Kenney - Everyday Raw Gourmet

Everyday Raw Gourmet

Matthew Kenney

Photographs by Miha Matei

Everyday Raw Gourmet

Digital Edition 1.0

Text 2013 Matthew Kenney

Photographs 2013 Miha Matei

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except brief portions quoted for purpose of review.

Gibbs Smith

P.O. Box 667

Layton, Utah 84041

Orders: 1.800.835.4993

www.gibbs-smith.com

ISBN: 978-1-4236-3560-4

Create The first time I stepped into a raw food kitchen, I knew that I had discovered something magical. My senses had been on high alert as I remained deeply suspicious about uncooked food, and many years in professional kitchens had created a foundation of principles contrary to what I was about to experience. Yet I nearly became an instant convert, ready to forgo not only fire and heat but also the majority of ingredients that were the building blocks of my cuisine.

To this day, I still remain captivated by steaming pots of risotto, the hearty aromas of a wood-fired oven, and the intense flavor brought on by a long-simmering reduction. Yet nothing has ever captured my attention in a kitchen like the crisp smell of fresh ginger mingling with coriander and lime, as I entered that day. And nothing has held it like the explosive clean flavor of well-prepared raw organic foods.

My first year of preparing raw was somewhat challenging. Just as I was entering a phase of my career where the skills I had learned and experiences I had accumulated should have provided me with the tools I needed to cook at a higher, more mature level, I chose to discard everything and begin anew. Fortunately, it was a natural decision, taken not only for professional and creative reasons but also in light of my own personal preferences, which had begun to lean more and more toward a plant-based lifestyle. The choice led me to the most rewarding and creative experience of my life.

In the beginning, just as with traditional European-based cuisine, it was necessary to learn the basics. Instead of stocks and bases, searing and braising, I needed to experiment with Brazil nut milk and vegetable juicebased sauces and to focus on marinating and dehydrating as ways to intensify flavor. There were a few triumphs and many failures; but as I experimented more, dishes began to emerge that would open up a raw food world of unlimited potential. Over the next two years, I would begin to delineate two styles of raw food preparation: practical dishes that are faster to prepare at home or for a quick meal, and more elaborate dishes that require a bit more patience and effort. Those more elaborate dishes are largely what make raw food so remarkable. The health benefits and flavors of everyday raw food are incredible on many levels. As a chef, I am most inspired by the tastes, textures, and presentation of the more advanced recipes.

There is no denying that some of the best raw food dishes are downright challenging to prepare. Several steps may be involved, often beginning with sprouting nuts, seeds, or grains, and ending with as much as forty-eight hours of dehydration. Others may provide a bit more instant gratification. This book is written in honor of the more elaborate, but very worthwhile, recipes that challenge the cook and please the guest. The attention, persistence, and care that go into the recipes in this book deserve to be celebrated and enjoyed by those who are fortunate enough to eat them.

Share In my earlier days with raw food, I often found myself shying away from preparing it for family and friends, instead finding a middle ground with perhaps vegetarian or vegan dishes. Over time, as my food evolved, I became more confident about peoples reaction to this incredible cuisine, and now I prepare it whenever I have the opportunity. Whether it be a simple raw lunch or an exquisite tasting menu, the impact and pleasures of raw food are, by and large, incomparable to other challengers.

No other culinary style offers the same vibrant, deep flavor without guilt or other effects that gourmet foods often have, such as a heavy feeling or fatigue. Raw food is the most colorful on the planetit literally jumps off the plate! Raw is very modern, forgoing heavy sauces, dairy products, and breads, allowing each bite to pack maximum flavor. In every one of my raw dining experiences, I have found that the food ends up not only being enjoyed but also being used as a conversational piece, where guests marvel at their surprise to learn the food before them is composed of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, none of which have been cooked, canned, or processed in any way.

Some of the ideas are pretty out therethink Willy Wonkas chocolate or Andy Warhols art factory, where unbounded creativity exists in an effort to pursue meaning and, in this case, the essence of raw food. My philosophy is guided by one stipulation: all of the culinary efforts shall be devoted to preparing the most advanced, flavorful, and realistic raw food anywhere. As long as my work considers those fundamental issues, I allow pretty much free reign to spontaneously experiment and create. The results should entertain not only guests but also the cook.

It is always a good idea to consider the balance of dishes that are served. My chapters provide some guidance in this area and highlight ways that food can be combined to make a statement beyond just taste. All of the recipes in this book are inspired by a season, emotion, or other value that relates to experimental cuisine. I believe that food for entertaining is more interesting if it relates to something larger, just as the best art and literature always offer a message beyond their respective beauty or story. A menu concept can be as straightforward as summer and as elaborate as something inspired by contemporary art. These concepts also provide more for guests to indulge in and will surprise the cook in how they also give a deeper appreciation for the food itself. Whereas French cuisine, for example, has centuries of history behind it, upscale raw food is relatively new, and these creative attachments help build its core personality.

Enjoy As a home or professional cook, perhaps the greatest reward with this food is that you will have a better opportunity to be with your guests, because the food does not have to be warmed, reduced, heated, and taken out of the oven. Assuming the mis en place is taken care of, assembly is still required, but it will be much faster than usual to finalize the plates. Most of these recipes are not portioned in a traditional way, meaning that they provide the flexibility to be served on smaller plates or larger platters or, in most cases, at a large decorated table. They hold up well and many dont need to be eaten right away. Having no pots and pans to wash is perhaps the final surprise.

On my own journey with raw food, I found challenge, excitement, flavor, health, and a new sense of creative direction. If this book offers you the same rewards, I think youll be well fedand happy.

Guidance Every book has a storywhere its idea originated, what the message is, and how it should be used on a day-to-day basis. In writing this one, although the book has developed a personality of its own over time, my goal has always been to bring to life the many unique possibilities that raw food beholds. I am so personally impressed by raw food, and inspired on a regular basis, that I instinctively knew the kind of book I wanted to write from the beginning. Putting the words and recipes together was a far more complicated process, but it still happened naturally. The result is a very personal expression of how raw food fits into our daily lives, not only from a culinary but also an emotional perspective. In order to use