The Sensual Vegetable: January 2012

Raw Falafel and broccoli tabouli

Falafel

Soaked and sprouted garbanzo beans

Brazil Nuts

parsley

Nori rolls in the making....no rice needed.

Nori sheet

almond pate

arugula

shredded zucchini and carrots

sesame seeds

Zucchini Pasta-pre pesto

Raw Bites...Chocolate Cashew Moon Cookies

Black Magic

Chocolate Cashew Moon cookies

Some without chocolate.

Basically....

Walnuts
Pecans
Sesame seeds
agave
palm sugar
tablespoon of oat milk

Process in a food processor until a ball forms
Put in a pastry bag with out a tip and squeeze out a little circle.

some with:
-unsweetened chocolate
-peanut butter
-nuts

Chocolate ones also have spirulina.

Place in an oven after it has been heated and then turned off...cooled down to warm only.
Leave in for an hour or two...to "cook" them a little...basically let then dry up a bit...I do not yet have a dehydrator.

Raw Dinner

Oat Milk...yes, it is yummy...great cow milk or soy milk alternative & Oat bran

Looking for an alternative to cow milk, soy, rice or nut milk. It makes a great smooth milk with a bit of a oat flavor but not much.

Oat Milk

1 cup of oat groats soaked at least 24 hours.
rinse put in a blender and fill the blender to the top with water.
That's it.
Strain very well with a fine strainer or nut milk bag.
After a few hours there will be sediment on the bottom of the jar...just leave it...the milk has settled and is now even smoother.

I make two patches. One plain and one sweet.

I add some agave syrup and vanilla extract.

Make it fresh as it does not last more than 2 days at most.

One of the the great things I found is as I am straining it is that the endosperm (the brown outer part of the oat groat) has floated to the top. I strain that and toss it. But as I continue to strain I get the oat bran. I save that as use it as a breakfast cereal. It is creamy, easy to eat and filling.
In a bowl add some oat bran, a little oat milk, walnuts, bananas and maple syrup...yummy!

I used to buy oat bran...I am happy to find it as a by product of making fresh oat milk.

Oat Information....

Oats groats are the least processed of all the oat products. The "oatmeal" we are most commonly aware of are groats hulled, steamed and rolled. Rolled oats...such as Quater oats...further processing cuts them up more. Steel cut and Irish oats are cut up oat groats.e

When oat groats are produced, the oats are first hulled, removing the inedible outer husk. What remains is a whole grain, containing the fiber-rich bran nutritious germ, and the bulk of the grain, the endosperm. The oat groats are typically heat treated to make them more shelf stable, and then they can be processed into a range of products including rolled oats and oat flour or they can be packaged for sale as is.

Oat groats are whole, minimally processed oats. Because they have not been extensively processed, they retain a high nutritional value, and they can be used in a variety of ways.

Oat protein is nearly equivalent in quality to soy protein, which World Health Organization research has shown is equal to meat, milk, and egg protein. The protein content of the hull-less oat kernel (groat) ranges from 12 to 24%, the highest among cereals.

Oats are relatively free from diseases and pests with the exception of the Andrew, such as leaf rust and stem rust. A few lepidopteran caterpillars feed on the plants—e.g. rustic shoulder-knot and setaceous Hebrew character moths, but these rarely become a major pest.

Raw Dinner

Nori roll with sprouted brown rice and sprouted lentils

Nori roll with almond pate

carrots/green onion/avo

Zucchini "spagetti" with pesto/pine nuts

Kale salad with blueberries

Quintessence-Raw food to warm the soul.

East Village
263 E 10th Street
(btw. Ave A & 1st Ave)
NYC
(646) 654-1823

On a cold, rainy January day I walked quite a few blocks to make my way to Quintessence. The thought of raw food on such a blustery day may seem out of place but don't be mistaken Live food can be very comforting. Quintessence creates dishes that are truly comfort food as it should be. Healthy, yummy and satisfying.

