Julie’s Raw Ambition

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I love curry so it’s no wonder Singapore noodles are my favorite traditional Chinese noodle dish. I replaced the usual thin vermicelli with goldbar squash that I hand-cut into thin strips, which in my opinion, holds up much better than spiralized zucchini. It’s more work but the results are worth it!

Noodles:

Take 4 goldbar squash sliced into thin strips, a handful of mung bean sprouts, some julienned pea pods, and a 2 inch piece of ginger sliced into matchsticks and hand toss in a bowl with a sprinkling of sea salt. In a separate bowl, marinate sliced shitake mushrooms with nama shoyu. Allow all to sit for an hour. Drain noodle mixture and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Carefully toss with hands and spread out on dehydrator trays along with mushrooms. Dehydrate for one hour.

Put all back into a large bowl. Add chopped spring onions, big minced garlic clove, minced jalepeno, and chopped cilantro. Carefully toss with hands. Then liberally add yellow curry powder, such as Muchi or sweet Indian, to evenly coat the noodles until they have a nice curry flavor. This is best done in stages: sprinkle-toss-sprinkle-toss. Finish with a light drizzle with sesame oil.

Keep noodles warm until ready to serve.

<3, JMK

The popular lettuce “wrap” versions of these, as seen at big chains like California Pizza Kitchen or P.F. Chang’s are usually made with chicken or pork stir-fried with water chestnuts and spices, then served with iceberg lettuce. P.F. Chang’s has a yummy vegetarian tofu version that inspired me to recreate them raw.

Filling:

One small jicama is diced and sprinkled with salt. 8 ounces cremini mushrooms are diced and sprinkled with nama shoyu. Allow to sit in separate bowls for one hour. Drain and dehydrate for one hour. Meanwhile in a small bowl create a marinade with nama shoyu and agave nectar. Add minced fresh garlic, minced jalepeno, and minced ginger. Allow to sit until jicama and creminis are finished dehydrating. Then combine all together in a bowl. Add some chopped fresh cilantro, chives, a few chopped fresh mint leaves, and a little bit of finely minced red bell pepper for color. Keep warm in a warming drawer or dehydrator until ready to serve.

Sweet Chili Mustard:

Combine good honey with dijon mustard and a small amount of garlic chili paste. Adjust honey and chili paste to your sweet and spicy liking.

Assembly:

Use romaine, butter lettuce, or radicchio leaves. Spoon on the filling and then drizzle a little sweet chili mustard over top. Voila!

<3, JMK

They are questions I frequently hear around the raw community: “What should I pack? Are there any good suggestions for keeping raw on the road?” Well, here I hope to provide some comprehensive tips for packing your next survival kit, especially if you’re new to raw. This should come at a good time as many of us are embarking on our summer holidays, and coincidentally I’m planning my own kits for two very different upcoming excursions. First we’ll begin with a suggested master inventory list:

• Magic Bullet - for making blended juices, smoothies, nut milks
• Any dry or dehydrated snacks - such as flax crackers, veggie chips, and raw chocolate treats
• Portable seasonal fruits - such as oranges, apples, bananas, cherries, grapes
• Sea vegetables - such as laver, dulse, nori, wakame (to be eaten as snack or added to salads)
• Goji berries
• Dry raw nuts - almonds, brazil
• Mesh nut bag - for straining if making nut milk in Magic Bullet
• Non-perishable supplements - Green Vibrance or other probiotics, crystal manna, maca
• Condiments - Extra virgin olive oil, nut butters, sea salt, nama shoyu, agave, stevia
• Miscellaneous additives - vanilla beans, coconut butter and honey (for skin AND shakes), cocoa powder, cacao nibs
• Plastic containers for storing nut milks, juices, liquids.

