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Besides simple, quick, low-to-no equipment recipes that use a minimum amount of seeds, nuts, oil, and coconut, I’d like recipes that use a minimum amount of sugary stuff such as agave, high sugar fruits such as mangos, and innovative use of nice alkalizing veggies like cucumbers, avocados, tomatoes, celery, etc.
I’m always looking for ways to make these staples taste fresh and new, combined in ways I wouldn’t have thought of myself.
Being part geek and loving to know the answers. I would love a super informative book, that goes over all the raw ingredients to date including the additions that are not raw but used sometimes in detail as far as whats in them, the amounts used the effect they have on outcome the ways to prepare such products. Most people don’t know what irish moss is or how to properly prep it for it’s gelling ability. The more obscure ingredients like chia seeds, flax seeds, psyllium husks, mesquite meal, and such that thicken but how much thickens how much. If we could have the general guidelines on how to use what we have better. We would be that much closer to being able to make things so much better. You would just list a random amount of baking powder in a cake recipe. It’s a specific amount in a giving range for the amount of cake you plan to make. I also like the ideas of less nuts and more dairy replacements. I’m so sick of seeing soak pinenuts use cashews add some macademia nuts. Most people can’t afford the last 2 and cashews are so contriversial to being raw, why do so many dessert recipes call for them? Plus can we finally get bread right and have it taste like real bread and not a vegetable mess dehydrated with a binder like flax seed as a sub ingredient instead of the grain or seed being the body like it is meant to be. It is bread after all not a vegetable. Oh, and Pie crusts especially rub me the wrong way in a lot of raw pie recipes. For us who werent raw from birth, do you remember grandma’s apple pie? The crust didn’t look or taste like that. Can we find a crust that mimics something that isnt a graham cracker crust? I personally would like more diverse directions for us common people who can’t afford a 300 blender or a 250 vitamix and 200 dehydrator just to make something raw and nice. I’m a simple guy and the most expensive piece of equipment I have is my kitchenaid, but no raw cookbook ever mentions using a mixer or handmixer, why? I would think they would atleast mention it, considering your average kitchen is more like to have a decent blender, food processor, and a kitchenaid or handmixer than a super juicer and a deluxe dehydrator 3000. A section for a few simple ways to use common things for dehydrating, sprouting, mixing using what is in your average kitchen now without having to buy alot of expensive new things would be phenominal. If you could make your current oven into a big dehydrator with a few simple things would be great for a family of people of mixed eating habits, and maybe even save some counter space. One last thing, people don’t forget your household heating pad. Set it on low maybe medium heat does it get over 110 degrees? Just think about that, and you’ll understand where my mind is going. It’s not just for a sore back. Please feel free to contact me if you can find me or leave a fun comment on this string for me to come back to. This rant has felt so good to write :).
well said chris s..i guess a book would be good that had recipes around what ever is the cheapest at the supermarket when you visit..eg: say that brocolli is the cheapest on that particular day then you would go to that section in the book and find the various recipes with that ingredient..i guess the best ‘book’ would actually be a program that you put on your phone or media device where you can type in the cheap items that you found and it tells you the other things you need to buy to go with it..while you are at the shop?..
perhaps we can work on this ..
Simple recipes that do not take a lot of prep work to make.
I know, everyone wants low fat – except me!!! I look at raw food recipe books, and if there is only a tablespoon of oil, I know I don’t want to bother. I read that any foods with sulfur (radishes, garlic, cruciferous veggies, etc.) need to be eaten with some kind of fat in order to digest well. Also, where is the info. about “proper” food combining coming from? I tried the food combining thing years ago before discovering raw foods, and eating fruit by itself really messed up my blood sugar and I believe it was a big factor in pushing me toward diabetes. I like the idea of simple and inexpensive. Also, I like the idea of low-glycemic recipes.
spiersmusic, let me know when you get that phone thing working – I always seem to go shopping & then go back the next day for a couple of things to complete recipes, once I find the recipes that use broccoli, etc. – great idea!!!! :)
Chris S, Great idea about the ingredients! Totally.
