Khorasan and the Purple Cheese Monkey

- a story of bread and cheese

Purple Cheese Monkey Pondering

I  remember when I started out on this raw venture I had some pretty serious cravings, and they were so very often for cheese.  At times I'd either fight it, feed it, regret it, indulge and enjoy it, select the best quality and have it as a treat, but I still didn't really want to be eating dairy food.  It didn't feel right but it really had me in its thrall. After a while I decided I'd "binge consciously" - or at least try to be aware of what I was doing and what had triggered it.  

My whole approach to a high raw diet is one of abundance and the idea that has kept me going the most has been that "I can have anything I want, whenever I want it" so there's no taboo.  I hold onto that philosophy and shy away from labelling myself as it usually ends up being another box I get forced into. 

but anyway - the cheese thing

Wow was I asking a lot from cheese - it had to soothe me, be there for me, nourish and comfort me and be squishy, gooey, sharp and tasty all at once - at it was all those things, until the act was over and I wasn't sure it respected me anymore. (the guilt, bloaty indigestion and blech feeling)

Now to my astonishment, I can walk down the cheese aisle of the gourmet deli, muse and ponder and walk on by.  I never thought I'd be that way BUT I still love aspects of cheese - social, tasty, indulgent, fun...

 

so now, I'M MAKING CHEESE!

totally plant based and dairy free.

It's a grand experiment using nuts (currently almonds, more to come)  Some are fermenting with time, others with probiotic powder or lemon juice and miso.  Some are draining, another's pressed and another's just sitting in its own juices doing its thing.   

the whey station

pressing the cheese

Purple Monkey's view looking down - I found a 3 tiered removable basket trolley on wheels and knew it would be handy! He's watching from the top basket.

 I'll eat it with Khorasan bread - huh? What's that? Well it took me by surprise too - Would you believe that Pure Life have repackaged their sprouted breads?  I love their totally anachronistic look - it's new! it's old!

and it is both - sprouted grain bread, sumerian bread, essene bread - I enjoy it from time to time with none of the side effects of baked wheat bread - although it's not gluten free nor wholly raw it is pretty good.

Turns out that 'KAMUT' which I always knew as an ancient form of non-hybridised wheat, is a brand name for the grain which is actually called Khorasan.  So there's a new mouthful.

I'd best pop back and get some yellow cake - used to be their "Essene Supreme with Dates and Walnuts" but it too has a new old look - yellow cake and cheese - yes please!

CHANGE OF DATES for Chocolate Classes

It seems I neglected to take note of the June long weekend!

So I've changed the dates to work around this 

White chocolate skulls with walnut and mango jam brains.
(the one in the bottom right corner didn't take a long weekend break and got eaten first.)

1. Make and temper your own dark, ‘milk’ and white organic, raw chocolate

 NOW Sunday 12th June 1.30 - 4pm

2. Use and create flavours, fillings and textures, mould and dip your chocolate creations  

NOW Sunday 19th June 1.30 - 4pm

3. Create delicious desserts, tarts, ‘cheezecakes’,  chocolate sauces and how to make your own creations  

 NOW Sunday 3rd July 1.30 - 4pm.

TAKE HOME GOODIES FROM EACH CLASS -

 Class 1 you'll have 3 types of organic raw chocolate to eat or use as  tempering seed for the next batch you make.  

Class 2 gives you a box of amazing organic gourmet chocolates (and the ability to recreate them).  

In class 3 you'll take home whatever you couldn't eat - bring takeaway containers!

Dark chocolate with watermelon candy - amazing!

ALSO

RAW FOOD FOUNDATION CLASS

(because it's beyond beginner's and a great starting point)

proposed date

SATURDAY JUNE 25TH 1.00 - 4pm

(bring takeaway containers)

EXTRAORDINARY RAW CHOCOLATE - next classes

gianduja

cointreau goji hearts

Hey everyone!  I haven't quite got the knack of the newsletter/blog subscription yet... 
but I do know when the next classes are!

coconut bounteousness

Be your own chocolatier!

take home gourmet box  - session 2 - you can make all of these and more!

A three part course that will reveal the secrets to:

1. Make and temper your own dark, ‘milk’ and white organic, raw chocolate Sunday June 5th 1.30 - 4pm

2. Use and create flavours, fillings and textures, mould and dip your chocolate creations  Sunday June 12th 1.30 - 4pm

3. Create delicious desserts, tarts, ‘cheezecakes’,  chocolate sauces and how to make your own creations  

 Sunday June 19th 1.30 - 4pm

pear and ginger cheezecakes with choc biscuit base

choc ganache apricot tarts - nut free bases

Each 2.5 hour class is $125  - enrol in all three for only $300

*Ingredients are organic, raw, dairy, cane-sugar and gluten-free, high nutrient, high vitality and top quality – there’s nothing quite like this chocolate.

contact Martine at  heremeraw@gmail.com or 

 0433 600 655 for bookings / enquiries  

small groups - great fun - Hamilton Hill

Working out how to drive this blog.

Hello everyone,

I'm just test driving some new features which I wish I'd known before, and will soon!

In the meantime, here's a photo that may or may not show up in the newsletter - Will find out very shortly.
fingers crossed
Martine x (and Leo)

RAW like sushi

a rare recipe that's looking good today:

 Really really raw sushi

Raw nori sheets, kale and macadamia rice, quick pickle and avocado filling, and dipping sauce

I've had a packet of raw nori in the cupboard for a while now - why on Earth was I so afraid to open it?

Well today I did!  If you look really closely you can see the difference - the rolls on the left have a slightly burnished golden look - they're the ordinary roasted nori - on the right it's a deeper purple/black, that's the really raw one.

I'm usually so impatient with sushi and try to stuff too much in, so the only real secret here is breathe and be gentle.

 The 'rice' is a few leaves of kale with the stems removed 1/3 cup of soaked macadamias blitzed in a hand held stick blender with the nut attachment and just a little liquid to blend it - chiffonade the kale first, and open the mixer up every now and then to help it mix together.  It may not LOOK like it's going to hold together initially, but it will. don't squoosh it.

Easy Pickles

1 Tablespoon umeboshi paste or one plum broken up, cut up 1 lebanese cucumber, slice 2 mushrooms and cut up half an avocado - add a touch of rice vinegar or just use umeboshi vinegar (cheaper than plums but boy I love them!) - let it sit for as long as you can or eat it straight away and knock the leftovers off tomorrow.

You don't even have to make this - you could just add whatever veges you have but this is a spectacular combination.

Lay the nori on a sushi mat (or use a teatowel) gently spread the 'rice' just shy of each end, but right up to the left and right corners.  Then lay the cucumber, avocado then mushroom slices in that order on top along the centre of the rice.


Then breathe, adopt a buffalo stance, take the end of the mat closest to you and flip it up and roll - y'know - it's probably best to check YouTube for 'how to roll sushi', there's a real risk I'll make this sound weird!  There's a bit of a knack to getting the bottom edge tucked in to the top bit, but it doesn't really matter.  Before closing the roll wet the top clear nori edge just to make it stick, then rest the roll on the join before cutting with a SHARP knife.

joy! it worked.

My dipping sauce is equal parts of Bragg's Aminos and lemon juice with a glob of Namida Pure Wasabi Powder - it's lovely, gentler and sweeter, and raw!

Did you know that the 'Wasabi' that you usually buy is ordinary horseradish with food colouring? Check the label, and next time get this http://www.wasabi.co.nz/.

Now don't you get fresh with me...     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsRz3TJDEY