Why "Raw Versions" will Never Catch On
I'm weird, and I've never had "cravings" for traditional "comfort" cooked foods in the traditional sense. I remember my poor friend Stacy, one time when I was suggesting that she could create a raw substitute for a craving, trying to get it through my head that "raw pizza isn't pizza!"
Well, if a dedicated raw foodist felt that way, what about a person who has no interest in focusing on raw foods at all and thinks the whole idea is a crock, but is open to tasting the concoctions his odd partner creates?
Phil's reaction to the "parsnip pilau" recipe (shared below): "It's nice, but the texture's not my favorite. It's all chopped down, sort of like rice, and I prefer vegetable salads to have more texture."
You see the problem?
It'll still be a vegetable salad, no matter how you dress it up, no matter what fancy name you give it. The fact that it was "like rice" was actually a negative for Phil, because to him, it was still a vegetable salad. The same held when I brought a raw lasagna to a gathering one time. Everyone adored it, and everyone referred to it as "a salad."
For me, this isn't a problem. For me, "a rose by any other name..."--I don't care what you call it so long as it tastes good. But for people who are used to eating "anything and everything," it seems things need to live up to the billing established over a lifetime of knowing, for example, what "carrot cake" is supposed to be like.
Yes, even the wonderful carrot cake didn't meet with Phil's discerning texture sensor. That nut milk pulp: it's fattier than regular flour, but maybe it's also more fibrous. He complained of a fibrousness in the texture, said it felt like "eating chaff!" More for me, I guess. But otherwise, raw desserts are the only exception, in that people do recognize them as desserts, as genuine "pies," etc. Although as you'll recall from my "Grover Pie" post, even the desserts are subject to misnomers...
For people who eat a diet centered around grains and meat and dairy, vegetable and nut-based concoctions are never going to fool them.
My response is to be more careful with what I call something, and I'm also looking for ideas on how to make raw cakes less "pulpy" (when I can, I'll experiment with a food mixer and see if that helps).
Parnip Pilau
We all love parsnips here, and the last time I roasted some, I nibbled on the raw ends and thought it would be lovely to make a raw "rice." Organic parsnips don't exist here, but when I got some in my Full Circle box, I thought it would be a great opportunity to do it raw.
Of course, I couldn't resist including a carrot in there too!
Parsnip-Carrot "Pilau" (raw, vegan, light)
"The Rice"
2 medium parsnips
1 large carrot
Chop the veggies into large pieces, and process them in a food processor with the "S" blade until fine.
Put in a bowl and set aside.
"Curry Sauce"
1/2 cup nut milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon flax seed meal
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon miso
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon lecithin granules (or teaspoon liquid lecithin)
1 teaspoon maca (optional)
1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
Blend everything together--the nice thing about this sauce recipe is that you can do it fine in an underpowered blender. I did it with my little immersion blender.
Pour over the veggies and stir well together. To make even more "pilau" like, consider adding raisins, pistachios, almonds, pine nuts... (I didn't, but it would be good that way too.)
What do you think? Will "raw versions" ever catch on? What should we do about it if not?
And any nut pulp/chaff suggestions welcome too!
This is an interesting dialog, but my god, I'm just way too wowed by the recipe to pay attention. Delicious. amazing.
ReplyDeletehaha. i do understand the occassional need to cover a craving with something less "evil" but your right that a raw pizza isn't real pizza - its something else. perhaps a focus on the pleasures of fresh fruit and veg should be more of the highlight instead of trying to replicate a cooked dish (its a totally different way of looking at things). i find that i enjoy raw food much more when im really thinking about the fresh ingredients and the flavors at play
ReplyDeleteI think it just depends on the person. Meat and potato eaters that aren't so big on veggies would most likely refer to those dishes as just salads, but for those who celebrate fresh produce, they might like the idea of giving them other names/categories. It's true that raw vegan pizza isn't exactly the same as traditional cooked pizza; however, for me, it provides similar flavors and textures. I don't really want the "real" version anymore; I sometimes just like to find another way to re-experience a food memory.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh a little because one of my first attempts at a raw entree was a cauliflower "rice" with a sauce, and I hated it. I have yet to try that again. I too find it hard to have mock versions of certain things. I have a hard time with raw soups when they are not hot, etc. I like raw mexican food because I do like those flavors and textures raw. And desserts I am more forgiving on because they are nice and sweet. So I get it. I try not to get caught up too much in the raw pretend stuff because I'd rather just enjoy it for what it is. That being said I do like mock chicken salads and tuna salads and I hate the real thing and even the vegan cooked versions. I tend to just think of them as another veggie salad that is good too. I know a lot of people don't like nut pulp texture, but most people seem to like raw cheesecake texture.