Straight away, the first factors in determining what to bring are where you’re going and how long you’re going to be gone. There’s a big difference between taking a road trip to Uncle Buck’s house for the weekend versus flying internationally for a three week jaunt around the South Pacific. It can quickly become tempting to pack a whole suitcase just for raw supplies, but this isn’t typically the most practical thing to do especially for air travel (neither is lugging around a 50 pound Vita-Mixer).

Consider this:

• The accommodations.
• The mode of transportation.
• The destination city itself.
• The duration of your stay.

Road trip!

When it comes to packing the survival kit, naturally the most flexibility is within domestic travel by car to accommodations with a refrigerator and ample counter space. In that case, go for it! If you’re staying with friends or family, bring as much as they’ll care to have before thinking you’ve completely gone over the top with your “alternative lifestyle”. But stop along the way at some farmers markets for lovely fresh fruits and veggies for all and pick up a bottle of wine as a kind gesture for them for putting up with you and taking up precious kitchen space.

Airport Mayhem

We all know what a pain in the bum airport security has become. Forget bringing your green shake on-board the flight, but don’t think I haven’t considered smuggling some along in 3 oz. shampoo bottles! If that’s a little too dramatic, carry on a small bag filled with snacks such as fresh fruit, veggies and crackers to carry you through the duration of your flight and beyond to your destination. I suggest putting liquids such as nama shoyu or honey in small air-tight plastic containers, like Tupperware or those you can find at beauty supply stores. Seal them in a ziploc bag to prevent potential leakage.

Hotel Rooms

Hotels often have refrigerated mini bars included in the rooms or suites, but if you haven’t stayed there before there’s no way of knowing if there will be enough space to spare for perishable items. However, once you get to your destination city, shop via markets or room service to get your fresh fruits and veggies and store them by whatever means you have. If you brought along a Magic Bullet, splendid! Order in some juice, add your supplements, and blend away! No matter where we’re staying, I start my day this way. A good, nutrition packed blended juice in the morning starts me off in balance, and I don’t feel as guilty if I indulge a little later in the day.

Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean, the last cruise line I took last year, provided a bar refrigerator in our cabin with ample, ample space for goodies. Unfortunately I had no way of knowing this prior otherwise I would have prepared accordingly by bringing the Magic Bullet to make daily shakes and juices with stockpiled fruit. If you’re cruising outside of the US, including the Bahamas and Caribbean, cruise ships will not allow any produce from any port to be carried on board for agricultural safety reasons. However, since they’re notorious for having an endless flow of nearly every type of food imaginable, you’ll never be without fruits and vegetables. These are good times to utilize your own condiments at meals as well.

Short term travel (2 to 4 days)

Length of travel is a critical decision making factor when packing the survival kit. I’ll use two of my own upcoming itineraries as examples.

This weekend, I’m flying to a resort in the Bahamas for a 4 day stay. So my kit will be minimal and something like this: Because it’s a short time at a beach resort, I want to be able to pack efficiently and carry-on my luggage. This’ll mean leaving the Magic Bullet behind and hand-carrying snacks like flax crackers, fruit, and seaweed. I’ll pack coconut butter, honey, gojis, Green Vibrance capsules, and a few other space-friendly supplements and condiments in my carry-on bag. What I bring should work with whatever food they have at the resort, which I trust will include a reasonable number of healthful choices.

Long term travel (4+ days)

In mid-June, it’s a different story. I’ll be in multiple cities in Europe for over 3 weeks including accommodations on a cruise ship as well as hotels. This is a situation where I definitely want to be prepared and not without the Magic Bullet. I’m going to bring as much as I can smash into my suitcase. Except for my initial departure, I won’t be toting around fresh produce but will rather be enjoying the local, seasonal fare of each destination. During my time on the cruise ship, it should be easy to work with all the choices available and hopefully we’ll have some nice refrigeration space in our cabin. This particular trip will be a unique adventure and I’m satisfied to do the best I can in circumstances that are impossible to be 100% planned out.

Most importantly!

