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  • Funkie Foods has come out of a desire to make a difference in the Irish market. I have lived in the United States and have been spoiled for fresh produce, both organic and conventional. Different types of chili, a wide range of fresh herbs and fresh beans to name a couple. Ever seen a pinto bean fresh out of the pod or eaten a garden pea straight from its jacket. I can tell you there is no comparison.

    Coming back to Ireland was a bit of a shock. Where do I get my chillies from now? Well the answer is: grow your own. Maybe not organic but at least there wasn't anyone spraying near it.

    I did not grow up with organic food but my passion for food made me realise that there is more to cooking than adding flavours. Some flavours you can not add, it is there or it isn't. I think this applies as well to chutneys. "The New Food Lover's Companion" by Sharon Tyler Herbst says that chutney comes "from the East Indian word chatni, this spicy condiment contains fruit, vinegar, sugar and spices. It can range in texture from chunky to smooth and in degrees of spiciness from mild to hot. " I think it is important to use organic produce where possible as the flavours are so much more intense than conventional grown.

    Ever made your own jam, marmalade or chutney? Most commercially produced chutneys tend to have a smooth or barely chunky appearance. Homemade has so much more texture to it. I have this passion for chutneys, it has been going for a couple of years and if there is one thing that can adhance the experience of a good curry or a panini, it is a sweet and/or spicy chunky homemade chutney. People nowadays don't have time to cook pots full of chutney and let them mature in the cupboard. I do see around me that more and more people become aware of the advantages of organic produce and why not add a little bit of someone else's homecooking to your own?

    It is still hard to buy organic produce but if you are determined you can find out places to buy on the internet.

« What is there to know about Chillies? | Main | We like it homegrown, chemical-free »

May 18, 2006

Raw and Living Food

When I was living in San Francisco, California, Raw and Living Food was getting more fashionable. I had an interview for a Raw Bar in Berkeley and a place was opening up just a block from Union Square. But I never thought it would start to appear in the west of Ireland untill a few weeks ago. Someone at the Milltown Farmersmarket  told me that she had started eating a Raw Food Diet. And I have been thinking about Raw and Living Food ever since. Where did this start and would I be able to keep to this regime that strikes me as too strict for me?                                                 

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I have the occasional bright idea and start a Juice-Day. Well not just a Juice-Day more a Fruit and Raw Veggie Day. And every time I do this I last oh about 1.5 days. Would I be able to become a Raw and/or Living Foodie? The answer is: I don't think so. But that doesn't mean I am not into it. I am fascinated by it and have a lot of respect for the Foodies that actually manage to change their way of eating in such a way. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am a chef and love food in all its glory. I do tend to eat healthy, don't get me wrong.  I already changed my diet to one of a more vegetarian standard, although I won't be able to cut everything out.

But enough about me, lets talk about the Raw and Living Food movement. Raw Food is food that still has its basic chemical structure, it hasn't been changed by cooking, freezing, preserving etc. Raw and Living Food are both utilizing the enzymes found in uncooked/ unprocessed food. Although in Living Food the enzymes are alive while Raw Food has mostly dorment enzymes as nothing is done to "re-activate" the enzymes. The difference is Sprouting. But the two are closely related. It is one step further than being a Vegan, who doesn't eat meat, fish, dairy or anything related to animals. Living food consists of sprouted nuts, seeds and grains, organic fruits and vegetables and lightly fermented preparations. The dehydrator is the main equipment for daily "cooking".

The main thinking behind Living Food is that heating above 102 F/ 39C breaks down the enzymes that are beneficial to the human body. Sprouting means that you germinate seeds, nuts and grains by soaking it in liquid, mainly water. This way the enzymes will go from being dorment to active and the food will be easier to break down by our body.  By eating cooked foods we don't add enzymes but use our own which makes it hard for our organs to digest.

This diet comes from a believe that our pre-historic ancestors  were  mainly vegetarians not eating meat at all and eating everything raw as fire wasn't invented yet. Throughout the years several people have raised the intrest in Living and Raw Food, people like Ann Wigmore and Leslie Kenton have made people more aware of the advantages.   

Whatever you believe, eating more Raw and Living Food is healthy, people are not eating half of what they should. And I don't mean you have to buy a dehydrator and prepare food days in advance. A simple salad, fresh fruit or sprouting seeds and nuts will make a difference.

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May 18, 2006 in What's new? |

Comments

Podchef

Nice use of tags. Great photo!

Posted by: Podchef | May 22, 2006 at 08:08 AM

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