For those of you out there curious about opening young Thai coconuts, here’s a little how to video demonstrating the “finesse” technique. Other techniques include the “whacking”, “hacking”, “cracking” and “smacking”… none of which are featured during this video. The Live Food Experience does not take any responsibility for those who sustain injuries while attempting to open a coconut. If attempting to open a coconut for the first time be sure to use a quality sharp knife. Coconuts eat cheap knives for breakfast. Also be sure to have some one standing by un case of a coco-mishap.
If you have a Young Thai Coconut Experience you wish to share, be sure to post it in the comments below.
On Saturday I was having a little meditation session, you know quiet time, OK, I was napping while sitting up. While in this peaceful nap state I was thinking about an “Iron Chef” type challenge show that featured rawfood chefs, but not so much a competition as a collaboration. It was a pleasant little concept. When I finished my daydream I checked my email to see that my little dream had come true… to a certain extent, in the form of Food Challenge 2010 from Chef Frank Giglio. First off, let me tell you about Frank Giglio. Frank is an amazing chef, athlete and an all around swell guy. He was the first apprentice to greet me when I stumbled into the dorms at The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in the dark of night… actually there was another apprentice there as well, but Frank was my roomie for the last few weeks of his apprenticeship, so he gets top billing. That was back in September of 2007. Franky was offered a managing chef position at the TOL cafe and it was during that time that he taught me a thing or two about cheffing Franky G style… beet pesto, who would have thought it would taste so good?
So what’s the Food Challenge 2010? Here’s an excerpt from his site:
Take a look into your cupboard or fridge and pick a few ingredients that you don’t know how to use, or that need to be used up. With the list, I will then create a recipe for you. You then try it out, maybe take a picture, then send it back to me. If the dish was a hit, then I get a thumbs up!
So I’m sending out my challenge in video form to Chef Frank. If he wants to send one back I welcome it. And for those of you at home… send in your challenge to me or Frank if you’d like.
Recently I was asked, thanks to Heathy, to be a featured chef on the new website and online community Eighty Percent Raw. This site was started to provide support for individuals interested in refining their diet and moving towards a healthy more sustainable way of eating and living. March 1st was the launch of 80% Raw. As a contributing chef I put together a simple side dish recipe that requires no special training, gadgets or tools. Visit Eighty Percent Raw the innargarul March edition. In the meantime check out this video featuring Rosemary Corn Shroom.
They say the secrets in the sauce, which is true. But the magic is in the marinade. The trick to making raw foods that really knock the socks off of skeptics and lovers alike is dialing in a boot shootin marinade. Good news kids, most marinades are raw and vegan already. The basic ingredients are an acid, an oil, a sweetener, salt and spices. Unpasteurized apple cider vinegar or citrus juice is your acid. You can choose from any number of organic cold pressed oils. Use agave, palm sugar or yacon syrup if your hardcore raw vegan. And if you’re not so strict use raw honey or maple syrup for sweeteners. Use a healthy sun dried sea salt or Himalayan salt. Spices… take your pick of chemical free options.
The recipe below is a BBQ style sauce/marinade which I used to marinade eggplant and crimini mushrooms. I marinaded these guys over night and then warmed up the mixture in the dehydrator for a couple hours. The results were delicious fabulous goodness.
This recipe is featured in my soon to be released recipe book entitled “The Live Food Experience”. Subscribe to my blog and be the first kid on your block to have your very own “Live Food Experience”.
I’m a big fan of chia, no secret there. For those of you that have only heard of chia because of the novelty “chia pet” you’re missing out. Chia seeds are a powerhouse of protein, fiber and antioxidants. They are a strength and endurance food that was a traditional food of the Aztecs. They are also a great source of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Chia seeds also have a magical fiber known as mucilage which swells up and becomes gooey when it comes into contact with water. This goo factor is beneficial for slowing the breakdown of carbs to sugars which is great news for diabetics and endurance athletes.
The recipe below calls for “chia gel” which is chia soaked in water for a few hours. An easy way to make chia gel is to put a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chia seed in a jar, cover the seeds with 2 Cups ofwater, close the lid on the jar and shake. The seed to water ratio determines how thick your gel will be. You can store this water chia mixture in the refrigerator and spoon it out the as needed for smoothie, sauce, soup and dessert recipes. Chia’s neutral taste makes it a versatile ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.