Be realistic when setting dietary parameters while you’re away. Don’t expect perfection, you may only put unnecessary pressure on yourself and set the stage for disappointment. The raw police aren’t going to come ’round and rough you up, either. Just make the best choices you can in whatever social and dining environment you may find yourself. Have FUN! Enjoy your trip!

<3, JMK

Package of Vosages Haut-Chocolate “An Aphrodisiac Library of Chocolate Love Spells”

These exotic little treats look more like a find for Valentine’s Day. But take a bite of one and you’ll want to have them on hand for any reason at all! I first found this box of Vosges Haut Chocolat at Bergdorf’s the last time I was in New York City a couple of months ago. Although words like “aphrodisiac” and “love spells” are certainly alluring on this particular package, I was most enticed by what was inside - dark chocolate seasoned with the most unlikely ingredients! They’re totally reminiscent of the movie, “Chocolat” with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

Dark chocolate varieties: Red Fire, Black Pearl, Oaxaca

A “Black Pearl Bar” with wasabi, ginger, and black sesame seeds? You won’t see that on the dessert menu at the local sushi bar! How about a “Red Fire Bar” with Mexican ancho and chipotle chilies and Ceylon cinnamon? Sounds almost like an ancient Aztec concoction used for love rituals! If you’re feeling really spicy, there’s the “Oaxaca Bar” with guajillo and pasilla chilies, seemingly like something you’d find around Sevilla, Spain at a tapas bar.

Of the three dark chocolate varieties, the latter definitely packs the stingiest bite. Having the highest cacao content paired with the chilies, it’s no wonder. They are all positively excellent and the unique ingredients are in perfectly subtle combinations so that you’re getting a hint of the flavors, not overwhelming awkwardness. Best of all, the ingredients are most pure and natural.

Milk chocolate varieties: Barcelona and Naga

I should also mention the other varieties that are made with milk chocolate, though no less interesting. The “Naga Bar” is made with sweet Indian curry powder and coconut flakes. The “Barcelona Bar” has hickory smoked almonds and grey sea salt. Now if only Vosges could do these in a dark chocolate version with raw ingredients!

While each of these bars are a sample size of .5 ounces each, they do come in full-sizes which can be ordered directly from vosgeschocolate.com. There you will find an even more extensive selection of chocolate bars with ingredients such as goji berries, organic walnuts, green tea, kalamata olives, cardamom, and plums! You’ll have fun on their website checking out all the treats. The products make excellent gifts as well. I’m all over that. . .

<3, JMK

Let me take a moment from raw talk to show off what I got in the mail yesterday just in time for the ‘08 summer travel season. I’m soooo V.I.P.! Well, at least for a few moments at the airport!

Fed up with security lines at the airport? Tired of cranky TSA agents assaulting your personal belongings and treating you like a chump? Well, with this golden ticket those days should be over!

We’ve have had our eye on the program for a while after many times being stuck in 30+ minute long security lines filled with herds of tourists at MCO (Orlando Int’l Airport). On one nice departure day some time ago, we were standing in line among acute crowd chaos full of pissed off people on verges of missed-flight meltdowns. There were miserable, over-tired Disney-goers with sunburns and families with many small angry children taking 10 extra minutes to unload all their shit onto the screening belt. And there’s always those several who hold up the line because they put liquids in their checked bags and not in that little plastic baggy!

But then, in the midst of the corralled madness, we saw THEM. . .the other travelers happily being whisked through this special entry rimmed with a pretty glowing blue light. It had a non-existent line, and the “special” agents who met them at this entry were smiling and gracious, and even provided assistance with the passengers’ bags as they were escorted to the front of the security line!

Naturally we had to check this out. If you’re gonna travel like a rock star, AND have a stress-free airport experience, this must be the way to go. Clear is an airport security “fast pass” that was developed post 9/11 to offer a solution for the obstruction of airport security travel flow. New screening measures and varying levels of Homeland Security alerts are constantly being exercised. So why should mentally stable, law-abiding folks be made to suffer because of a handful of a-hole terrorists? Just last month, some idiot trying to board an Air Jamaica flight at MCO was apprehended for having bomb-making materials in his baggage. Brilliant, dude.

