Review: Rawmazing Desserts

I love curling up with a good book and I've read many that have left me hungry for more. But this was a first: from page one, I was drooling. And I mean that in all seriousness. My taste buds kicked into overdrive. Susan Powers' stunning photographs have that effect on people. If you've ever visited her website Rawmazing, how often have you had to restrain yourself from licking the computer screen? Be honest now.

With each turn of the page, her newly released book Rawmazing Desserts will no doubt have you salivating too. Every recipe is accompanied by a colorful, full-page photo. No shortage on eye candy here. No shortage of mouth candy either. In fact, there's even a section on Confections. Can I interest you in a Hazelnut Mint Truffle? Perhaps some Cacao Walnut Fudge? Oh yeah.

Other sections are devoted to Breads & Biscotti, Cookies, Cakes & Cupcakes, Custards & Mousses, Pies & Tarts, and Ice Cream, Sorbet & Frozen Treats. Ooooh, just writing that makes me giddy.

Sprinkled throughout the book are Susan's fabulous tips and tricks on storage and storage containers; soaking and "toasting" nuts; dehydrating; and using raw oat flour and flaked oats in recipes. She shares what's stocked in her pantry, and what "magic" pans she uses for her gorgeous tarts and cheesecakes.

And, hello, let's talk cheesecake for a minute. I consider myself a connoisseur. Susan's Orange Chocolate Cheesecake rivals any New York-style cheesecake I've had – creamy, smooth, rich, and absolutely delicious. You'll find no white sugar, white flour, eggs, cream or butter here. All of Susan's desserts are vegan, dairy free and gluten free. No bloating, no guilt, no sugar-induced lethargy.

Rawmazing, indeed. How can something made from just fruits, nuts and agave nectar look and taste so freaking good? That is Susan's gift and what makes her a master chef in my opinion.

In Rawmazing Desserts, you'll find over 40 recipes that look so much like their traditional counterparts, I challenge you to tell the difference. Now, have a bite. They taste even better. You'll be shaking your head and thinking, "This cannot be raw vegan" even though you just followed her easy-to-prepare instructions to the letter.

Did you catch that? Easy to prepare. For real. Not a lot of fuss here. Maybe a dozen or so recipes require a dehydrator. That's it.

So my large Hungarian clan gathered for dinner on Sunday. I decided to bring Susan's White/Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte to share. Magyars love a good torte. This one is so easy (no dehydration required) and absolutely beautiful to behold.

Eldest Brother: "Ohmygod, this is fantastic!"

{ People with very full mouths agreeing with sounds of, "Mmmmm." }

Mother: "This tastes like Lucy used to make. Where'd you buy this?"

{ Note: Lucy was the Hungarian baker in the "old" neighborhood. }

Me: "I made it! It's raw vegan. No sugar. No dairy. No baking."

"No way!" exclaims my Hungarian clan in unison.

There you go. If you can fool these folks, you can fool anyone. Buh-lieve me, there are no harsher critics to be found.

Treat yourself, your family, your friends. Rawmazing Desserts. I can't think of a more appropriate title.

Let's Get Pickled: Fermented Heirlooms

Here in the States, Labor Day marked the unofficial end of summer. As if on cue, the temperature plummeted 20 degrees overnight. Buh-lieve me, after enduring 3+ months of seemingly endless 90-degree days, this is SUCH a welcomed relief.   { someone please remind me of this in a few short months when the blizzard is raging outside my window }

So yes, autumn is in the air. My garden, however, never got the memo. It's still going gangbusters. Check out those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes up there☝. I've been gorging on them for weeks now in salads, soups and salsas. I've loaded up my friends, family and neighbors. My plants are still full. What's a gardener to do? Start pickling!

Wait. What's an heirloom tomato anyway?

Short answer: Fan-freakin-tastic! Seriously, the best, most flavorful tomato you'll ever taste.

Longer answer: An heirloom tomato (or any heirloom plant) is one that is open-pollinated and grown in an earlier era. Usually that means a plant that originated prior to the advent of hybridization in 1951. Some heirlooms are hundreds of years old. And when I say "plant," I actually mean "seed."

Listen, a year ago, I didn't even know tomatoes came in so many varieties – 77, in every color, size, and flavor imaginable! Now, I'm totally hooked and I'm thinking, next year, I want to put in a garden of solely heirloom veggies.

Fab article you should check out on Why It Matters to Buy Heirloom Plants and Seeds. To help preserve garden biodiversity, join the Seed Savers Exchange. Its catalog will blow you away.

Okay, back to the pickling adventures. I picked up The Joy of Pickling on a whim one day this summer, and I am loooooooving it. So much fun! Over 250 recipes. Who knew? Not I, that's for sure.

I adore raw cultured veggies, not only because they taste so darn good, but because they're a terrific way to add valuable probiotics and enzymes to your body, which help stamp out Candida, boost your immune system and curb your cravings for sweets.

I've used cabbage, cucumbers, peppers, beets, zucchini and summer squash – all from my lil' backyard garden! But today, I want to share my tomatoes with you. And when you see how super-duper easy it is, you'll want to get pickled too. *wink*

You can use any size jar you please and adjust the recipe accordingly. I do recommend you use a non-reactive container though – don't want any funky chemical reaction happening during the fermentation process. I like glass, but ceramic crocks work nicely too.

