Ani's Raw Food Kitchen
The Ultimate Guide to Gourmet Living Foods Cuisine
Executive chef to the ultimate source for vegan and raw foods, SmartMonkey Foods, Ani Phyo brings her creativity and expertise to this tempting raw foods recipe book
Living Resource
Ani Phyo's gourmet un-cookbook, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, takes a huge departure from mainstream cookbooks. It is a chronicle of Ani's path toward the living foods lifestyle that she now embraces and the story of how raw foods have transformed not only her body and health but her entire approach to life. Describing her book, Ani writes, "you'll discover it has a lot to offer, from healthy-lifestyle-tips like living garbage-free, buying seasonally and locally, and using natural cleansers and beauty products- to innovative meals that are easy to prepare." Her anecdotes, reflections, revelations, and recipes are framed by gorgeous photos that make this an enjoyable read.
Welcome to "Living Foods"
Although a gourmet raw foods recipe collection, Ani doesn't assume her readers are expert raw foodists. She carefully introduces them to basic concepts in the living foods diet and defines essential terms. One of the most helpful sections of the book discusses how to stock the fridge and pantry as well as which cooking tools to buy. The most expensive of these utensils is a food dehydrator, but it is not necessary for the majority of her recipes. Potential nutritional benefits from raw foods are discussed in a clear, practical way. Summed up quite simply, she argues that, "living foods are the key to health and nutrition, and in turn, fuel optimal performance."
Living Green
Ani's book is also an odyssey into a more sustainable lifestyle. "A lot of the garbage we generate comes from packaging from processed foods," she notes, and "eating fresh ingredients helps cut down on the amount of waste we create." Quite simply, there is no need to contend with plastic, paper, and aluminum packaging when the food's all raw and organic. What little waste that remains (i.e. fruit and vegetable peels and non-edible seeds) is totally biodegradable and can be safely and easily composted.
Healthy People, Healthy Planet
Ani's brilliant recipes rely on the highest quality ingredients to ensure optimal taste and nutritional benefits. She highly recomends shopping locally for organic produce. Not only does this support local farmers, but she points out that locally grown, organic food actually contains more vitamins and minerals than its conventionally grown counterparts. Moreover, organic, locally grown food cuts out the demand for pesticide use. She also urges consumers to start buying food seasonally, because "growing and raising seasonal food encourages traditional agricultural methods, biodiversity, and a better environment."
Radiant Food
Food photography reaches glorious heights in this book and emphasizes Ani's culinary skill. With recipes like Nirvana Hemp Muesli, Cashew Coconut Pudding, and Sun Burgers on Black Sesame Sunflower Bread with Sun-Dried Tomato Catsup, she definitely pushes the boundaries of raw food eating. Her recipes provide unique ways to prepare wholesome ingredients that everyone can enjoy. This book appeals to both the strict adherent to the living foods diet and to the individual interested in occasionally trying out a raw food dish or two. After all, she observes, "even though most of the people in my life don't share my level of passion about healthy foods, they still understand the benefits of living foods and have incorporated many of my recipes into their daily routines."
Related Links
Official Ani's Raw Food Kitchen Website
Shop for Ani's Raw Food Kitchen
