I catch up on all my reading during the summer time.  What about you?  I love pulling out new cookbooks to see what inspiration I can glean.  Why?  These days are a bit less scheduled, and the market is so full of new items and heirloom varieties.  This is the perfect time of year for getting inspired about how the ripe fruits and fresh veggies in the market.  Even if you believe you are a luddite in the kitchen, the right cookbook will give you more confidence and excitement.  The question is - which cookbook is the right cookbook?  See below for details.

In this newsletter you will find about about my all-time favorite cookbooks and sources for raw inspiration.  You will also find details of my class this Saturday: Mexican Fiesta.  Plus you will find below a free recipe to make you shout OLE!  

Enjoy!

--Heather

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With our last newsletter, you found places to eat, support groups and events to attend. Now, I am sharing with you some of my favorite books. Honestly, there are a lot of cookbooks out there that just aren't that good.  Before you waste your money on beautiful books with recipes that taste like muck, try my favorite books below.

My guideline for recommending a book is that:

• The recipes are simple to make.  A recipe should not intimidate the chef!
• The ingredients are inexpensive and easy to find.
• The recipes turn out great every time - even for the most beginner in the kitchen.

by Jennifer Cornbleet

My all-time favorite cookbook for beginners just got better!  Jenny just released an updated version with tons more recipes and tips.  This is a excellent cookbook for beginners looking to master basic techniques.

Becoming Raw

by Brenda David, Vesanto Melina and Rynn Berry

Your best guide to raw food nutrition.  It explains everything in clear, concise copy without too many stats.  

The World Goes Raw Cookbook

by Lisa Mann

This is my favorite cookbook for international foods. It is full of comfort foods and international menus sure to excite you.

12 Steps to Raw Foods

by Victoria Boutenko

If you want to know how to transition to a raw food diet successfully, this is the book for you. With advice and coping techniques, Victoria covers all the bases.  This is the book that inspired me to go raw 5 years ago.  It remains a powerfully important book.

The Art of Fermentation

by Sandor Ellix Katz

Are you a fermentation fiend?  This book is a necessity. Sandor just released this updated companion to Wild Fermentation.  It is the most comprehensive book on fermentation available in English.

For complete lists all of my favorite books, kitchen tools and equipment, check my shopping resources page!

Upcoming Classes

Mexican Fiesta

August 11, 2012 9:00 am - 11:30 am 

Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley at 1730 Shattuck Avenue

 

$49 per person 

 

THIS SATURDAY!

 

Mexican food is what many people crave when they want something hearty, cheesy, and comforting. And who doesn't love to munch on chips and salsa in front of a video? Unfortunately, traditional Mexican cuisine is notorious for being high in calories, greasy, and short on fresh veggies. But once you learn the raw food preparation techniques in this class, you'll be able to make a truly healthy as well as delicious Latin American Fiesta for yourself and your friends.

 

In Mexican Fiesta you will learn:

* How to use a dehydrator to make thin, crispy chips out of flax seeds and vegetables--perfect with guacamole.

* Which knife skills to use to dice up delicious homemade salsa.

* How to use a dehydrator to make flexible wraps out of vegetables--the perfect tortilla for enchiladas.

* How to use shredded cabbage to replace rice for a lighter version of Mexican rice.

* How to make a beautiful mango fruit tart with a coconut crust--delicious either as a dessert or as a light meal in itself.

Menu: Hot Red Pepper Chips, Salsa, Authentic Guacamole, Enchiladas de Verdura con Chili Colorado, Mexican Seasoned Cabbage, Tropical Fruit Tart  

 

REGISTER HERE

 

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Breakfast and Brunches

September 29, 2012  9:00am - 11:30am

Cafe Gratitude in Berkeley

$49 per person

Breakfast is the most important meal to eat healthfully. What will fill you up without slowing you down? Heather will teach you healthful versions of your favorites. The menu for this class has something for everyone--juices and smoothies for maximum vitality or weight loss, people-pleasing granola and oatmeal, and decadent crepes and cinnamon rolls.

In Breakfast and Brunches you will learn:
* How juicing is the most efficient way to get all the greens you need each day.
* How to get your 5-a-day servings of fruits and vegetables in one 5-minute smoothie.
* How to make low-carb granola out of nuts and seeds in 5 minutes.
* How to make dairy-free nut and seed milks.
* How to soak whole oat groats to make a raw oatmeal that tastes better than cooked.
* How to make wheat-free crepes with a sweet fruit filling--perfect for brunch.
* How to use leftover almond meal to replace flour in decadent gooey cinnamon rolls.

Menu: Green Vitality Juice, Berry Green Smoothie, Granola with Almond Milk, Old-fashioned Oatmeal, Tropical Fruit Crepes, Cinnamon Rolls

 

REGISTER HERE

 

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Nacho Cheese

Keep this basic cheese on hand all the time.  You can use it as a dip or a salad dressing.  Pour it over nacho chips! Fold it into enchiladas.  Massage it into kale leaves and dehydrate into chips.  The possibilities are endless!

• 1 red bell pepper, washed and seeded
• ¾ cup cashews, soaked 2 hours (hemp seeds are an ok alternative)
• ¾ cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight and rinsed
•  1 tablespoon light miso
• 1 clove garlic
•  ½ teaspoon onion powder
•  ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1 Fresno pepper (red jalapeno)
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  ¾ cup water 

Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and process until creamy.  Stored in an airtight container, this nacho cheese will last for up to 5 days.

Options:

Increase the nutritional value and make it extra cheesy in flavor:  Use Rejuvelac or kefir water instead of regular H2O.

Increase the flavor complexity by swapping the fresh pepper for chili powder, or even dry chipotle chili.