Pickled Heirloom Tomatoes

heirloom tomatoes (mixed varieties, including green and cherry tomatoes)
5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
5 fresh basil leaves, whole
4 fresh oregano leaves, rough chopped
1 Tbsp sea salt per cup of filtered water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

Slice your tomatoes into 1/4 inch rounds. You can leave some of the cherry tomatoes whole if you like. Tightly pack your jar with tomatoes, onions and herbs until roughly 3/4 full.

Dissolve sea salt in water to create a brine solution. Stir in lemon or lime juice (this keeps the tomatoes from becoming too mushy during the fermentation process).

Pour the liquid into the jar, covering the tomatoes and herbs. Add more cold water if necessary. Leave about an inch at the top.

Put the lid on the jar and leave on your counter undisturbed for about 7 days or until naturally pickled by fermentation. Refrigerate after opening.

Little to no patience?

If waiting seven days seems like an eternity, you can always use the speedy method like I did with my Icebox Pickles. In this case, you'll want to use raw cider vinegar and refrigerate overnight.

Like to spice things up a bit? Add a couple of  jalapeño peppers to your jar. Ooooh, yeah!

Flying Free From Compulsive Eating

I've shared before that despite having been morbidly obese, my initial journey into the land of raw and living foods had little to do with dieting or weight loss. I knew that my excess weight was merely a symptom of overeating, and that my overeating was indicative of my complicated and out-of-whack relationship with food.

Adopting a raw foods lifestyle, for me, was all about Changing My Relationship With Food.

Did it happen right away? Heck no. Just as my body did not grow to 300 pounds overnight, I didn't just wake up one day and adopt the classic behavior and thought patterns of someone who eats compulsively and to excess. That stage was set when I was still a toddler (yes!) and simply became more convoluted over the years.

So, the intention to find freedom from mindless eating was what propelled me to begin my transition toward a primarily raw plant-based diet. If that's something you've been thinking about or struggling with yourself, you can read my 15 Tips To Transition To A Raw Foods Lifestyle.

But what I wanted to address today, and what preceded my intention to change my relationship with food, was first recognizing that I was in fact a compulsive overeater.

Now you can laugh and think, "Helloooo, you were tipping the scales at over 300 pounds! Of course you were a compulsive overeater."

Well, I've got news for you: I was exhibiting classic compulsive behaviors when I weighed just 115 pounds, had a body that could stop traffic, and no one, I mean no one, would have guessed to look at me. I was able to fool everyone, including myself.

Early on in my foray into raw foods, I read a book that resonated deeply with me. I recognized a kindred spirit in Angela Stokes-Monarch, who succeeded in transforming her own relationship with food and shed 160 pounds in the process.

I was recently reminded of her beautiful and thought-provoking book, Raw Emotions, when she included an excerpt in her most recent newsletter. I'd like to share a portion of that with you now in hopes that it may shed some light on your own eating history and how you relate to food:

Do Any of These Sound Familiar?

☑ I am overweight or obese.
 (Many overeaters are either overweight or obese. However, not all overeaters carry signs of their addiction so visibly. Some may be a standard weight for their size, yet still have compulsive issues with food.)

☑ A great deal of my time and energy is directed towards food. I find it difficult to be present with people or concentrate on activities because my thoughts are preoccupied with food.

☑ I eat in secret, binge-eat, fluctuate between bingeing and deprivation, eat when I’m not hungry, hide food wrappers, am dishonest about what I’ve eaten, find I start eating and feel like "I just can’t stop."

☑ I eat moderately in front of others, then "make up for it" in private with binges, especially on refined sugars and processed starches – ice cream, cakes, cookies, chips, etc.

☑ I feel compelled to eat everything available. I do not want to "waste" anything, so I eat everything on my plate, often picking scraps/leftovers from fellow diners too.

☑ When I eat, my mood changes perceptibly – I use food for comfort, to pacify myself, deal with stress, reward myself, celebrate and so on. During and afterward, I might feel guilt, shame, remorse, fear, self-disgust and more.

☑ I live in a crazy internal landscape where an obsession with slimness and body image exists in constant battle with the compulsion to eat. I typically look for a solution in endless cycles of dieting and weigh myself frequently.

☑ I might be very particular and rigid, almost ritualistic, about the circumstances in which I want to eat. I may get upset and angry if the situation doesn’t seem to fit my ideal. 
(This is not to be confused with having simple preferences, such as blessing food before eating. The pattern described above tends to be more specific and uncompromising, indicating a strong attachment to eating habits.)

Just as Angela shares in her book, when I first saw a similar list as this one, I can remember thinking to myself, "You mean other people don't do these things?" Yup, I identified with just about every trait.

Listen, just like alcoholism, or any addiction for that matter, disordered eating is a self-diagnosed ailment and one chiefly ignored in our society. { Don't even get me started on the multi-billion dollar diet industry! } Ultimately, you're the only one who can determine if you have an unbalanced relationship with food.

You may not want to hear it, but I can tell you from firsthand experience: it is SO not about the food, or the weight.

If you recognize yourself in that list up there, I'd highly recommend you get a copy and delve into Raw Emotions. Angela goes beyond the physical, to examine the emotional and spiritual factors that contribute to our eating patterns.

Imagine how different your life would be if you, too, could find the freedom to fly free from mindless compulsive eating.