Exposed brick and soothing amber gold colored walls with the green of a cascading leaf plant by the window make it cozy and warm. Small but still able to sit about 20 people.

A good selection on the menu with an option for a Lunch Combo. The combo is well prices at about $12.
I opted for a regular menu item...

The Indian Platter-

Spinach saag. Mali Kofta, chic pea vegetables balls drenched with creamy almond curry sauce, topped with mango chutney and tamarind sauce.

Served with kamut bread.

$21 salad included.

The flavors of both sauces were outstanding. Each with deep layers of flavor and just the right about of heat. The Saag drenched the raw spinach in a rich and creamy curry sauce. The Almond curry sauce was smooth and contrasted the sweet mango chutney that topped the Kofta balls. The addition of the tamarind sauce completed the palate. So satisfying...so amazing that it is created with live ingredients. A couple slices of kamut bread to dip into the extra sauce helped me almost clean the place.

The lunch came with a mixed green salad and I asked for the tahini miso dressing..

.good and basic.

Ahh...dessert.

Coconut Cream Pie.

I was so full from the entree...and still I had to try one of their raw desserts. I am not much a dessert person...but raw desserts have changed my mind. It was just right...

not too sweet...creamy with the texture of the coconut intact. The crust was dense and rich.

My server, Jessica was pleasant and sweet. We talked a little about raw food and when I asked about certain things, like how the Kofta was made she checked and was also able to answer other inquires. She was attentive to me and also the other diners. She even told me that the chef offers classes and gave me a website to go to.

I can not wait to go back...if this small sampling is any indication of their offerings then it will be a delight to return. I highly recommend Quintessence to anyone who wants to experience how food can be approached from the live/raw food perspective.

It was a bit pricy...so the lunch combo might be better for lunch fare...but dining out should be unique...something you can't make at home...you can find that Quintessence.

Raw food for thought...Forget the terms, vegetarian, vegan and the like...this is about a way to think about eating and creating a balance. Even if you don't consider being a "rawist"...Live food can be a bigger percentage of what we eat in general. Less processed and less over packaged foods for a healthy body and planet.

-Donna S.

How they explain their unique name....
We chose "quintessence" as our name because it epitomizes the quality of our food and the philosophy of our restaurant.

A good explanation of "Raw"-"Live"-"Life" food...from their website.

What Is Life Food

Life Food consists of fruits, vegetables and grains that are never cooked. In fact, nothing is heated above 118ºƒ. By not heating food, all the natural enzymes are left alive and intact. This helps reverses the aging process by providing our bodies with all the enzymes we require to repair cellular damage and to create billions of healthy new cells every day.
Persons who include more raw foods into their diet experience improvements in their general physical and mental status, including more energy, better health, detoxification, and a sturdier immune system that better resists and recovers from diseases.
Eating Life Food also helps slows down your digestion, absorb food better and steady blood sugar levels in the body. This makes the body work more efficiently and helps eliminate cravings. Therefore, people who eat Life Food also loose weight.

*It must be noted that they added a small amount of cooked food to their menu.

Price scale $-$$$

Combo Lunch $
Regular Lunch item $$$

The Sensual Vegetable Pepper rating 1-4

...and a half.

http://www.raw-q.com/index.aspx

FYI....

noun

the pure and concentrated essence of a substance.

the most perfect embodiment of something.

(in ancient and medieval philosophy) the fifth essence or element, ether, supposed to be the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies, the others being air, fire, earth, and water.

Pure Food and Wine - Raw Food Heaven

Lunch at Pure Food and Wine is Pure Joy. As a novice Rawist, lunch at PFW was just what I needed to inspire me to continue my exploration of the world of live "cooking" and dining. I chose PFW as a destination in search of a higher, enlightened level of Raw cuisine. My selection was spot on. As I searched the menu I was concerned... was this all vegan? To my delight, my server Greg confirmed, yes... indeed everything was dairy free and vegan. I was thrilled as I read the menu. Wanting to get a complete sense of the food, as was my daughter, Alanna, we ordered the prix fix....salad, entree and dessert. I have to say I was excited about the thought of dessert. I had recently adopted the Raw eating style...and my dessert experiments at home ... I should say...were still in the experimental stage.

