Publishedin2015byMurdochBooks,animprintofAllen&Unwin Firstpublishedin2014byBeatnikPublishing MurdochBooksAustralia 83AlexanderStreet CrowsNestNSW2065 Phone:+61(0)284250100 Fax:+61(0)299062218 murdochbooks.com.au MurdochBooksUK EricoHouse,6thFloor 9399UpperRichmondRoad Putney,LondonSW152TG Phone:+44(0)2087855995 murdochbooks.co.uk ForCorporateOrders&CustomPublishingcontact NoelHammond,NationalBusinessDevelopmentManager, MurdochBooksAustralia TextcopyrightMeganMay&LittleBird2014 DesigncopyrightBeatnikPublishing&LittleBird2014 PhotographscopyrightLottieHedley2014 withexceptionofpagesPatrick Reynolds2014 ArtDirection:JeremyBennett Design:KitkiTong RecipeDevelopment,FoodStyling&Testing:NicoleMajsa,LuciaPlowman,MariaFernandezSalom,Carter Were,HarrietWereChefs&Bakers:MeganMay,XanderCameron,RejinaYoon Themoralrightsoftheauthorhavebeenasserted. Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemor transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise, withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher. Acataloguing-in-publicationentryisavailablefromthecatalogueoftheNationalLibraryofAustraliaat nla.gov.au. ISBN9781925266375(ebook) AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary. IMPORTANT:Thosewhomightbeatriskfromtheeffectsofsalmonellapoisoning(theelderly,pregnant women,youngchildrenandthosesufferingfromimmunedeficiencydiseases)shouldconsulttheirdoctor withanyconcernsabouteatingrawfoods. contents Welcometotheunbakerybook. contents Welcometotheunbakerybook.
Thisisacelebrationoforganic,raw,plant-basedfood;acollectionofrecipesthatreflects alifelongloveaffairwithcreatingandsharingfoodforwellbeingandpurepleasure. Packagingitupintooneperfectbundleofrecipeswasnomeanfeat.Thisisatreasure chestofrecipesfromhome,fromourlittlebirdunbakeryandcafs,andfromourtalented chefs.Iwantedtomaketherecipesaccessibletoanyonebeginningtoexperimentwithraw foods,whilestillrevealinghowvariedandtrulydelicioustheycanbe. Whiletheserecipesare100percentrawandplant-based,thisbookisnotdesignedfor onlythoseonapurely,orevenpredominantly,rawdiet.Fewpeoplewouldarguethat eatingmorefreshfruitsandvegiesisnotagoodthing.Theserecipesaretoinspireyouto getcreativewithraw,plant-basedgoodnesshowfaryouwanttotakeitisentirelyupto you. megansstory IgrewupinWaimauku,WestAuckland,onanorganicmarketgardenandsmallfarm, surroundedbyanabundanceofbeautifulfood.Itwasheavenwhatkiddoesntlove eatingfreshstrawberriesandsugarsnappeasstraightfromthevine?LookingbackI realisehowluckyIwastolearnfromtheoutsetthatthefreshest,mostfragrantand amazingfoodcomesfromthegroundandnotfromatinorabox. Butfoodwasntjustanearlypassionitwasapoisontoo.AttheageofsixIwas diagnosedwithallergiestogluten,dairyandsugaranunfortunatepredicamentfora childin1980sNewZealand.Percapita,thiscountryisoneofthelargestproducersof dairyproductsintheworldifyoucouldnteatcerealdrownedinmilk,acheese sandwichorhokeypokeyicecream,whatcouldyoueat? Asasix-year-old,Ipreferredtosufferfromtummyachesandendlesscoldsthaneata specialdiet,sowhenMumwasntlookingIrebelled.(SorryMum!)ThismeantIwas oftenunwell,butatleastmysneakypleasuresweresomewhatbalancedbyallthefresh produceIwasenjoying. Andwedidntjusteatthebestoffruitandvegies.Mymumandgrandmothermade everythingfromscratch;therewerenosaucesfromtinsorpacketsofpastry.Wemade butterfromfreshcowsmilk,eggscamefromchickensandmeatfromourownanimals.
