A RAW FOODIST'S WISH LIST

I realize the Raw Food lifestyle is supposed to be all about simplicity, but there are still lots of fun toys out there that make preparing Raw Food easier and more fun. If you’re still searching for the perfect gift to give the Raw Foodie in your life, here’s a list of equipment we provide our Reboot Challengers that may make your holiday shopping a little easier.

Food Processor

The Food Processor makes chopping, slicing, shredding, grinding, and pureeing a breeze. We use it for slicing veggies for salads and mixing ingredients for hummus, dips and desserts. If you’re looking to add an appliance to your newly Raw kitchen we recommend starting here. The Food Processor is a versatile Raw Food tool and can generally be acquired for a reasonable price. We like the Cuisinart brand and recommend an 11 to 14 cup size. The Cuisinart Food Processors used at Revive came from Costco. Regardless of the brand you choose, make sure you select one with both an S-blade, which sits inside the bowl, as well as a grater/slicer that sits on top.

High-Speed Blender

The High-Speed Blender is another tool that gets a lot of use in the Raw kitchen. The Vita-mix gets the most attention and is the one used in most of the Raw Food demonstration videos you’ll find on YouTube. Blendtec is another popular brand. Both are expensive. The Vita-mix starts at around $375 but with two horsepower and variable controls, it blends like nobody’s business. Use it for smoothies, Raw soups, dressings, sauces and to grind nuts for nut butters and milks. Stick with your existing blender if you want, but when you’re ready to take things to the next level, shop around for a Vita-mix or other quality High-Speed Blender. You can order direct through the Vita-mix online store (https://secure.vitamix.com/) or through other online retailers. Occasionally Vita-mix demos and sells the blenders at Costco. Check here for local schedules: http://www.vitamix.com/household/shows/.

Dehydrator

At the advanced end of Raw Food equipment spectrum is the Dehydrator. The Dehydrator takes the place of the oven in the Raw kitchen using low temperatures and a fan to heat and dry food. It essentially removes water from food, but keeps the enzymes naturally present in Raw Foods intact. A dehydrator allows you to make cookies, crackers, crusts, chips and breads as well as dry fruits and vegetables for chews or for general preservation. It’s also great for drying nuts after soaking. Excalibur makes the Dehydrator of choice for most Raw Foodists. Like the High-Speed Blender, the Dehydrator is expensive. Excalibur’s entry-level four-tray unit starts at $230. But Excalibur Dehydrators are far superior to the traditional round dehydrators found at box stores and garage sales. In addition to a fan and thermostat that regulate and circulate heat evenly, the Excalibur dries food up to ten times faster. Excalibur sells through their company web store (http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/product.php) as well as through many online affiliates. While it’s certainly nice to have a dehydrator at the ready, it’s by no means a necessity. Many Raw Foodists get by without one.

Springform Pan

If you’re looking to make Raw desserts it’s very beneficial to get your hands on a Springform Pan. The Springform Pan allows you to build up layers of a dish before releasing the form and letting your creation stand on its own. These come in a variety of sizes and are easy to find. They’re available in the kitchen departments of most stores. Sur La Table has a nice selection starting around $8 and going up depending on size and material.

Masticating Juicer

Juicer

For juicers there are two main types: Centrifugal and Masticating. Centrifugal means moving or directed away from a center or axis. Masticating means to chew, grind or knead into a pulp.

The Centrifugal juicer is the juicer most often seen in stores and on TV. It spins at high speeds grinding fruits and vegetables placed in the chute into pulp. The spinning motion forces the juice away from the pulp and the juice collects in a bowl.

The Masticating juicer works like teeth to grind vegetables before literally squishing out the juice. Since a masticating juicer works at low speeds and with no spinning action, it tends to juice many vegetables more efficiently.

We recommend Masticating juicers because they are better at handling leafy greens such as Spinach, Kale and Chard. As Raw Foodists, there are also concerns over the heat generated by Centrifugal juicers. Heat isn’t an issue with Masticating juicers. Masticating juicers also have the benefit of being more efficient, producing more juice from fewer vegetables.

Popular brands of Masticating juicers are Champion, Omega and Green Star. Masticating juicers start around $230 and go up from there. Tower Health and Diet Foods at 1130 N. Fulton in Fresno is a great local source for juicers. Not only do they carry several models of new juicers, they also have a nice selection of reasonably priced used juicers.

Additional Equipment
The Raw Food Wish List could go on from here to include a multitude of other items such as Vegetable Spiralizers (for making vegetable pastas), Water Filters and Reverse Osmosis Water Systems (for soaking nuts and preparing foods) and Coffee Grinders (for grinding small nuts and seeds).

Many people eat and enjoy Raw Foods with nothing more than a good knife and other basic tools they already have at home. But if you're looking to spread some Raw holiday cheer, this list may help jumpstart your shopping and put a smile on the face of your Raw-inclined loved ones.

A POTLUCK OF PERSPECTIVES

A few days ago I read a blog post lamenting the lack of variety available in a Raw Food diet. I wish the author could have joined us Thursday night for our first Rawvive Reboot potluck. Past and present Rebooters got together to socialize and share their favorite Raw Food dishes. I was really struck by the range of food and flavors on the table. The menu included exotic salads, raw versions of traditional main dishes, and decadent desserts. Nothing was missing.

Nancy said her salad had “everything but the kitchen sink,” and with every bite I tasted something new. Gloria’s salad had hints of a Mediterranean influence. Seshep’s dish had a rich taste of curry and could easily have come right off the menu at a Thai restaurant.

Some of us brought Raw versions of traditional favorites. Marcia brought veggies and a wonderful Raw ranch for dipping. I brought veggie-packed Raw pizzas and the “meatloaf” with barbecue sauce I made for Thanksgiving.

And of course we had dessert! Diana’s truffle balls rivaled any box of chocolates, and Suzanne’s beautiful lemon cheesecake? To die for!

It occurred to me that there’s not only an abundance of variety available in a Raw Food diet, but the diet is also much more personalized. Without tradition or chain restaurants to influence our expectations, we’re left to chart our own course and develop menus that more intimately appeal to our individual tastes.

Based on my experience at the potluck, my advice to Raw Foodists experiencing a lack of variety in their diet is to get out more. Find other Raw Foodists in person or online and ask what they’re eating. Visit Raw Food restaurants or take a look at their menus online. And don’t be afraid to experiment. Just because you’re eating the same thing over and over again doesn’t mean all Raw Foodists are. By switching to a Raw Food diet you’re already breaking from precedent. Keep breaking until you find a menu variety that’s right for you. Ultimately, if you're not finding enough variety in your Raw Food diet, it's probably not the diet that deserves the blame.