Raw [Paperback]

Charlie Trotter (Author), Roxanne Klein (Author), Tim Turner (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Prepared using basic techniques such as juicing, dehydrating, and blending, raw foods exalt the innate wholesomeness and splendor of fruits and vegetables. Charlie Trotter'¬?s raw-food tasting menus at his Chicago restaurant have showcased raw food at the highest level, while Roxanne Klein'¬?s eponymous restaurant in Larkspur, California, has become a fine-dining destination, earning her international recognition for her cuisine.Experience the revelation of this dynamic cuisine in RAW, a landmark volume that pairs visionary chefs Trotter and Klein. The authors pay the ultimate tribute to the culinary heights that raw food can scale in such dishes as Broccoflower Couscous with Curry Oil; Three Peppercorn-Crusted Cashew Cheese with Honeycomb and Balsamic Vinegar; Bleeding Heart Radish Ravioli with Yellow Tomato Sauce; and Watermelon Soup with Sharlyn Melon Granit?©. Each recipe is complemented by a detailed wine pairing, conceived to heighten the tastes, textures, and aromas of the ensemble. Juices, a natural extension of the raw-food repertoire, are also featured in such soothing preparations as Red Roxie, Prickly Pear and Pomegranate, and Cucumber-Lime Water.Artfully presented with Tim Turner'¬?s award-winning photography; healthful; and deeply satisfying, chefs Trotter and Klein'¬?s food celebrates ingredients in their glorious natural state. In such skilled hands, raw food is nothing short of a revolution in the the way we cook and eat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ever trendy, raw food is crunching its way into the mainstream-and this book by celebrity chef Trotter (Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home) and Klein demonstrates how appetizing it can be. The collection of vegan recipes, all cooked at temperatures below 118°F, is decidedly gourmet. Dishes worthy of dinner parties include Three Peppercorn-Crusted Cashew Cheese with Honeycomb and Balsamic Vinegar, Salsify with Black Truffles and Porcini Mushrooms, Portobello Mushroom Pave with White Asparagus Vinaigrette, Indian Red Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream (made with almond milk) and Banana Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Chocolate Sauces. Wine notes with each recipe remind readers that raw food can be complemented by a fine vintage without breaking any rules because "wine, at its most basic, is also an unadulterated creation, never rising above 118°F during its production." The recipes tend to be labor intensive since the taste, textures and flavor of sophisticated raw food can't be bought pre-packaged at the supermarket. But for those who want to reap the reported health benefits of raw food without sacrificing the luxurious taste of fine cuisine, the effort required for these recipes is worthwhile.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Anyone who wants to understand American cuisine as it enters the 21st century must eat at Charlie Trotter'¬?s. . . . No restaurant in America comes closer to delivering a flawless total dining experience. -Wine Spectator, naming Charlie Trotter'¬?s as America'¬?s Best Restaurant"There'¬?s a whole philosophy behind this cuisine, but for Klein it'¬?s more about sensuality and bringing out the best in food. . . . Klein has uncovered a seemingly unlimited palette of flavors. She breaks every preconceived notion about a vegetarian diet. . . . Whether carnivore, vegetarian, glutton or gourmet, the food will make you a believer." -San Francisco Chronicle"Roxanne Klein is in charge of the Bay Area'¬?s (if not the country'¬?s) most talked-about kitchen. At her living-foods restaurant in Larkspur, almost all the food is raw. The results are both innovative and spectacular."-Bon App?©tit"Roxanne Klein'¬?s artistry. . . is rocking the elite food world. . . . Adventurous home cooks as well as chefs may be inspired to learn some of her techniques and to look at vegetables with a fresh eye."-Gourmet

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088341
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088343
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.6 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

120 of 129 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this Hoity Toity Raw Coffee Table Book, December 7, 2003

By 

Avocadess (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Raw (Hardcover)

Raw food diet has saved my life. For those of us who really must "stay raw" in order to have happy and healthy bodies "or else," a book like this is a great inspiration. No, I can't find a lot of the ingredients. I never even *heard* of white or red baby carrots before, or yuzu citron juice, or white truffle oil, dragon chile, tamarind juice, and many other ingredients. If I did know what they were or knew where to find them, chances are I could not afford them. But that's okay. This book expands my horizons. I can try to understand the visual and flavors of such ingredients, and if I can't get the actual ingredients, I can substitute with something else. That's one of the great things about raw food preparation -- substitutions are pretty easy and fun to do!

