Vegannosaurus Rex

The first book I referenced in beginning my raw food experimentation was ‘RAW FOOD real world‘ from Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis, the founders of Pure Food and Wine in New York City. First of all, this book is beautiful, perhaps one of the most beautiful cookbooks i have ever seen. The design and layout is intuitive, there are ample pictures, all extremely appetizing, and the book as a whole is full of color.

The pictures in this book are beautiful, i wanted to make every single recipe in the book the first time i laid eyes on it, then i started reading the recipes… With eyes popping out of my head, and beads of sweat forming on my brow, i expressed slight trepidation upon first glance at this challenging cookbook. Katie offered sage advice, ‘I use it as inspiration.’ Well spoken. That’s exactly how i have been using it, and it works. The pictures of the final products are so beautiful it is very tempting to attempt to make each and every one of them from start to finish, but i’ve found it far more rewarding, at this early stage in my raw food experience, to use the recipes more as a guideline. Many of these recipes have multiple parts that each have their own recipe and come together to make a greater whole. Instead of diving in and trying to create the masterpiece, i have started by making some of the pieces of the puzzle and applying them to meals in my own way. Its a great way to become familiar with both the book as well as some of the ingredients and techniques, as well as build my confidence, which leads me to my next point.

For some reason i get an incredible sense of accomplishment when i make food from this book. I’ve never had issues cooking, or following recipes, in fact i think i’m pretty good in the kitchen, but i get an elevated sense of accomplishment when completing these recipes. I’m still fascinated by what can be done with raw food, i’m sure that is a contributing factor, and i have someone i can lean on for guidance, which is motivating. Whatever the case, this book continues to provide inspiration.

As amazing as the recipes are in ‘RAW FOOD’ the ‘real world’ section is fascinating. The authors illustrate the path upon which the traveled to a raw diet and lifestyle, and it proves very educational. I’m a huge fan of the tone of these sections of the book, the authors don’t preach, they merely explain the route they have taken. I have referred back to these sections many times, its a fun read. They are honest, sometimes a little too honest, and self deprecating, two characteristics I appreciate in people.