With a growing understanding of its incredible health benefits, green smoothies are gaining the attention of health seekers and people who love the delicious taste of a smoothie. The raising popularity of the green smoothie is due in no small part to the dynamic work of Victoria Boutenko.

Victoria Boutenko is a passionate advocate of healthy living and to me a mentor on the topic of green smoothies. She shares her knowledge and teaches nutritional classes and workshops around the world, helping people gain the knowledge to support optimum health.

Green Smoothie Revolution is the much anticipated sequel to Victoria Boutenko’s book Green For Life. Here are the topics discussed in this book:

Part One – Unleashing The Healing Power Of Greens

Victoria talks about the miracle of greens, its amazing nutrients, and how vital greens are for the survival of all living being on our planet. In fact, through her research, Victoria finds much evidence that green leaves have been a primary staple in the human diet for thousands of years [read 12 Steps To Raw Foods for more in-depth information of this topic].

She discusses why taking in greens in liquid form is said to be the best way to digest them for maximum absorption, why rotating greens is important, and lists cultivated and wild edible greens, herbs, and weeds for our smoothies, and mentions sprouts and medicinal herbs.

Armed with the curiosity of a true researcher, Victoria conducts a simple experimentation to observe the process of oxidation which is discussed in the chapter Blending Versus Juicing. Then the focus is on food combining for green smoothies, and guidelines for optimal green smoothie consumption. There is even a chapter dedicated to green smoothies for our pets. We can’t forgot about the health and well-being of our fury family friends.

Part Two is all about the recipes.

There are 200 healthy healing delicious green smoothie recipes for beginners, the adventurous, children, our pets, and also recipes for green pudding and even green smoothies geared toward skin care.

Ending on an inspiring note The Appendix has stories of incredible weight loss and a case of amazing healing due to simply adding green smoothies to their diet. Also, I love the inspirational quotes directly following the title of each chapter of this book.

Before sitting down to write this review I made one of the recipes from this book, Persimmon Green Smoothie, page 116. Delicious! I happen to love persimmons, but if persimmons aren’t your favorite, don’t worry, there is a recipe in this book to suit your liking, or one that you can tweak and tailor it to your liking.

Green Smoothie Revolution is an educational and inspiring reference book, giving us an understanding of the power and miracle of greens, and with a quality blender and fresh organic produce, anyone can make a delicious healthy green smoothie.

Everyone should have a copy of this book. On that note, it is my pleasure to offer one (1) copy of Green Smoothie Revolution as a gift to you. To participate in the drawing, simple answer this question:

On Monday, November 30th, I will use my favorite random number generator to pick one [1] the lucky winner. I will contact the winning participant via email, and post an announcement in the comment section below.

Victoria Boutenko is an award winning author, raw gourmet chef, teacher, inventor, researcher, and artist.

Visit her website Raw Family

For more nutritional information on the benefits of green leafy vegetables, read her other books 12 Steps To Raw Foods and Green For Life

Connect with the Boutenkos via Twitter for informative and inspirational tweets.

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This recipe comes from the pages [page 102 to be exact] of Angelina Elliot’s raw gourmet recipe book, Alive in 5, Raw Gourmet Meals in Five Minutes. Her recipe book offers quick, easy, living raw vegan recipes: Beverages, Breakfast, Appetizers, Heavenly Salads, Soups, Sauces, Delightful Entrees, and Scrumptious desserts – for those of us who are on the go and who want to make healthy delicious recipes in minutes.

In this book Angelina explains some of the benefits of raw vegan food, and lists the raw pantry staples and essential equipment used to make the recipes in Alive in 5. She also talks about healthful tips, gives a guide to fruit, how to store your fruit and vegetables, and even offers a meal plan.

In last months newsletter I made an announcement, I said “Before the end of the month [the end of the month being August], I will post a book review of Alive in 5, along with a recipe from its pages, and offer two copies as gifts.”

Clearly I’m running late on my promise, and I’m making good on it here. I’m offering two copies of Alive in 5 as a gift so you can fill your recipe book library with an, or perhaps another, awesome living and raw food recipe book. This way there will be no excuse for not making wholesome healthy recipes. On September 30th, I will draw two names from the comments section below, and contact the two individuals via email. If you participated in the giveaway of this book in last month’s interview with Angelina, you are more than welcome to participate again.