Provided you are not on the terrorist watch list or one of the FBI’s most wanted, or have a felony record, you too can own one of these magic passes. Oh yeah, it would also help if the Clear program exists at your local airport. The lack of true nationwide availability was the only factor stopping us from joining the program sooner. But Clear is growing. Currently it is available at Orlando, Jacksonville, Little Rock, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Washington DC (Reagan & Dulles), Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Westchester, Albany, Denver, Reno, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and coming soon to Atlanta and Salt Lake City. They urge their members through their website to contact the non-participating airports and say something like, “Hey! What the hell are you waiting for? Get with the program!” Check out www.flyclear.com for more information.

Now, you do still have to comply with TSA pain-in-the-bum federal regulations, such as the liquids and gels thing in the plastic baggy. But don’t think I haven’t thought about pouring green shake into several 3 oz. shampoo bottles to take on with me.

Unfortunately, another consequence of 9/11 is that now airport convenience is a luxury, not a human right, that you naturally have to pay for. Clear costs $100 for the first year, plus a $28 processing fee. If Clear exists in your departing city and you travel often enough, it’s well worth bypassing the security line nightmare. They do participate in points programs such as Marriott Rewards, which makes you eligible for a discount or total coverage of fees. Visit a Clear airport kiosk or speak with a representative for a complete list of reward partners.

<3, JMK

I am detoxing. No doubt. It’s a process of renewal, yet the roller coaster ride sucks.

During the past several weeks, that inevitable swirling vortex of life’s forces, both positive and negative, has picked me up and twisted my insides. But right now, I’ve found this moment of level headed inclination to unload here in my own forum as a means to hopefully help me process all this junk and be released from its clutches!

Releasing stress is a good thing, yes, but only as much as my ability to be honest with myself and acknowledge that I am not always more powerful than me. I have weaknesses, I make mistakes, and sometimes I need help. Help is something that I have had a tremendous problem with asking for all of my life. Even as a little girl, I lived vicariously through Linda Carter as Wonder Woman. Seriously I did! Behold the power of strong, kick-ass, independent women! But Wonder Woman I’m not, although it’s still fun entertaining in that thought (and hey, I’m darn close…I could like, be her little sister or something). And often times in keeping my sanity as I hold down this fortress and keep boundaries at bay within my domestic wild-wild west, it’s what I HAVE to do.

This is the curse of a woman. We want to take care of everything and everyone and in the process we forget about ourselves. So it IS okay that I’m actually human and should not feel guilty or weak for feeling overwhelmed, depressed, run-down, or not perfect. And stress is not always attributed to negative circumstances. Even the exciting, positive, and most fortunate things to which I’m deeply appreciative that have happened in my life lately stir up adrenaline and intermittently exhausting energy. Then the difficulty exists in how I perceive and handle it all, and most recently how I’ve allowed it to take me over.

Nearing the weekend of May 9, just in time for George’s birthday, I had a major Crohn’s attack. When I say “major”, it’s one of those that just kicks my ass into bed-ridden debilitation for several days, followed by an indefinite period of recovery and renormalization. The whole experience is not only painful and draining, it’s incredibly maddening due to havoc it wreaks on all the work I’d been doing for the good of my health. I am exhausted and cranky, and it takes my body a good while to recognize the balanced path it once rode and hop back on it.

Medically speaking, stress factors have not been “proven” to instigate the onset of a Crohn’s attack. Yet my own history and in speaking to others who suffer from Crohn’s and other forms of IBS suggest quite the opposite. It’s becoming more and more of a common knowledge that stress in its many forms can do some seriously jacked up shit to your body if it goes unchecked. Oh yeah, and although I have done lots of work in keeping myself healthy, I’ve slid a bit. Acute stress provokes me to eat crap and I ate just a hair too much cooked and restaurant food and had a little too much wine (DUH Jules!) in the previous weeks to this flare up. So, who is really to blame here? Me or my disease?

