Wendy Rudell - The Raw Transformation: Energizing Your Life with Living Foods

Copyright 2006 by Wendy Rudell. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

The Raw Transformation: Energizing Your Life with Living Foods is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and crosscultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rudell, Wendy.
The raw transformation : energizing your life with living foods / Wendy Rudell; foreword by David Wolfe.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
eISBN: 978-1-58394-476-9
1. Cookery (Natural foods) 2. Raw foods. I. Title.
TX741.R82 2006
641.563dc22

2006018691

v3.1

I first met Wendy while she was working at the Optimum Health Institute in San Diego, California. Back then, I used to sneak into the center to give secret lectures about raw food in the back room, and later Wendy and I would spend hours in the kitchen concocting all kinds of outrageous dishes. She has always had the most creative and delicious ways of presenting raw cuisineshe puts a lot of love into everything she does, and it shows.

Needless to say, I no longer have to sneak into retreat centers to speak about raw food, and similarly, Wendy has taken her knowledge of food and health to the next level. When she told me that she was working on a raw recipe book, I knew right away that it was going to be the best book on living cuisine ever. Wendys knowledge of health and nutrition is world classshe is the very best at what she does, and this book is a clear reflection of that expertise. I sincerely doubt if anyone on Earth is more qualified to create a book like this. With thirty years of experience in the field, she is truly in a category all her own.

Wendy speaks across the generational gap as well. She comes from an older community of healers, deeply involved in the teachings of Ann Wigmore and the wisdom of sprouted foods and wheatgrass juice. But Wendys energy, open-mindedness, and focus on nutrient-dense super-foods speak directly to the younger generation of people eager to learn about the newest health technologies. What results is a perfect fusion of the tried-and-true with the up-and-coming. Raw food isnt what it used to be, after all. At one point in time, all a health seeker had to choose from was conventional grocery store produce and wheatgrass. While those things are inarguably great, we now know there is a whole world of raw organic super-foods available to us, and it would be silly not to give ourselves every advantage we possibly can. That is why the recipes in this book are so special. They have been crafted with much more than just flavor in mind; Wendy has found a way to work that extra nutritional edge into each bite.

The Raw Transformation is by far the best book of its kind. I am so thankful that Wendy has taken the time to put all of her great ideas on paper, to share them with the world. This book is more in line with my personal philosophies on nutrition and living food than any recipe book before it. Wendy has taken the most delicious, nutritious food in the world and synergized it into individual living masterpieces of raw and living food cuisine. I believe that anyone can benefit tremendously from including Wendys delicious recipes in their diet, whether youve been a raw-food enthusiast for thirty years or never even heard of wheatgrass. This book makes the sunfood diet (a raw plant-food diet) appealing to even the most discriminating of palates.

So take in Wendys experience, cuisine, love, and HAVE THE BEST DAY EVER!

David Wolfe, JD

San Diego, California

May 2006

I want to first thank all of the guests of the Optimum Health Institute for their encouragement and support in getting me to promise to write a gourmet raw recipe book. Working with them was such an inspiration and gave me the confidence to make this dream a reality.

Thanks also to my dear friend David Wolfe for his constant support over the years and for his knowledge and the many books that were an inspiration to me in embracing this lifestyle. He continues to be my mentor and raw-food guru.

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I extend my deep appreciation to Geno, my photographer, who patiently displayed the dishes in ways to bring out the best in them, using a more natural lighting and setting that fits the Raw concept.

Francisco Rincn, Oscar, and Rosie provided creative contributions to the layout and design. They did a great job in making this book flow nicely with the text and photos.

I want to thank all of my friends who tasted my recipes over the years and gave me the honest feedback as to which ones I should include in this edition. You all know who you are.

A special thanks to Erwin Verburgt from www.casabeard.com in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for allowing us to display our recipes on his beautiful dishware. Erwin, the photos would not have been the same without your support. Thank you.

A special thanks also goes to Jacobo Turquie, from La Panga Restaurant in San Jose Del Cabo, whose assistance and support in the presentation of our dishes was so much appreciated. For the best food ever in Southern Baja, check out www.lapanga.com.

I thank my parents and close family who were always encouraging me to complete this book despite the many challenges I had to overcome.

Last but not least I want to thank my partner Charles Free. If not for him, this book would have remained a dream in my mind. He was a persistent push in getting me started, which is half the battle in writing a manuscript. Thank you, my dear, for all your suggestions and support and for believing in me. I love you.

Wendy Rudell

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

2006