Now about this recipe. I whipped this up in no time and it is delicious. The aioli sauce aka garlic sauce is divine. Consistency wise, it isn’t thick like the classic French version, it’s more of a liquid like goodness but the color is reminiscent of an original aioli sauce. For the Italian seasoning, I had fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram – a typical combination to create Italian seasoning – and added about 1 tablespoon of each to the blender. This sauce smells so fresh and well, garlicky. Being a garlic lover, I decided to double the recipe.

Spaghetti with Aioli Sauce

Garlic lovers will ask for this again and again.

Using a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer, cut the zucchinis into long thin strips to create vegetable “spaghetti”. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper into a blender, and process until smooth. Pour over the zucchini pasta and serve.

Serves 3

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It’s been almost a year since I learned that Sarma Melngailis was due to release a new raw food recipe book. Eagerly I awaited its release and Viola! Now it is here. Her newest book Living Raw Food is a food lovers delight, and I say this with much enthusiasm as I flipped through its pages and scan the recipes.

Sarma and her talented team of chefs present us with 100 new raw vegan recipes, direct from the kitchen of Pure Food and Wine, New York’s famous raw food restaurant.

100 Delectable Recipes

The recipes featured in this book stem from the creative energy of some of the restaurants staff, from the chefs, pastry chefs, kitchen staff, bartenders, and sommelier, who all contributed something delicious. I think this collective collaboration is pretty cool and love seeing their creativity conceptualized and expressed in each recipe.

You will find each recipe categorized either in “Quick and Easy Raw Food” and “Off The Menu”. Each recipe is wonderful, but it’s the second half of the book “Off The Menu” that really peaks my interest. These particular recipes step it up a notch, which I find fun and look forward to making.

The best things about each of these gourmet recipes is that none are too daunting to make, the ingredients used are accessible, and anyone can prepare the recipes in this book with great success at home. I like that Sarma points out that “preparing raw food can seem daunting but the margin for fixable error is in fact much wider”. I absolutely love this other point she made [echoing my thought or was I echoing hers], “a person really doesn’t need to be highly experienced in the kitchen to prepare most of the recipes provided in this book.

I adore heirloom tomatoes and plan to make Heirloom Tomato, Fennel, and Avocado Pressed Salad with Caper Dressing, Pistachio, and Mint. I’m having a major thing for mushrooms lately so King Oyster Mushroom Calamari, and Chanterelle and Kalamata Olive Ravioli sound like winners to me. I love the flavor of citrus and on the dessert front Ricotta-Lemon Tart with Sweet Yogurt Cream sounds yummy, and I’ll have to blend up a batch of Sarma’s Favorite Green Shake.

Biodynamic Wine

This section of the book focus on beautiful drinks using biodynamic wine or organic sake as an ingredient and there is a brief overview of what biodynamic wine is and what the term means. Some raw foodist indulge in a little wine, some don’t. If you prefer, you can certainly omit the alcohol and substitute it with filtered water, organic tea, or something else to suite your personal preference.

The Images

Great images helps make a recipe book great, like eye-popping photos that showcase the recipes, and this book has plenty. As you make your way through the pages of Living Raw Food, you’ll find candid images of Sarma, the people who make up her staff, and captured scenes of the happenings in the restaurant. Looking at these images I get the sense there is a friendly bonding between the staff, it’s a family affair.

Everything Else About This Book

Besides all the delectable mouth-watering recipes, you’ll find lots of information, like the basics on the type of tools and techniques used, explanation of ingredients, and Sarma’s personal perspective and insights on raw living food and the lifestyle.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing Pure Food and Wine and would go again in a heartbeat. I would be there often if I lived in the vicinty. If you are like me and live far away from New York City, in my case about 2443.79 miles, yet you would like to savory the delicious tastes of the restaurant, this book all 376 pages, serves as the next best thing to being there, as well as being a great addition to your recipe book repertoire.

That being said, I am thrilled to offer two (2) copies of Living Raw Food. Many thanks to William Morrow, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, for providing these books for this giveaway.

To participate in the drawing simply leave a comment below. On Tuesday, June 30th, I will use my favorite random number generator to pick two lucky winners. The winning participants will be contacted via email and an announcement of the drawing will be posted at the right sidebar, under the heading “Announcements”. Thank you in advance and best of luck to all who participate.

