GREZZO opening soon in Boston!

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Raw energy
High priestess of ‘living food’ movement brings new eatery to North End

By Mat Schaffer | Wednesday, January 9, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Food & Recipes

Boston is about to get its first green, organic and regionally grown vegan, raw food restaurant. Grezzo (“raw” in Italian) is slated to open early next month in the North End.

Executive chef and owner Alissa Cohen is a nationally recognized authority on eating raw thanks to her 2004 cookbook, “Living on Live Food,” and companion Web site, alissacohen.com. Cohen, who says she’s been eating a raw food diet since 1986, says the popularity of so-called “living food” is on the rise.

“Raw, living food is uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains,” she said.”Nothing is heated above 112 degrees. You want to keep the enzymes and life force intact; you don’t want to destroy any of the vitamins or minerals.”

The benefits of such a diet are numerous, according to Cohen.

“I’ve seen people heal themselves of all kinds of diseases,” she said. “Cancer, hepatitis C, colitis, diabetes, skin diseases, backache, headache – anything you can think of. And you lose weight immediately on this diet without starving yourself. You can eat a lot of food and the weight just melts off of you.”

Cohen, who is from Marblehead, decided to go into the restaurant business to fill a culinary gap: ”. . . my husband and I bought a condo on Hanover Street and we need to be able to eat,” she said.

Grezzo will offer a multicourse, prix fixe menu that changes regularly.

“The concept is not just raw food but also organic, locally grown,” Cohen said. “It will be 100 percent fresh. You’ll know when you’re coming in that night that nothing’s been sitting around for a day.”

Depending on the season, Grezzo patrons may enjoy dishes like coconut curried spring rolls, saffron infused butternut squash soup, zucchini cannelloni, wild mushroom ravioli with asparagus cream, cherry pecan crisp with vanilla ice cream and chocolate cake. There also will be a selection of raw beers and organic wines.

“It’s going to be the kind of place that you’ll come back because it tastes good,” Cohen said. “You won’t feel as if you’re sacrificing taste for health. It’s not just going to be for raw fooders. It’s going to appeal to everyone.”

Grezzo, 69 Prince St., North End; 857-362-7288.

GREZZO ZUCCHINI CANNELLONI

For the cannelloni:
3 zucchini
1 c. pine nuts
1 c. macadamia nuts
1 c. walnuts
1 c. fresh parsley
8 t. lemon juice
6 t. nama shoyu (raw, organic, unpasteurized soy sauce)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
For the fettuccine sauce:
1 c. cashews
1 c. pine nuts
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 c. water
1/2t. black pepper
1 t. Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
For garnish:
Fresh basil leaves
Dehydrated onions
Dehydrated tomatoes
Prepare the canelloni: Peel the skin off of the zucchinis with a vegetable peeler. Hollow out the insides of each zucchini with a paring knife or apple corer to create three thin shells. Grind the pine nuts, macadamia nuts and walnuts in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy.

Prepare the sauce: Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy.

To assemble: Gently stuff the zucchini shells with the “cheese” filling. Place the stuffed zucchini shells upright on a plate. Pour fettuccine sauce over the top of the stuffed shells. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, dehydrated onions and dehydrated tomatoes.

Serves 3.

GREZZO CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

For the base:
1 c. walnuts
1 c. pecans
1 c. dates, pitted
1/4 c. raw cacao powder
For the topping:
1/2 c. cacao powder
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. agave nectar
Prepare the base: Grind walnuts and pecans in a food processor until fine. Add the dates and cacao powder and blend until smooth and chocolatey. Remove from the food processor and, with your hands, form into four squares.

To assemble: Mix topping ingredients by hand in a small bowl. When smooth, pour the sauce on top of the base.

Refrigerate the cakes until firm.

Serves 4.

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