The cycle: busy > stress > eat out > bad food choices > too much wine > stress > CROHN’S ATTACK > painkillers > spaghetti > recovery > more painkillers + Excedrin > increase raw > hi-raw > detox > feel great again . . . busy.

So the good times routine begins something like this: within 24 hours of unbearable pain, I start on George’s oxycodone (Percocet) which he has for his own issues. Meanwhile, my wonderful hubby-nurse calls our doctor. The good Doc calls me in some scripts. As always, it’s for Prednisone (a steroid for the inflammation of the affected area of my GI tract) and hydrocodone (Vicodin) for pain. Well, it is easy to protest steroids. They are just wrong, period. BUT, it is even easier to become dependent on the painkillers. They are wrong too, but when you are in that much pain they quickly become the lesser of the two evils. And not only do they numb the pain to tolerability, they create feel-good mood sensations in the brain that want more once you get them continuously pumped into you.

After a couple of days, when my body finally embraces the idea of having a little nourishment, it’s a far cry from my beloved sea vegetable salads or green shakes. The last thing I think about is jumping back to where I left off. I become scared of food, even raw, even water. During this last experience, my husband made me a small portion of plain spaghetti as my first post-attack meal, the only thing that was appealing whatsoever and it did taste so good! Eventually being able to add a little tomato sauce was nice, too. I started to make a comeback slowly but surely, but my energy was down and I still had an aftermath of dull pain in my abdomen, accompanied by smaller relapses. So, I pop some more Vicodin or Percocet and it’s all better.

By day 3 to 4, I’m ready to get out of bed and begin the recovery process but my body is now completely out of whack. I have no energy in the morning, so I regress to another little bad habit I’ve been on and off with: Excedrin. They have caffeine cleverly mixed into the acetaminophen/aspirin cocktail that gives you a nice brain boost that’s lots better than coffee. Take some Excedrin and you can write a thesis in an hour and clean your whole house top to bottom in another! I’m also still not eating much, except spaghetti and other bland cooked foods, supplemented with Vicodin here and there. Do you see the vicious cycle here? As the week progresses, I feel better and better abdominally and I slowly incorporate raw foods again. However, it becomes a little challenging to ween myself off of the drugs that were carrying me along.

It has been 3 weeks now since the beginning of the last attack, and I’ve been eating hi-raw since Sunday with no painkillers and no Excedrin. Naturally, the detox process came on fast and intense. I’ve gotten quite comfy on the loo again, my magazine rack is stocked. I’ve got surprise little blemishes on my face and chest every morning. I get frequent little annoying headaches that say, “Just feed me two Excedrin!” and I say, “DO shut up!” My menses are off again as I am spotting mid-cycle. And at night I get weird all-over body sensations like heart palpitations and restless legs. That’s been my week this week.

At this moment, I’m trying so hard to stand still in the middle of this swirling vortex of my life. No worrying, no projecting, no what-if’s. I feel better now than I have felt in a month! And in just a short 8 days, I will be traveling virtually constantly for a month straight. I could easily let myself worry about things like:

1) Will our house be okay (even though mom-in law and our resident spiritualist will be staying here)? Will the PB’s (punk bastards) drive them nuts and try to have wild parties even though they know better?

2) Will a business crisis occur to which we are not home to address?

3) How will I manage my raw and prevent a health crisis from occurring while I am on a cruise ship or in freakin’ Croatia?

But now, Julie, what is all that worrying going to do except add stress, therefore potentially beginning the cycle all over again? I have to stay present. Stay present. Stay present. Be grateful. Feel love, be love. Embrace light. Embrace health, once and for all.

