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Help! Dinner for Kids and Chef

I have the privilege of preparing a raw dinner tomorrow for a friend’s birthday. The guests include two nine year olds (one who is picky), a teenager, and a SAD chef at a trendy Asian-themed restaurant. I’m thinking tacos to win over the kids. But I’m open to suggestion. And I’m not sure what else to serve. I need a dessert (maybe a sure-thing cake?) and I would like to have soup. I LOVE my Thai Coconut Soup and it’s a crowd pleaser, but it doesn’t exactly “go” with tacos. Plus, there is the chef to consider.

Any ideas (keeping picky child and chef in mind)?

Comments

  • My consistent crowd pleaser is the beet ravioli from Raw Food Real World. Doesn’t really go well with tacos either, but I bet the chef would be impressed! Even people that say they hate beets have like it …if I can get them to try it. Might be a problem with picky kids. I hate it when people won’t even take a bite!

    If you go with tacos, also make some ‘chips’ and guacamole. Can’t go wrong there! I personally still haven’t found a raw soup that I like. I think my brain hears “soup” and is offended when the stuff is cold! I’ve seen some recipes on this site for raw chili. That would go well with tacos.

    Well, guess I wasn’t much help – good luck!

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    Hi Pam,

    I would like to suggest you to close your eyes, feel your love for living food, ask to be inspired as far as which recipes to choose then open your eyes & go for it.
    Only your doubt is in the way. Know that I have complete faith you will create something simply amazing as well as delightful for all : )

    May this be helpful.
    You have my support.

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    ps: Pam,
    you are gifted as far as rawfood prep. as always, just share your love, your passion … for living food, it will inspire them (Chef & kids).

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    An idea for a sure thing for dessert is my walnut cake. Every one I have made it for – maybe 100 people? have gone crazy for it. Also it is very easy peasy to make so you won’t feel at all stressed. Kids love it too here it is:

    goneraw.com/recipes/515-Walnut-cream-cake-with-blackberry-jam

    Also this soup recipe is amazing, you should give it a go Madness I bet you like it, especially if you warm it in the blender;

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/775-Not-Campbell…

    This recipe for crisps is also amazing, everyone loves them too:

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/656-Renee-s-Crisps

    And this curry is ALWAYS a winner, people go mad for it too:

    http://www.goneraw.com/recipes/1620-Cauiflower-...

    I had to cater for a nine year old boy and I made Shazzie’s pizza, it is a faff to make but he LOVED it. I was really surprised aswell because this kid was raised on junk food! Good luck, let us know what you make and how it goes.

  • PamPam

    Thanks for all the ideas. Madness, I love Pure’s ravioli and have the pumpkin version every time I’m in NYC. Maybe I’ll get another go at the chef without the kids. I am very inspired to inspire the chef since I am hoping that he will prepare a raw meal for my friend and I when we visit his restaurant (a restaurant that I loved when I was cooked). I definitely plan to do guac and chips with the tacos. I’m going to try to get them to eat the tacos (spicy walnut meat, guac, mac sour creme, pico de gallo) wrapped in romaine, but failing that, I have some wonderful Mexican crackers that I buy at Whole Foods. (I have a really good knock-off recipe but no time to make them for tomorrow.)

    Delphine, good advice! I’m going to need all the inspiration I can get.

    Zoe, thank you, thank you, thank you for suggesting the walnut cake and other recipes. I think I’ll try the cake, along with Delphine’s prayer. ;o) I love Shazzie’s pizza. I’ll do that next time for the kids (if they’ll let me have a next time) since, as I recall, it takes quite a bit of advance prep to make. Also, I didn’t want to rely on a dehydrator recipe so the chef isn’t discouraged!

    I’ll let you all know (blow by blow) how it goes!

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    You are welcome : )
    I see an Grand Feast on the way to the delight of all : )

  • PamPam

    Oh, and Madness, I have the same problem with soup recipes… although I like other people’s. But try my Thai Coconut Soup. It is super delicious. I either let it warm in my blender, or I make it with warm water. Another idea is to heat it in the dehydrator. Because soup is mostly liquid, it heats very quickly. The Thai soup is also good served room temp in a warm bowl with a warm spoon.

    And Zoe, I totally forgot about your curried cauliflower recipe. The samosas is another thing I always get at Pure. I’ll be making that for myself this weekend!

  • Hi Pam,

    Just a suggestion for the soup:
    What about gazpacho? It’s raw and cold “in its natural state” (so nothing to complain about for chefs ;) ) and I think it might go well with tacos and stuff.

    Let us know how it went!

    Love and good luck!

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    Maybe you can make raw versions of Asian foods so that the chef can get some ideas for his restaurant.

  • PamPam

    I think I have my menu. Thanks everyone. Stibizi, I like gazpacho… but never liked it as a child, mostly because I loved warm tomato soup so much. But it sure sounds good. I’m going to go with the Thai soup and call it Mexican Coconut Soup. ;o) 123, I’d love to hear your favorite raw Asian foods. If he is feeling inspired, I’ll pass them on.

    I’ll be back with a report on Friday. Time to go to Whole Foods!

  • PamPam

    Well, here’s the report: Not sure how I got this wrong, but the chef isn’t actually a chef, rather he manages the restaurant and is a big foodie.

    So I had these cucucumber roll-up things (spicy mock tuna, pickle and sun-dried black olive rolled in paper-thin cucumber slices) to start. I wanted to stuff cherry tomatoes with mock tuna but I couldn’t find any organic.

    Then I served Thai Coconut Soup, followed by a salad. The salad was made with mixed baby greens, a peppery avocado dressing, dates, red pepper, sun-dried black olives, thinly sliced sweet onion, and cashews ground with chili oil (not raw) and sea salt. I usually use deseeded jalapenos rather than red pepper in this salad, but even deseeded, my jalapenos were hot.

    The main course was tacos which included guacamole, pico de gallo, spicy walnut taco meat, and macadamia sour creme. I gave everyone a choice of romaine leaves to wrap or flax crackers to dip. Surprising, the kids all selected the lettuce over the crackers.

    Then for dessert I had Zoe’s walnut cake. Delicious!

    Everything was a big hit except that the picky 9-year-old didn’t really eat the taco. But when I asked him what his favorite dish was, he said it was the taco! Go figure.

    The only downside to the meal was that the kids drank some sort of sweetened “juice” concoction. I thought this might be an issue and had considered bringing freshly squeezed juice but was concerned about further adding to the poor food combining that was already evident in the menu. However, in hindsight, fresh juice would have been better than the alternative.

    We played the guessing game throughout the meal and no one was very good at guessing the ingredients. :)

    We had fun!

  • DelphineDelphine Raw Newbie

    Bravo Pam !!! : )

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