The Raw Deal
Judging by the number of books on raw foods showing up in local stores recently, the trend has arrived in our area. And the timing is good: Summer is an ideal season to experiment with raw food. Fresh vegetables and fruits abound, plus it’s a treat to eat without using heat. So recently the Big M and I have been trying a lot of raw recipes.
I almost wrote “cookbooks on raw foods” in the first sentence of this post, until I realized that sounds like a contradiction in terms. But raw-food recipes, like all recipes, can range from the simple to the elaborate. We’ve been relying heavily on Jennifer Cornbleet’s Raw Food Made Simple for 1 or 2 People. It finds a happy medium, with attractive and tasty recipes that call for easy-to-find ingredients and common kitchen equipment, and don’t take too much time to prepare.
The fruit desserts are special treats. I’ve often thought it a shame to cook fresh fruit, even to make a pie out of it. Raw desserts sidestep that problem. Cornbleet’s tropical fruit tart is possibly the best thing I’ve ever put into my mouth. This one has a coconut crust, with pineapple filling, topped with raspberries and blueberries …