<3, JMK

You must try this recipe for your next soirée or just for snacking! They’re not only uniquely tasty, they’re sexy yet rustic and simple!

I was inspired by one of my all-time favorite small bites, “slow-cooked and stuffed baby cherry chili peppers”, courtesy of Jamie Oliver’s wonderful book, The Naked Chef Takes Off. I don’t know why in the world I didn’t try this before now, because the results are so uncannily close to the cooked pepper version it’s amazing. Jamie’s recipe calls for fresh cherry peppers roasted in a whole bottle of extra virgin olive oil (the method results in cherry pepper infused oil, which can be used again). Since I’ve lived in Central Florida, I’ve been unable to find fresh cherry peppers, which is fine because you never know how much heat those babies can pack and raw just may be a little too intense for my taste, anyway.

These baby bell peppers are a perfect substitute, lovely in their color varities, and can be seasoned to closely mimic a cherry pepper. These days, most grocery stores seem to carry them. The only other modification to be made was substituting dulse flakes in the stuffing instead of chopped anchovies - another perfect solution as the dulse is similar in saltiness and nuttiness. Be sure to “marinate” the baby peppers as long as possible (up to 36 hours) since the softer they are, the better. Recipe follows. .

1 pint baby bell peppers in assorted sizes and colors
a big handful each of fresh chopped arugula, parsley, and basil
2 tbs capers, drained and chopped
2 to 3 tbs dulse flakes
1 red chili pepper, cut into chunks (do not omit seeds)
1 fat garlic clove, smashed
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
high quality aged sweet balsamic vinegar

Slice the larger peppers lengthwise, and cut the tops off of the smaller ones. Remove any seeds or membranes. In an air-tight container with a lid, season very liberally with sea salt, add a sprinkling of black pepper, the garlic clove, and the chili pepper. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. At the end of this 1st stage of marinating, drain any water released from the peppers. Add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, more sea salt, and toss. Cover and marinate for at least 6 more hours.

Dehydrate the peppers for 1-2 hours at 110 degrees. Remove just before stuffing.

Meanwhile, to make stuffing, combine all the herbs, capers, dulse flakes, a teaspoon or so of sea salt, some black pepper, and a modest drizzle of olive oil just so that it helps bind the ingredients. Remove the garlic clove and chili from the baby pepper container. Very finely chop 1/2 the garlic clove and 1 segment of the chili pepper, or to your liking, and add to the stuffing. Gently toss to combine all stuffing ingredients.

Using a spoon, gently stuff the peppers and arrange on a serving plate. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve.

These peppers are best served slightly warm or at room temperature. They make excellent leftovers the next day, eat ‘em right out of the fridge.

<3, JMK

…Dandelion Communitea in all its green glory. Cute tiki.

I’ve loved the Dandelion since it first opened sometime in 2006. It has grown to be quite popular, progressively evolving into the “communitea”. George and I stopped in yesterday for a bite, and the first thing we noticed is that they added more tables since the last time we’d been - a very good sign, cause this place is cool AND the food rocks.

Welcome.

Behind that door is an encompassment of “vegan and celeriac-friendly”, “Co-op America approved”, locally grown, organic, tea sippin’, green drink chuggin’, chillin’ with your BFF’s, live music performin’, poetry readin’, and bohemian-hippie chic buzz with a mellow vibe.

The great little wall of teas.

When you first step through the door into the petite foyer, you’re met with this impressive selection of organic teas (Teavana, eat your heart out!), elixirs, and all-natural vegan toiletries. Look to the right and see the shabby-chic armoire filled with hand-made jewelry from local artists. Lovely.

Something for everyone.

Then you come to a counter where there sits the cash register and all sorts of pretty vegan pastries. It is at this counter where orders were once placed before finding your table or sofa and then waiting for your vittles to arrive. No more. The Dandelion has transistioned to 100% table service. Splendid!

From my seat in the main social room.