The recipe below will be featured in my soon to be released recipe e-book entitled “The Live Food Experience”. Subscribe to my blog and you’ll be sure to know when it’s available.
Let me know how your mousse recipe turns out. Keep It Live!
Chia Choco Mousse
Amount
Measure
Ingredient
Preparation / Options
1/4
C
chia gel
pureed
1
C
avocado
1 Haas avocado
3
T
cacao powder
¼
C
water
¼
C
agave
1
T
maple syrup
or palm sugar
1
T
lecithin
1-2
t
cinnamon
½
t
salt
or to taste
Puree the chia gel with the agave.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend until fluffy.
You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender if an air pocket forms around the blender blade.
Just before Christmas I hopped a plane headed from Florida to the great snowy North: Ontario, Canada. I had a direct flight from Orlando to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I drove down from Jacksonville and arrived at the airport in Orlando 2 1/2 hours before departure. Plenty of time to drop off the rental car, check-in and get my cavity search from security. Safely at the WestJet gate I assessed my travel provisions. I was loaded to the gills with local citrus purchased from the farmer’s market the day before. I had 6 oranges, 2 pink grapefruit and 1 basketball sized pomelo. I’m not sure what I was thinking. This was only a 4 hour flight departing at 8pm and getting in at midnight. I really didn’t need to chow down a bushel of citrus but I figured I needed to stay hydrated for air travel. I started with the grapefruit followed with a couple oranges and brought it home with a pomelo feast at 30,000 feet. The flight crew kept eye balling me as I carved and peeled the pomelo like a big yellow pumpkin. I had to request a trash bag for the peel and pith. The pomelo feast was quite a challenge. There’s no way I was going to finish all the fruit I had brought on board but I was determined to finish the pomelo. The rest of the fruit I would happily donate to the flight crew. Surprisingly I was able to record video footage of my airport and mile high club pomelo experience. Enjoy… more Canadian Adventures to come.
Recently I prepared an in home dinner for 4 in Jacksonville, Florida. I have to say this is one of my favorite ways of introducing people to the magic of living foods. I’ve done a few these dinners in the past they all have been a great success. Most of the time there is a skeptic in the bunch or at least someone who doubts they will enjoy or feel satisfied with the meal. So far I’ve been able to leave everyone satiated, satisfied and smiling. Now there’s no telling whether or not they throw a pot pie in the microwave or thaw out a pizza once I’m out the door.
Thai Miso Soup
The menu from the other evening began with Thai style miso soup. Here’s the basic procedure:
Start by warming 3 Cups filtered water on the stove, not boiling just hot to touch.
Transfer the water to a blender. I had brought my Vitamix but any blender will do.
Add 3 T of unpasteurized miso. I used my favorite chick pea miso from South River Miso to make the broth. Add 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 or a full bell pepper (yellow preferred), 1 T of Thai Curry Spice from Mountain Rose Herbs,1-2 cloves of garlic, 2 t lime juice and 1-2 t of fresh ginger..
Blend for for 30 seconds.
Cut up some fresh basil add to blender and blend for 5 seconds.
Pour into cups and add fresh cucumber batons, shredded carrot and bell pepper chunks.
Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
Next on the menu was a veggie medley Pad Thai creation. I used kelp noodles from Sea Tangle Noodle Co., spiralized zucchini and carrots and diced jicama to make the noodles. The sauce consisted of:
almond butter
water
unpasteurized miso
tamari
lemon juice
olive oil
palm sugar
ginger
hot pepper
Pad Thai with Almond Miso Sauce
I’m a big fan of this sauce. To me it’s good enough to drink straight. After I blend up a batch I swish water in the bottom of the blender and drink what’s left. Nothing goes to waste in the live food kitchen.
Dessert was the next order of business. I like to keep things delicious and easy at these dinner parties. I chose to make a mango banana sorbet. The sorbet is a easy 1, 2 recipe… 1. cut up and freeze fruit 2. pass frozen fruit through a masticating juicer with the blank plate… done.
I did make a special sauce to top the sorbet with. It was an agave cinnamon sauce. It consisted of:
agave
maple syrup
almond butter
agave powder
cinnamon
salt
I blended this mixture and put it in a squirt bottle. The agave came across very sweet to me and in the future I’d probably make this again with soaked dates or palm sugar instead of agave… regardless, it was still delicious! Schedule a Dinner Experience in your home today.
The Live Food Experience 