5.28.2015

Rawlicious Superfoods by Peter and Bery Daniel

I've been doing a lot of guerrilla cooking lately and this book is one of my newly discovered guide to learn the habit of cooking better foods off from the traditional Pinoy menu of meats, oils, herbs, and spices.

This is not a traditional review. Because this book is basically a reference and I will surely return to reading it again and again as much as the mission of cooking better foods continue to evolve through time.  This book may earn a different rating for my next reading but it wont matter; for more than just a cook book, this is also loaded with historical and practical information on specific native fruits, herbs, seaweeds, mushroom, hemp, honey, the Cacao seeds, even the Baobab tree from Africa---all that can be organically and naturally grown and harvested.

The illustrations inside the book are very good and interesting. The authors described it clearly in the How to Use this Book section:  "Each magical superfood illustration has a corresponding mandala and has been inspired by hours of discussion around its historical use, medicinal benefits, and mythology."

After seeing a cut of an image of "Tino-tino"--a familiar childhood wild fruit and known commonly as caped gooseberry, I knew the authors know what they are writing about but I can only wish that they also consider more native plants from Southeast Asia (not just native fruits from China and Japan)  because I know we have more to offer than just a variation of coconut species. Southeast Asians also have diverse ways of cooking native foods. Just look at how you cook adobo and check its derivatives in the Adobo Book by Alejandro & Lumen.

Being mostly raw and non-meat, the steps are easy to follow and each menu wont take long to prepare. Most of the steps end in "blending them all" because we dont want to waste nutrients in cooking. In the Functional Food section: "Emphasis is placed on eating green leafy vegetables by either juicing or blending them. Choosing organic food is almost more important than keeping it raw."

The authors also suggested aiming at least 50%  raw component in the diet. I also learned in this book that the toxin acrylamide starts to form in foods when cooked above 248°F (120°C). By just looking at how we traditionally grill meats, I know 120°C is very easy to reach especially when you rush your barbecue before the New Year's Eve's festivity. Additionally, there is a procedure here on how to prepare a Bao Beer from the powdered Baobab seed including tips on storing foods and using the right kind of food containers (to slow down the decomposition) as well as choosing the preferred kitchen tools like blenders, juicers, and dehydrators  or driers.

The suggestions in Quality is Key section are noteworthy even if they are not so easy to follow but it all just lead to how you balance your preferred kind of food. We all follow certain guides for food and all I can say is that this book is a good alternative. When food is no longer food, then perhaps it's time to try the Superfoods cooked in low-heat and dense in essential nutrients.



Rating: 3.5 cups of Bao Sorbet
Genre: Reference, Non Fiction

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