So on you go into the cozy main dining room, which was once a kind of living/dining area because of the big sofa and coffee table that used to sit in the middle of the room. I like to think of it, as well as the other separate smaller gathering areas in the rear of the house, as social rooms. You can eat, meet, chill, chat, surf (note the dude on right of the pic above), whatever, until they kick you out. I dig the circus big top-like fabric on the ceiling in the main room cinched by the center light fixture.

Weeeeee!

Now lets get on to the food, which is mostly vegan, mostly raw, and scrumptiously fresh. The menu is a/k/a “The Dandylicious Menu”, and is modest in quantity but abundant in wholesomeness and yumminess! The salad selections have two formats: “roll it or bowl it” - fantastic in either although I do prefer bowled. On this day I had a taco craving, and was already set to have “The Giddyup” ($8.50), topped with their signature chili and finished with shredded vegan cheddar, which completely satisfied my addiction. George got it rolled.

“The Giddyup”, bowled. . .

. . .and rolled.

We also munched on some “Summer of Love Rolls” ($6), a bunch of veggies and herbs wrapped in delicate rice paper with this peanut-coconut sauce that is so good you can eat it with a spoon.

“Summer of Love Rolls”

And with (nearly) every plate of something you get, they serve a small dollop of their “Happy Hempy Hummus”, which is to DIE for. YUM YUM YUM! Of course, you can just order a bowl of it and be very happy.

Once your stomach is full, nourished, and happy, take some time to check out the paintings for sale among the walls, peek into the other two social rooms of the house, or browse the big-ass bulletin board pinned with everything from yoga instruction to green cleaning services. There’s all kinds of funky trinkets about that’ll have you feeling the love.

Big-ass bulletin board.

I don’t know who Jennifer Wood is.

Dandelion Communitea Cafe is located at 618 N. Thornton Avenue very near downtown Orlando, and edging the Viet-town district. Check them out at http://dandelioncommunitea.com. If I didn’t live so far on another side of town, I’d make this place my second home!

<3, JMK

See more of these durian photos on Flickr!

When I went to my favorite Asian foods market today in Viet-town for young coconuts and bento boxes, I didn’t expect to find a whole barrel full of live, REAL, fresh durians! I’d finally come face to face with the elusive fruit I have only heard of quite favorably from my raw friends or, from what I’ve seen Andrew Zimmern almost puke over on his “Bizarre Foods” hit TV show on the Travel Channel. Very curious for a man who happily scarfs down on rodent nads, roaches, monkey brains, and road kill!

My husband and daughter were happy to partake in the dissection of this 4.65 lb, $6.90, spiny, alien-like object (is that a good price?). God forbid if one of these things ever dropped on your head. And this one was one of the smaller of the bunch!

I think I had prepared myself for the worst, particularly based on what I was told regarding the smell. Well, it did release some funk that if I hadn’t known better I would have blamed my 13-year old for farting. Mr. Tran from the market described them as being like a sweet, yet pungent (a nice way to put it), avocado. I’d say that’s the closest description you can possibly get for something that’s nearly impossible to describe. And the flesh eerily resembles the yellow wrinkly skin of raw chicken parts!

The overall verdict? Absolutely different as if this thing came from some other planet. Not initially disgusting, but not fabulous. Then came the indigestion part. Just the few bites George and I had gave us durian burps for the next hour or so. That was kinda gross. Would I buy it again? Not quite yet. It’s definitely a taste-acquired thing and right now that quirky thing that has manifested into weird-food love for me is sea vegetables. My question is now, what do I do with the rest of it I’ve stored in the fridge? It would probably make an interesting layer to my morning shakes.

Any durian experiences, loves, likes, dislikes, and advice are welcome!

Adventures Nightmare of the Durian update (4/29): That creature took over my kitchen for 24 hours. Durians are mean and they stink. Maybe I’d have to be in Thailand someplace in the open air so that they can’t assault me if I ever try one again. Bad, bad durian! I don’t like you!

