The switch from omnivore to herbivore can be daunting, and aspiring vegans often struggle to give up delicious foods like cheese and cake. And when the diet consists mainly of raw food, it can be doubly dreadful. So it’s no surprise that Graci Kim was somewhat hesitant to sign up for a “raw food” workshop.
“The first image to pop up in my head was that of tasteless rabbit food,” said the online cooking show host from New Zealand.
After tucking into a “raw” raspberry chocolate cheesecake, however, Kim became an instant convert to raw “cooking.”
Photo courtesy of Adela Stoulilova
“The amount of love and dedication we put into normal cooking was equally put into preparing raw food. And this made me uber happy,” she said.
Kim is among a growing number of health-conscious consumers aware of the benefits of a “raw food” (plant-based) diet. And if Adela Stoulilova, a holistic nutritionist based in Shanghai who held a series of raw food workshops that Kim attended in Taipei last month, is to be believed, there is no need to give up that yummy tart or rich cheesecake — just find a way to make it raw.
For those who missed Stoulilova’s sold-out workshops in June and July, she’ll hold another series beginning on Aug. 20 (see below).
Photo courtesy of Adela Stoulilova
“Most people don’t believe they are eating raw desserts. It’s usually the texture that confuses them — its difficult for most people to imagine that you can make nuts into something super creamy and smooth,” Stoulilova, a native of the Czech Republic, told the Taipei Times.
The self-styled gourmet raw food caterer believes that foods lose important enzymes, vitamins and nutrients when heated above 40 degrees Celsius.
Andrew Ryan, the host of Feast Meets West on Radio Taiwan International, attended a workshop when Stoulilova was last in Taipei.
Photo courtesy of Adela Stoulilova
“I’ve been intrigued by the concept of raw food for a long time,” Ryan said. “The older I get, the more I crave vegetarian and even raw foods, so I really wanted to learn some new preparation techniques.”
Pumpkin seed milk, tacos with a dairy-free sour cream and fruit tarts were among the raw food dishes Ryan prepared at the workshop, which was held at Integrated Arts Education Association of Taipei (臺北市藝術統合教育研究會), a farm located 10 minutes from the Beitou MRT Station (北投捷運站).
“The desserts were pretty amazing because they simulated dairy without dairy and a crust with no baking,” Ryan said. “Just looking at the fruit tarts you [would] think that they must be unhealthy, but in actuality, they are much better for you than the traditional alternative.”
Photo courtesy of Adela Stoulilova
Another workshop found participants literally elbow deep in chocolate, as they made truffles filled with a chocolate ganache and chocolate bars — all raw, of course. The Watermoon Tea House (水月草堂) hosted the workshop, which included a sample of Pu’er, a raw tea grown in China that can sell for up to NT$20,000 per 300g bag.
Stoulilova was the sole chef of the third event, where she prepared a four-course gourmet dinner that was entirely vegan and raw. Guests were greeted with a Rejuvelac cooler, a digestive drink made from sprouted grains and beets, followed by an amuse bouche (“mouth amuser”), which featured a cheese made from fermented nuts, flaxseed crackers and avocado cucumber nori bites. An Arugula salad topped with pecans, pear and yet another cheese that resembled the taste and texture of blue cheese rounded out the starters.
The main course consisted of pasta made from raw zucchini and carrots, topped with one of three sauces: cheese, mint and parsley and marinara.
The raspberry chocolate cheesecake induced “oohs and aahs” from participants, who were surprised that such a tasty dessert could be both vegan and raw. SoFresh (太平洋鮮活), an organic food store that grows and sells its own produce, gave up their dining room for this Dinner-In-The-Raw, which will be used again in the upcoming workshops.
“[Everything] tasted absolutely divine,” Kim, who attended the Dinner-In-The-Raw event, said. “In fact, all I could keep thinking about was ‘How in the world could this all be raw?’
Upcoming Workshops
Adela Stoulilova will return to Taipei for a second series of raw food workshops beginning Aug. 20. Space is limited and discounts are available for people interested in more than one workshop.
In the first workshop, attendees will make Thai pomelo salad with sweet and spicy cashews, pad Thai and a passion fruit lime cheesecake. The workshop runs from 7:30pm to 9:30pm on Aug. 20 at the Watermoon Tea House. The cost of the workshop is NT$2,000.
The second workshop invites participants to make strawberry cheesecake, carrot cupcakes and chocolate ice cream — all raw, all vegan. The workshop is on Aug. 25 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at Dang Dai (當代進口家具). The cost is NT$2,000 and space is limited.
The third workshop is similar to the raw chocolate workshop from the first series in June. Chocolate truffles, molded chocolate filled with passion fruit cream and a chocolate bar will be on the menu. The workshop is on Aug. 26 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm at the Jyothi studio and Private Lodgings (私人工作室場館). The cost is NT$2,000. The venue promises to be as spectacular as the chocolate, as the man who owns the lodgings was the event space designer for the Dalai Lama’s visits to Taiwan. Guests are invited to come early and enjoy tea in the courtyard.
In the fourth and final workshop, Stoulilova is once again playing chef and will be hosting a Mexican inspired four-course Dinner-In-The-Raw. She will be entertaining guests with frozen pineapple margaritas, a surprise amuse bouche, fiesta ensalada, tostaditas, and a raw chocolate pudding. Dinner will be held on Thursday August 23rd at 7:30pm at SoFresh (太平洋鮮活). The cost is NT$2,400. The venue has yet to be announced.
Workshops are held in English, but Stoulilova speaks fluent Mandarin. For more information, please visit the Facebook group Delicious Taipei at: www.facebook.com/groups/privatedining/ or contact Prashantha Lachanna at prish@bang-events.com.
Adela Stoulilova’s Raw Taco Recipe
Step 1: Walnut Meat
1 cup raw walnuts
1 tablespoon of raw soya sauce
1/8 teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until crumbly. Add a little water if too dry, but do not over pulse, otherwise you will end up with a walnut paste
Step 2: Cashew Sour Cream
1/2 cup of cashews (pre-soaked in water for one hour)
1/2 lemon, juice of
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
dill, fresh or dried
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy. Slowly add water until you reach your desired consistency
Step 3: Raw Tacos
Ingredients: Fresh salsa; large lettuce, spinach or cabbage leaves; avocado; cilantro and lime.
1. Place a spoon of walnut filling on a lettuce leaf
2. Top with chilled salsa, avocado, cashew sour cream and cilantro leaves
3. Squeeze lime juice over it, wrap and eat
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