More about Sarma Melngailis

Visit Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck

Raw Epicurean interviews Sarma Melngailis :: Coming soon on Tuesday, June 30th

Other raw food recipe books by Sarma Melngailis
Raw Food Real World

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I don’t know too many people who don’t love desserts. In fact, when I stop to think of it, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love dessert. When it comes to desserts, rich and decadent doesn’t have to mean unhealthy, at least not with raw food desserts which is what we are celebrating today.

Congratulations to Ani Phyo, who’s latest book Ani’s Raw Food Desserts was released early this month!

In case you aren’t already familiar with Ani, she is an eco-chef who’s focus is on raw and living vegan food, and the author of a terrific and awarding winning book, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, and has a series of “un”cooking shows.

My Review of Ani’s Raw Food Dessert Book

Sweet was the first word out of my mouth when I saw Ani’s Raw Food Desserts, and her book is truly sweet in more ways than the main attraction, the desserts.

I love its cute daintiness and the layout. When you first lay eyes on it, you’ll notice its compact size, and the pretty polka-dot pattern found on the front and back cover, and on various pages in the book. You’ll also notice pretty stripped pages throughout the book, and on these particular pages you’ll find useful and fun tips on topics such as: Green Your Fridge, and Pack Your Snacks and Lunch.

Best of all are the dessert recipes, which are simple to make with accessible ingredients. Here is a peak at the contents to get an idea of the type of desserts featured in this book:

For All To Enjoy

I love the points Ani makes in the introduction. She lets us know, “This way of eating isn’t just another diet. It’s a lifestyle shift toward better health.” She goes on to say, “But there’s no need to be extreme, this isn’t an all-or nothing deal.” I couldn’t agree more. Raw food is for everyone, and the desserts you’ll find in this book are indeed for everyone to enjoy.

Pleasant Surprise

As you turn through the pages of this book you’ll find one yummy recipe after another. Once you get to the last Chapter, you’ll find Ani has created some lovely recipes using organic wine and champagne. This was both exciting and intriguing for me, and I learned something I wasn’t aware of, that wine and champagne is considered raw!

Catching Up With Ani

Here are a few questions I asked Ani about her new book, and here is what she said:

RE: What was your inspiration for creating this book?

AP: I love the idea of whole food desserts! My raw food desserts are made using fruits, nuts, and seeds. All superfoods that pack healthy vitamins, beautifying minerals, and age defying antioxidants. You can enjoy raw food desserts as a meal without the guilt of cooked desserts ladened with refined sugar, butter, eggs, gluten and flour. You CAN have your cake and eat it too!

RE: What are some of our favorite desserts from this book? Some of my favorites just by sight and description are Mango Sorbet-Macaroon Tartlets, Pineapple Icebox Dessert, and who could resist the Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake, sounds too good.

AP: You named them! Raspberry Ganache Cake and Pineapple Icebox Dessert are my favorites if I had to choose. The Lavender Chocolate Bars are really yummy too.

RE: I appreciate the last chapter of this book “Sparkling Desserts with Wine and Champagne, and think many other will too. I love red wine in particular and Reisling. Could you share with us one or two of your favorite brands of organic wine and/or champagne?

AP: One of my favorite organic, biodynamic, vegan vineyards is BonTerra in Mendocino County, northern California.

Giveaway :: Two Copies of Ani’s Raw Food Desserts

If you are looking for raw and living food dessert recipes high in healthy goodness and free from wheat, gluten, dairy or processed sugar, then this book is one to own.

This book may become a part of your recipe book collection thanks to Ani’s publisher, Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group, who contributed one [1] copy of Ani’s Raw Food Desserts as a gift for one Raw Epicurean reader. Also, Raw Epicurean offers one [1] copy of Ani’s book, so two [2] readers will soon have this sweet book in hand.

To participate in this draw, simply answer the following question –

What’s your all time favorite dessert?

On Sunday, May 10th, I will contact the winning participants and post an announcement at the right sidebar, under the heading “Announcement”. Best of luck to all who participate!

Goodness Without Guilt

I’d like to thanks Ani and her publisher for sharing a recipe from her book, one that happens to be one of her favorites and mine, Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake!!! You’ll find this healthy decadent recipe featured here on Sunday, May 10th.