© Ryu Kodama

The restaurant in set down a few steps. A couple of tables are set up in front outside, even though it was January in NYC and most likely no one would be sitting there. It made it look appealing as you entered. The dining area is not big but for New York standards it is what I would say "just right". Candles flickered against dark teak tables set in a room mixed with dark horizontal wood panels, beautiful red walls and red fabric covered chairs. Understated, simple, modern zen like. Greg, our server was friendly and we shared our thoughts on raw foods and our excitement on owning a vita-mix...he just got one and I still visit William Sonoma to oogle one. There is also an outdoor area that was not open.

I ordered the Mediterranean salad, Brazil Nut Croquettes and Tiramisu. Alanna ordered the Caesar salad, Tacos and Lemon tart.

Wiffs of aroma came from the kitchen and Alanna asked "if it's raw why can I smell it?"....it smelled delicious. Dehydrating is key to preparing some on the dishes...basically very slow drying at 118 degrees or less to retain the enzymes and nutrition. So dehydrating must release some sense of "cooking" in the air. Though the term dehydration makes one think of tasteless space food ,while in fact it locks in flavor and makes for a rich dense version of the food that is dehydrated. We joked that maybe they also call it "slow food"...because it took awhile for the food to arrive. But we were not in a rush and Greg even came out to apologize for the wait.

The entrees were both excellent. My croquettes were tasty... served with a yummy creamy hummus like side with a spicy infused oil accent and a bed arugula. Alanna's dish came with three small tacos with heaps of guacamole and dollop of cashew "sour cream". The tacos were good and I asked how they were made...fresh corn is pureed and dehydrated. Simple but probably time consuming to make.
Both were fresh, presented nicely (I love rectangular plates) and filling!

Ok...here is my only constructive thoughts....the salads were decent...I loved the mix of arugula and kale and still...for a raw restaurant the salads should be amazing. The caesar salad was basic and could have used more dressing. The portions were a good size though. Next time I will skip the salad and stick with an entree and dessert..this is where PFW hits the mark.

The desserts were divine. The lemon tart had a burst of flavor. Velvet lemon custard with a dense graham cracker like base. The Tiramisu was the best I ever had. How did they do it!

Excellent food, good service and a warm atmosphere.

Pure Food and Wine is a place that any foodie would be happy to experience. Raw food preparation takes time, thought and creativity. The true essence of the food is never lost. The respect for the natural quality of the raw ingredients along with their infinite possibilities are to be found at PFW. Live food has found its place to shine!

-Donna S.

Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Pl New York, NY 10003-2314
(212) 477-1010

http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/

Please note that the menu listing on the website is just sample of might be offered.
Their menu changes...it would be great if it was updated as needed.

$$+ (for lunch)

3+ Peppers

Scale
$-$$$
1-4 Peppers

Zucchini "Pasta" with three sauces.

These are RAW recipes. Yes....uncooked and delicious!

Julienne the zucchini...make only as much as you will want to eat...

Zucchini "Pasta" with Romesco sauce

one Red pepper
one cup of walnuts (soak for two hours)

Peel the skin off the red pepper as much as you can with a vegetable peller.
Lay pieces of the peppers flat and peel...will make for a more tender pepper.

Process thru a champion juicer along with the walnuts and a clove of garlic.
Mix well..add some olive oil and salt and that's it.

Zucchini "Pasta" with tomato sauce (fresh and sun dried)

5 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes (soak for a few hours before using...drain)
clove of garlic

Process in a food processer.
Depending on what you like...process less for a chunkier sauce.

mix with some olive oil, salt pepper...add some fresh basil.

Zucchini "Pasta" with broccoli pesto.