I have another idea… which I think Gone Raw has the ability to do (or maybe it’s on their “list of things to do”... I’d like to be able to search for a recipe by entering a list of ingredients I have (excluding your every day spices and “basics”) and coming up with a list of recipes I can make… using any combination (or all) of the ingredients I have. Of course, this assumes you already have germinated/sprouted nuts/seeds ready to use! And, I want to be able to exclude ingredients like sun dried tomatoes soaked for one hour… because I may not have that hour and want to eat now!
I totally agree with you spiermusic! I can open Gone Raw on my mobile phone. It’s great, but I use it more for reading posts and only a few times for searching for a recipe while at the grocery store. (I just can’t post from my mobile phone, the browser must not support…something like Java or whatever. My husband is checking if there is a different browser that will allow me to post.) Hey, iPhone just released their SDK and you can buy it to make software for the iPhone! Then, you can turn around and sell it on their website… Apple takes 30% commission! If someone else can and wants to make such an application (like the above and as spiersmusic mentioned)... just make sure you make a version for Treo, Centro, and Blackberry too!
Also, it would be awesome if you could search recipes from raw food authors as well! (Or for GoneRaw, search your favorites or 5 star dishes only) Yes, yes… copyright issues with books… but, can’t there be a way to search for a recipe in several books… and the results come back with the Name of the dish, the Book its in, the Page it’s on, and if the author allows, their picture of the dish. Is that even possible (in the legal sense) to do? You probably have to talk to the authors… publishers… whoever. That would be great! There are so many recipes to try… here and in books.
For books, I recommend using lots of great pictures… Pictures, pictures pictures! ...in color. Raw food books with pictures are the books I often open if I want to make something new (or gourmet). All the other books with little or no pictures, they sit in my bookshelf much longer before I open them up. I’m also beginning to think that a recipe book based on what’s in season is perfect… we just joined a CSA and I want to be able to eat all my in-season food and prepare it different ways. Also, searching for a recipe based on whether its italian, indian, etc. would be great! Sometimes I find that I have a pot-luck type meal because I’m trying to finish up foods I have… and I only know how to prepare them certain ways/flavors. Guess I just need to prepare more foods… but, there are so many recipes out there to remember.
Great idea on that heating pad, chris s.
food with lots of greens that don’t taste green-y! :d
I would like to see nutritional value assigned to the recipes regarding vitamins/minerals/protein, etc. Being new, I am unsure about whether or not I am receiving everything I need. I am pretty sure I am but a little reminder would be nice. This may not be feasible but I thought I would ask.
Also, really tasty recipes, lots of flavors. I enjoy a good carrot as much as the next person but I miss my complex tastes.
I also agree with the 100 percent raw.
Let me know when it’s available, I would love to see it.
Maybe you can have a section in it that addresses foods that are not truly raw? Because I know for a fact that the pecans I eat ARE truly raw, yet I have read here that in many palces they aren’t. My pecans come from my grandfather’s trees in south GA. He sits around shelling them and putting them in containers and then mails them to me. It breaks my heart to think that there are poeple getting pecans that have been heated up in a factory somehwere to shell them faster. SO, maybe you could do some research on the regions where raw foods are truly raw and put it in your book? I’m still suspicious that the rest of the pecans in the southeastern US may really be raw, I have no idea.
I am new at being RAW and I would love a cookbook that I can come home from work and night and not have to “cook” all night before dinner is ready.
In other words, quick dinner ideas. Maybe a section that puts different recipes together for a nice dinner, maybe three courses.
Thanks
Hi everyone, thanks for giving so much feedback on this topic I started a while back.
My raw food recipe book ‘Raw Menu’ is almost complete and I have written another short one on ‘Quick Lunch Recipes’.
Most of my recipes are low fat, the menu book is set up as a 7 day menu plan that can be played around with, swapping over dishes etc. I’ve got nice photos in it and some information about eating raw in general.
Will keep you posted when it is online.
Peaceful blessings