nd
in the redwoods, north of Ukiah

Click here for to see details & a video of last year's retreat
Greetings,
Heather with kale cropped
Its spring holiday season. I am thinking about what I would like to eat with my family this weekend.  I would like to eat food that makes me look and feel good but won't freak anyone out.  I will be taking tasty treats to my family party and you can too.  See below for my new favorite recipe: "Donut Holes".

Other articles in this newsletter include:
  • Keeping things spicy: Spotlight on Ginger
  • Raw Food on a Budget
  • Frequently asked questions about raw foods & classes.
  • My favorite links including a house for rent on our property.
  • Upcoming classes
 
Buon Appetite,

Heather signature

Heather Haxo Phillips
Raw Food Chef & Instructor
510-334-8424

PS.  I will be teaching in Portland and Seattle this June.  If you are interested in raw food classes, or know someone who might be, please email me contact information and I will get you the details.
Ode to Ginger
Ginger GingerOne of my favorite smoothie combinations is Ginger - Pear - Parsley.  Ginger is a great spice because it is both sweet and pungent, with an almost lemony tang and freshness.

Culinary uses of ginger:
Grate it on a microplane to get small pieces / pulp.  Use it this way in recipes, or squeeze the pulp through a "nut milk bag" to get ginger juice (wonderful as in warm water with lemon and honey).  Thinly cut ginger and dehydrate over night, then put the pieces into a coffee grinder.  You will get homemade ginger powder.

Other ginger facts:
Ginger is a lush looking tropical plant.  Ginger root is a rhizome that grows underground as tuberous joints.  In ancient times it came only from China, on the trade route through India to Greece and Rome.  Today it is grown in most tropical countries.

The Boutenko Family recently wrote their ode to ginger, including the following information: Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine has recommended ginger for many gastrointestinal and blood diseases. It is used for abdominal bloating, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and for the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases, such as arthritis and rheumatism. A little piece of ginger goes a long way. Look at the multiple benefits:
  • Enhances natural resistance for cold and flu.
  • Reduces inflammation.
  • Supports healthy digestion, offering 180 times the protein digestive power of papaya.
  • Soothes digestion.
  • Contains at least 12 anti-aging constituents that inactivate free radicals.
  • Supports blood platelet health and cardiovascular function.
  • Twenty-two known constituents inhibit inflammatory 5-lipoxygenase, supports prostate health.
  • May increase absorption and utilization of other nutrients and herbs by 2 to 2.5 times.
Raw Food on a Budget
Grocery Store BudgetStudents frequently ask me how to stay with raw foods when you are on a tight budget.  Recently Jinjee Taliferow wrote a great article that I am compelled to reprint parts of it with a few additional thoughts from me in parenthesis.

"People ask if it is very expensive to eat a raw organic diet. It can be. Organic food is pricey. Here are some tips to make it less expensive than a standard diet!

Farmers Markets
Here's a search engine of all farmers markets in the U.S.A by state: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/ ...Good deals still to be had. Good place to develop relationships with the farmers and arrange a trip to their farm.

Shopping from the Farmer
You can get great deals direct from the farmers. You can sometimes make a work-trade arrangement. Or you can buy their "seconds" (or cosmetically challenged) items for cheap.

Shop for under $2 a lb.
If you are shopping at a health-food store, the prices are often quite high for organic foods. But large health-food stores will have competitive prices on some items. When I'm on a strict budget, I look at the price of all the organic produce and I take some of each thing that looks good that is under $2.00 a lb. Its amazing how this cuts my grocery bill. What I end up with has often inspired new recipes.

Buying by the Crate
You can get deals from your health-food store (or farmers market) if you order by the crate.

Seconds from the Produce Department
At the end of the day the produce department throws away a lot of produce, whether in a supermarket, a health-food store or a produce stand. If you come in at closing time and ask the produce person, they may be happy to give you these "seconds", which Farmers Marketare often great for smoothies and juices. But don't eat things that are actually going bad. There are molds that can kill you.

