Entertaining in the Raw - Matthew Kenney [44]
Chocolate Sauce Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth.
Pudim de Leite Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix until completely smooth. Pour into lined ramekins and refrigerate.
Caramel Sauce Blend ingredients in Vita-Mix for 20 seconds. Chill in freezer 2 hours.
“Ice Cream” Blend all ingredients except chopped Thai coconut meat in Vita-Mix until very smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker, add coconut meat, and follow manufacturer’s instructions.
Assembly Roll 1/2 the truffle recipe into small truffles. Coat with cacao nibs and set aside. Divide the layer cake in 3 even layers. Take 1/3 of the other 1/2 of the truffle recipe and spread over 1 layer of the cake. Cover with the other cake layer and repeat process two more times. Cut cake into 3 x 1/2-inch rectangles. Place 1 rectangle on a plate, pour 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce over the top and garnish with 2 truffles. Place 1 Pudim de Leite next to brigadeiro cake, pour caramel sauce over the top, and garnish with prunes. Place a ball of “ice cream” on the side and garnish with a mint sprig. Serves 4–6
The Magic of Mesquite
One of the great benefits of a raw food lifestyle, outside the obvious ones, can be found in the multitude of lesser-known ingredients that are brought into the preparation of the food. Many of them have incredible flavor and nutritional value, and mesquite is a wonderful example. It has a malted, smoky, caramel flavor that is subtle yet hauntingly delicious with crackers, desserts, and other earthy preparations. I haven’t produced the dish yet, but I am very interested to experiment with mesquite and wild or exotic mushrooms. In addition to its taste, mesquite is very high in protein, calcium, magnesium, iron, and more. An additional benefit that the use of mesquite provides is that as it becomes more popular, fewer of the mesquite forests will be harvested and will ultimately be far more sustainable.
Creamy Sage-Pumpkin “Risotto” with Wild Mushrooms
Another dish inspired by an Italian classic—one bold chef created the idea of adding crushed Amaretti cookies, the ones that come in the bright red packaging and are seasoned with the delicious Amaretto di Saronno, to ravioli of pumpkin. It breaks up the monotonous creamy texture of the dish and provides a surprisingly pleasant sweet element. This variation uses that combination with a risotto version.
“Risotto”
4 cups peeled and roughly chopped jicama
1-1/2 cups peeled, chopped, and seeded fresh pumpkin
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cashews, soaked 1–2 hours
6 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoons raw agave
2 tablespoons fresh sage
Wild Mushrooms
1-1/2 cups stemmed and roughly chopped (into 1/2-inch pieces) portobello mushrooms
1-1/2 cups stemmed and roughly chopped (into 1/2-inch pieces) cremini mushrooms
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Amaretti
2 cups coarse almond flour (soaked and dehydrated almonds that are processed and sifted through a fine tamis or strainer—the coarse flour remains unsifted)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons date paste
1/2 cup maple syrup powder
1/2 cup coconut butter
Pinch sea salt
Garnish
8 fresh sage leaves
“Risotto” Process jicama in a food processor until ricelike consistency is achieved (do not overprocess). Press out excess liquid with a cheesecloth or through a sieve; place in a medium-size bowl and set aside. Pulse pumpkin in food processor with olive oil; add to jicama rice. Blend remaining ingredients in a Vita-Mix until smooth and creamy. Add to jicama-and-pumpkin mixture and combine well. Optional: cover bowl with plastic wrap and warm in dehydrator at 118 degrees F for 1–2 hours.
Wild Mushrooms Toss all ingredients together in a medium-size bowl. Spread mushroom mixture in a small pan and place