ReplyDeleteI've love to try this recipe with maybe just carrots (I'm still scared of raw parsnip) and less curry. I'd probably put it on a lettuce leaf too!
Thanks, Gena--I thought you'd like the recipe too. Love to hear your thoughts on the other as well some time when time slows down a bit ;)
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Welcome, Katerina, and thanks for stopping in! I agree with your attitude whole-heartedly--it's more about celebrating the beautiful veggies than trying to give them a fancy title.
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Shannonmarie, you're right, of course! I think I'm in a similar place to you: it's fun to recreate certain food memories and show how they can be done "cleanly" and pleasurably. But for folks who exist on that kind of food, those recreations won't do much!
ReplyDeletelove
Ela
Thanks, bitt--you make me smile. I agree that Mexican food is generally more conducive to this kind of treatment. Curious to see Ani's Asian book too, as raw pad thais and such are often fairly successful.
ReplyDeleteI think this recipe would be great with just carrots and the curry toned down!
love
Ela
I adore raw vegan pizza more than I ever liked "regular" pizza. Also, I find that raw vegan desserts are easier to make than traditional baked desserts. That said, do I find the "how to name a recipe" thing a pain. On the one hand, I want to "make up" a name for something... But if I make up a word, nobody will know what I'm talking about. We call it a "raw vegan" diet because it is raw and it is vegan. Those words describe what we mean. We call a raw vegan pizza a "Raw Vegan Pizza" because that describes the general appearance, flavor and ingredients involved... Except that everyone always asks me, "What is the crust made out of?" Which can be buckwheat, nuts, seeds, or even sprouted grains. I find that most people are open to trying new dishes, but I HAVE had complaints that "this shouldn't be called ______ because it isn't ________." But then, WHAT WOULD I CALL IT? A raw vegan lasagna is a very specific type of "salad" and "salad" is just too broad. I mean, you might as well call my carrot-muffins salad because they are made of carrots, raisins, dried apricots and seeds... Which does sound like a salad, until I put some banana-carob frosting on them! It will, of course, depend on the audience. Some people will adore a raw vegan version of something familiar who are "cooked" and some people who are "raw" will feel that the version is "just not the same" or "not worth it." I think part of the wild success of kale chips is that they are their own thing -- a raw thing -- a veggi thing -- and a different thing. They aren't really a replacement for potato chips, they are something entirely different and new. "Cooked" people love kale chips just like "raw" people do. And they can be made hundreds of different ways! But honestly, I find them to be a lot of bother. It's just easier to throw greens in my blender and drink them and get on with life. I make 'fancy' things for fun, not for every-day consumption. And most 'raw versions' are FANCY. They take lots and lots of time and effort in comparison to a simple salad, smoothie or juice. And I think THAT may be the real reason they won't catch on. Fermenting nut cheese, creating a cashew cream, marinating vegetables, dehydrating mushroom slices, carefully slicing squash... All that stuff is very time consuming and completely not required for a very healthy raw diet. It's just something to do for fun. I do make simple truffles often though, because they're super easy and they impress "cooked" folks and "raw" folks alike. Especially when they are ginger-based or chocolate-based. Wow, I should just make this a response blog entry huh...?
ReplyDeleteSo I did end up turning my response into a blog entry: http://reallyrawraederle.blogspot.com/2012/01/article-blog-raw-vegan-versions-of.html
ReplyDeleteI agree with pretty much everything you say, Raederle! Yes, it's important to gauge one's audience, and yes, different audiences will be more or less responsive. This is going to sound so biased and stereotyping, but my experience has often --not always-- been that women are more open than men to this kind of food, with the exception that my male relatives in Israel, where they eat a lot more veggies generally, are just as open as the women, and my male friends from other warmer climates also tend to be more open.
ReplyDeleteAs for kale chips, though, I made a lot of them with all the kale we grew this year, also beet green and chard chips, which have a nicer flavor and texture, come to find out, and practically _nobody_ liked them at all!
I'll go take a look at your post.
love
Ela