More About Ani Phyo

Visits Ani’s website aniphyo.com to keep updated on events and …

Read Ani Phyo Interview – October 20, 2008

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When you see this book it becomes clear why there is so much excitement and praise among raw foodies. Matthew Kenney has paved the way and taken raw food to new heights in his latest book Entertaining in the Raw. The recipes presented in this book are a stellar example of gourmet plant-based raw food.

I have had this incredible book in hand for a short time and each time I turn through its pages, I discover something new and intriguing from the superb mix of recipes. The visual presentation of each recipe is a feast for the eyes. If I had to choose one recipe… might as well forget about that, I plan to work my way through the entire book, one recipe at a time. Perhaps I’ll try the fortune cookies first (I was blown away when I spotted that recipe), or the eight-treasure rice, almond lavender pie in coconut macaroon crust, apricot “yogurt” cake, creamy mango pudding, sweet pea samosas, or the ginger date flan.

The chapters of this book have unique names: blossom, contemporary, inspiration, spice, radiance, revolution, and meaningful. Each chapter is outstanding but, it’s the contemporary chapter that I find most intriguing. Matthew takes the concept of art, intermingles it with food, and then brilliantly manifests it into a stunning meal.

Raw food deserves to shine like this and Entertaining in the Raw is a delicious and inspiring example of how a home or professional cook, raw or not, can transform nature’s bounty of plant food into an exquisite raw food meal.

On that note, it is my pleasure to offer one (1) copy of Entertaining in the Raw as a gift to one of my readers for two reasons. The first is I believe this book is a must have for any recipe library, and second it’s Raw Epicurean’s one year anniversary.

Simply leave a comment below on why you embrace or lean toward a plant-based lifestyle and you are eligible for the draw. On Tuesday, March 3rd, I will use my favorite random number generator to pick the lucky winner. I will contact the winning participant via email and post an announcement at the right sidebar, under the heading “Announcements”.

More about Matthew Kenney

Visit his websites Matthew Kenney Cuisine and Matthew Kenney Lifestyle

Revvell of Rawin Radio interviews Raw Food Chef Matthew Kenney :: listen

Raw Epicurean interviews Matthew Kenney :: read

Other raw food books by Matthew Kenney
Everyday Raw
Raw Food Real World

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If you love recipe books and love eBooks, then The Best of Raw Freedom Community Ebook is one to add to your recipe collection. This is the latest of two eBooks produced by Carmella Soleil who hosts one of my favorite blogs The Sunny Raw Kitchen, and a remarkable forum called Raw Freedom Community.

This work of heart, as Carmella so appropriately calls it, was created in honor of Raw Freedom Community Forum’s first year anniversary. This recipe eBook contains a collection of 99 raw vegan recipes generously contributed by Carmella and 20 forum members of Raw Freedom Community, and I am proud to say that I am one of those contributors.

Besides all the mouth-watering recipes and gorgeous photos found throughout the 160 pages, you’ll find many useful features like a detailed clickable table of contents, helpful “uncooking” tips and a list of raw resources and links on the Net, just to name a few. To find out more about this generous contribution to the raw food community, and beyond, and view an eye-popping display of some of the delectable recipes click here.

My next post will feature one of the recipes from Carmella’s eBook, though I must admit I am having a tough time choosing just one. If you own this eBook, then you know what I mean. If not, what are you waiting for? You won’t regret it.

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These days I’ve been doing a lot of dehydrating with fruits – especially berries – and vegetables, working with small quantities (test batches if you will) to see how well things turn out – so far, so good.

Dehydrating is fairly new to me and I could learn a thing or two about the process. A good reference book I discovered in my mother’s kitchen library is Mary Bell’s Complete Dehydrator Cookbook – a handy reference book full of information to guide you through the process of dehydrating food.

This book covers a basic history of food drying, basic facts about food dehydration, how to prep fruit, vegetables, and herbs for drying, and much more. Note: This book doesn’t cater specifically to the raw foodist, there is a chapter on drying meats and fish – if not interested, just turn the page.

The second part of the book focuses on recipes, again the recipe aren’t geared to raw but can be used as a guide to create something raw from the foods you dehydrate.

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