I had to learn how not to take a raw food gourmet book "too seriously" when I first got Juliano's wonderful "Raw: The Uncookbook." One recipe might list 30 ingredients, five of which were too expensive and more that I could not find at all -- but then learned, with inspiration from other "raw foodies," that such recipes can be used as "raw inspiration." By following the basic concepts of a gourmet raw recipe, I can substitute and alter to fit my own tastes and pocketbook and come up with some "way cool" gourmet treats! My main problem is that sometimes they come out so super good that I want to fix them again -- but didn't write down what I did, haha!

For those who enjoy the creative art of raw food cuisine, this book has many wonderful ideas in flavors, textures, colors and more.

I really appreciated Roxanne's introduction too. It's great.

This is one of the raw recipe books that proves you *don't* have to be a puritan or a monk to enjoy raw food cuisine. And I know from experience that you don't have to eat only raw foods to appreciate these recipes too.

I call this my "hoity toity" raw recipe book. It's big, beautiful heavy and replete with lots of hoity toity gourmand photographs. I don't know how many recipes I will ever actually make out of this book, but I consider it a work of art and know I will always enjoy thumbing through it for raw food preparation inspiration at the very least. Oh, and it's so beautiful and big and it would make a great coffee table book too. That's where I'm keeping mine.

I hope that this book will also inspire more and more professional chefs to offer delights like these on their menus!

(P.S. I had serious health problems and 75 lbs. more excess weight before switching to raw diet. Raw rocks!)

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Industrial Veggie, May 16, 2005

By 

Aceto "All knowledge is sorrow." (Meilhan Sur Garonne) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Raw (Hardcover)

The ratings for this book are all over the place. Although I am giving it five stars, I do not disagree with those in the two and three camp. Their remarks are largely true. The important thing to remember is not to buy this one unless you have your eyes wide open. The mechanics of preparing this food is heavily dependant on both machinery and motivation. When Trotter says you need a dehydrator (or live in Phoenix), a HEAVY DUTY juicer, HIGH SPEED blender and an ice cream maker, he means it. For me, it was a dang good excuse to triple my capital budget for the kitchen. Second, the complaints about his ingredient list are valid. Short of 'eye of newt', he is really pushing it. But once you get through the technical side, you can make viable substitutions. And the stuff such as 'celtic' sea salt, and 'Manodori' balsamic is more to make you aware than to be a requirement, same as the wine suggestions. You can use English sea salt (which has the highest nutrient count) or any balsamic at least sixteen yrs. old. The value of this book is that these dishes work very well. My test cases (read: guests) responded very well in every instance. This stuff tastes good and feels good to chomp on. If you are concerned about nutrition and health, it all seems good on all counts. This is food you cannot make any other way without brute force and primitave tools. While the photos are good for coffee table art, the real value is to people like me, who have no sense of presentation and sling hash as a Jackson Pollack (sic, my heritage) imitation. If you are so inclined to spend the time and cash, you will be pleased.

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw and engaging, tasty too, January 21, 2004

By 

Norman Guadagno (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Raw (Hardcover)

I initially purchased this book only because of Charlie Trotter. Since I consider Charlie one of the greatest chefs alive, and have all of his other cookbooks, I felt there was something going on here. I had read about the "raw" movement, but had not paid much attention to it.

The book, like all of Charlie's other books, is as beautiful as a work of art. The pictures are full page and really display the food like jewels. One glance through and you are already getting hungry.

The recipes, amazingly enough, require a bit of work. You would think that without cooking it would be easier to prepare dishes, but the prep work here can be considerable. Dedicate some time to reading a recipe before trying.

I have already made several different dishes and each has come out wonderfully. The cauliflower soup in particular was a pleasant surprise. All of the work was within the skill set of the experienced home chef.

If you want to make many of the recipes, however, you will need some special ingredients and some equipment. You can find many of the food products at your local "natural" foods store or gourmet market. The one piece of equipment that seems essential to have is a good quality dehydrator.

Enjoy the food and the process.