<3, JMK

With Garlicky Broccolini, Sweet Vidalia and Fennel Gratin, and Blueberry-Macadamia Rawscarpone Crumble.

That’s right, now you’ve heard it all! After last night’s success, I’ve decided to shoot for a weekly “TV Dinners Gone Raw” night, inspired by these cute compartmented plates I found on sale at Bloomingdale’s recently. You can’t deny the power of presentation, and raw food in a TV dinner format aroused even the pickiest eaters in my household! What’s better is that it makes for a smooth preparation, as theming calls for similar ingredients yet results in a complete, multi-course meal. Upon laying out every course within their respective partitions, I popped them into the warming drawer (you can also cautiously use oven on lowest setting) for about 15 minutes. Voila! The kids almost thought they were getting a real TV dinner classic!

Makes 5 servings then some:

“Spaghetti & Meatballs”:

• Spaghetti: 3.25 lbs. goldbar squash, slice lengthwise into wide thin strips with a vegetable peeler, then cut into noodle-like strips. Rest in bowl with light sprinkling of sea salt and pepper. Drain excess water, drizzle with olive oil and dehydrate 1 hour at 115 degrees.
• Meatballs: 1 cup of soaked walnuts plus 1.5 cups coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms marinated at least 1 hour with nama shoyu. In a food processor, blend together with 2 cloves garlic, thyme, oregano, crushed red pepper, flax seed oil, sea salt and pepper. With your hands create balls using about 1.5 tablespoons of mixture at a time, and dehydrate for 4 to 6 hours at 115 degrees.
• Marinara: 2 lbs. plum tomatoes, scooped & seeded, cut & quartered. Place in bowl & season well with sea salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme. Allow to sit for at least 2 hours, tossing occassionally, then draining liquid through a sieve. Add to food processor, along with 6 large olive oil marinated sun-dried tomatoes (not the dry-packaged). Add 1 large garlic clove, fresh basil leaves, more fresh thyme, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, sea salt & pepper to taste, and blend thoroughly to a marinara sauce consistency.

Garlicky Broccolini:

• 1 lb. broccolini, bottom third of stem removed, cut into bit sized pieces. Place in a bowl with 3 smashed large garlic cloves, tossing occasionally. Add enough sea salt & pepper to taste. Let sit for at least one hour. Add garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil and allow to sit at least another hour before removing cloves and dehydrating at 115 degrees for an hour.

Fennel & Sweet Vidalia Gratin:

• 1 medium sized vidalia onion, 1 medium sized fennel bulb finely sliced into half moons. Also include some fennel fronds for pretty specks of green. Place in bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and allow to sit for at least 2 hours. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for one hour.
• Gratin: In a food processor, blitz 2 teaspoons sea salt with one large garlic clove. Add one cup soaked cashews, black pepper, and about 1/8-1/4 cup flax seed oil. Add only enough cold water to get creamy, smooth consistency. Finally, mix a few heaping tablespoons or as much to taste, to the vidalia and onions after dehydrating.

Blueberry-Macadamia Rawscarpone Crumble:

• 1.5 pints fresh blueberries, marinated for at least 2 hours with the gooey seeds of 1 vanilla bean, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a good squirt of agave nectar.
• Rawscarpone: 1 cup of soaked cashews, 1.5 tablespoons coconut butter, gooey seeds of 1 vanilla bean, good squirt of agave, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend very well to the smoothest consistency using drizzles of cold water if necessary.
• Macadamia crumble: 1 cup soaked macadamias, blended to medium to fine crumbly texture with 2 tablespoons vanilla-infused maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 3 hours.
• (Assembly) Spoon mixture into dish, pressing down to make a pie-like crust. Add a good dollop of the rawscarpone and spread evenly, add blueberries to cover, then finally add another small dollop of rawscarpone followed by a few more macadamia crumble.

<3, JMK