IdtryanyfoodandIwasluckytobeabletoindulgemycuriosity.Myfatherhelped farmersinThirdWorldcountriesreceiveorganiccertificationsotheycouldnegotiate bettertradeprices(infact,myparentsstilldothis),sowewouldoftenhavepeoplefrom exoticculturesstayingatourhouse,sharingtheirdifferentperspectivesoncookingand ingredients. IvebeenmakingfoodsinceIwasbigenoughtostandonastool.Bakingwasalwaysa favouriteactivity.Wewereindependentchildrenwhopreparedourownlunchesand,asI grewolder,Istartedmakingthefamilydinners.Eveninmyflattingyears,Icarriedon makingeverythingfromscratchusingorganicingredients. ItwasthenwhenIdlefthometostudyenvironmentalsciencesatuniversitythatI realisedminewasnotanordinarypassionforfood.Mypeerswerentmakinggluten-free pizzabasesorwhippinguptheirownsauces.Norweretheyspendingtheirstudentloans atorganicandgourmetfoodstores. Still,sometimesittakesawhiletorecogniseyourpassionevenwhenitsstaringyouin theface.Iwastwenty-fourandworkingintheplanningdepartmentoftheAucklandCity CouncilwhenIrealisedIwasfarmoreexcitedtowintheofficebakingcompetitionthanI wasaboutanythingelseatwork.Idecidedtoturnmybackonmychosencareerandtake theplungeintoadifferentone.Iresignednervouslyandwenttoworkforminimumwage asacommis(junior)chefatHeronsFlightMatakanavineyard. Beinginakitchen,creatingfoodandlearningfromprofessionalsfeltexhilaratingand right.Keentoprovemyself,Iembracedthelifestyleofhighstressandlongshifts.Ialso atethefoodeveryoneelseinthekitchenwaseatingregardlessofmyallergies.Needless tosayIsoonbecameexhaustedandunwell. ItookacoupleofweeksoffworkthinkingIjustneededabreak.Thosetwoweekswould turnintoalmostthreeyears.Ihaddonesuchaswelljobofdepletingmybodythatone thingafteranothersimplystoppedfunctioning.
AtaroundthistimemypartnerJeremyandImovedtoLondon.Iwasalreadyinabadway physicallybut,beinginmymid-twenties,wasdeterminedtoignorethatandtrytocutitas achefinLondon.UnfortunatelyitwastherethatIrealisedtheextentofmyillhealth.I had,innoparticularorder,malignantmelanomas,thebonedensityofasixty-year-old, hormoneimbalances(orjustnoproductionofthem),adrenalfatigue,parasiticinfections anddepression. Gettingwellwasagradualandoftenfrustratingprocess.Everystepforwardseemedto resultintwostepsback.IwasincrediblyluckytohaveJeremywhostoodbymeand supportedme,whileIhadonlyenoughenergytoworkpart-time.Therestofmyhours werespentvisitinganarrayofmedicalprofessionalsandalternativespecialists.Allof thesebelievedtheyknewwhatwaswrongwithme,buteachwasfocusedononlyone aspect,whenmywholephysicalecosystemwasclearlyamess.Iwasspendingthousands onspecialistteststhatinvariablymadethestorymorecomplexandsentmedownyet anothergardenpath.Iwasdespondent,depressedandhadlargeparasitescomingoutof mybodyoftheirownaccord.Thatwasthefinalstraw.IdecidedIdhadenoughofother peopletellingmewhatwashappeninginmybody.Iwasinaveryroughplace,aboutas lowasIcouldget,butthedecisiontotakemyhealthintomyownhandsfeltgood.Iknew theonlypersonwhocouldfixmewasme. WhileIwasntaqualifiedexpert,myfamilybackgroundandpoorhealthasachildhad givenmeasolidunderstandingoftheconnectionbetweenfoodandwellness.Andof courseforthepasttwoyearsIdbeenmyownlivingcasestudyandexperimentwhileI didntagreewithalltheexpertinformationIdheard,Ihadlearnedalot.Iknewmybody insideoutanddecidedtopayattentiontowhatitwastellingme. Igotmoreconfidentinmyfoodchoices,drinkinggreensmoothiesandjuiceswithout thinkingofthedoctorwhosaiddietwouldntchangeathing,noroftheChinesemedicine practitionerwhobelievedIneededtorebuildmystrengthwithmeatandheartycooked meals.Myinstinctstoldmethatahighpercentageofmydietshouldberawandmy approachwaswellinformedIwasntstandinginthesnoweatingpineapples,because eatingtropicalfruitsinaLondonwinterisjustwrong.OccasionallyIwouldgetsome watermelononacoldday(becauseIloveit)andafterwardsIdstartshivering.Eachfood hasdifferentpropertiesandtheyrefuntoexperienceandlearnabout.Itrulybeganto understandtheimportanceofeatinglocalseasonalproducenatureisprettydamnclever. Itgenerallygivesuswhatweneed,whenweneedit. Myinstinctsprovedright.Iwasoverjoyedtofindthat,withthegradualintroductionof moreandmorerawfoodintomydiet,Iwasfeelingpositiveandclearerinmyheadand muchbetterphysically,too.Infact,Icouldliterallyfeelmybodyre-energisingandrebuildingwitheverymouthfuloflivingfoodIate.
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