Ordering in Bulk
You can order in bulk from many organic food producers online. We use a lot of Maine Coast Sea Vegetable's Laver, which keeps really well, so we order a big bag from them every few months and save a bit of money that way. Look up the non-perishable items you use lots of, and email the producer about ordering in bulk.

Joining a CSA
CSA programs, Community Supported Agriculture Programs, or Box Programs, are a really nice way to support local organic farmers and get fresh produce for a good price. Find a local CSA near you at this CSA search engine: http://www.localharvest.org/store/local-csa.jsp

Join (or Create) a Food Buying Club
You can search on google for "food buying club in Los Angeles" or wherever you may live, and you may find such a club in your area. You can also start one yourself. All you need is a wholesale catalog, and to get together a group of people to put in an order together! Here's a list of such catalogs: http://www.coopdirectory.org/distributor.htm ...And a directory of food coops that can put you in touch with local Buying Clubs...http://www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm


..The above was adapted from an article in Pear Magazine Online http://www.PearMagazine.com

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donutDonut Holes

a la Ani Phyo

Donut hole

This dessert is super quick and easy; a spring-time crowd pleaser that is a wonderful alternative to "peeps" and other wicked treats.

  • 1 ¾ cup almonds (organic, raw soaked and dehydrated is great but not necessary)

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

  • 1 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla powder

  • 2 cups dried pineapple, chopped

  • 2 cups ptted dates

  • ½ cup plus ¼ cup shredded coconut.

In a food processor, place almonds, salt and vanilla.  Process into a fine powder.  Add chopped pineapple and dates, mix well.  Add 1/3 cup shredded coconut and pulse until just mixed. 

Use an ice cream scooper or your hands to form donut holes.  Roll hoes in ¼ cup shredded coconut.  Will keep for over a week in the fridge.
faq
Interested in taking a raw food class? 
Here are answers to frequently asked questions.

I fear I will feel restricted eating raw foods. It just seems so limited and bland.  

Keep an open mind.  Heather's classes highlight the most colorful and luscious raw food recipes that will WOW you and anyone you share them with. You may be surprised at the variety of fishes that are including in raw food cuisine, and how fast they are to prepare.  Focusing on the idea that we "eat with our eyes first" Heather provides you with plating suggestions to make your new found meals fit to be photographed. 

 

I am short on cash, but I want to learn about raw foods. Will I really get my money's worth? Many people neglect a raw food lifestyle because they have heard it is too expensive to maintain. Heather will show you how raw meals can be prepared economically.  You will learn to increase yields and nutritional value on what you buy, and learn easy recipes so that you are not tempted to dine out.  As with any area of the culinary world, there are 'luxury' items out there, but they are not necessary to create showpiece dishes at your next casual meal or formal event. Investment in any of Heather's classes not only provides you with the opportunity to ask questions you might have about health and a raw food diet, but you will walk away with a collection of delicious easy-to-prepare recipes and the skills necessary to make them again for your friends and family.

 

Do I have to be 100% raw to attend?

Absolutely not! People come to class for many reasons, and very few eat a 100% raw food diet.  Many are just curious about raw foods, want to expand their culinary repertoire and learn new ways of preparing healthful veggies, fruits, fats.  Some are exploring new ways to feed their kids more healthfully, or are on a personal journey to eat raw food more frequently.  Each class will have something for you.

 

What will I take away from my experience?

We will cover everything from basic knife skills and equipment operation to simple, gourmet raw food recipes. There are a variety of classes to choose from and each class is fit for both the beginner and the advanced. Each class includes an in-depth resource guide.   You will find that raw food preparation is easily "do-able" once you learn the skills and recipes.

 Heather with students

What do previous students have to say?

Read reviews and testimonials from past students on Yelp and on rawbayarea.com!
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