RAW HERBED CHEESE WITH BASIL AND GARLIC

 

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!  We enjoyed fabulous weather over the weekend here in Los Angeles!  Just amazing for January!!  Many Angelenos hit the beach with 80 degree weather.  We were busy as usual with chores, fun activities with our son and oh...a date night with the hubby!  It was my turn to select a restaurant, so we headed over to The Penthouse restaurant in the the trendy Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California. This is not a raw or vegan restaurant, but they did have dishes for me to choose from which were delicious.   It was a great choice for our date.

On Sunday, I made this herbed cheese with basil and garlic with the raw cashew cheese I made the other day.  So delicious and really so simple!

my instagram photo of the ingredients...

RAW CASHEW CHEESE WITH BASIL AND GARLIC

3/4 cup raw cashew cheese (approximate measurement, you can use as much or as little as you'd like)

1 clove garlic

8 medium to large size basil leaves

Mince the garlic and chop up the basil.  Then fold it in by hand into the cheese.  Roll it into a ball and it is now ready to serve! Voila!  So easy and delicious!  Eat it with your favorite raw crackers, fruit, salad, or veggies.  

Enjoy!

Here are a few snippets of our view in Santa Monica on Saturday evening taken with my iPhone.  Have a fabulous week!

Join the discussion!

Do you have a favorite raw herbed cheese recipe? We would love to hear what it is! Share it in the comments below. Links are welcome.

THE MATTHEW KENNEY ACADEMY, SANTA MONICA, CA

 

 

I can't stress enough how good I feel when I eat raw cuisine.  I know a lot of you are with me on this one.   It's hard to explain until you try it and feel the effects that raw natural food has on your body.  I try the best I can to eat raw as much as possible.  It's not always easy, but the effort is so worth it. 

 

I am fairly new to raw cuisine, but I love so much what it does for me, my friends and family.  I have small group of friends who have are on this same quest and it's been such a great experience so far.  I have been able to connect with so many great people in this community, it's been truly wonderful.   So, you can imagine my excitement when I realilzed I had the opportunity to take The Matthew Kenney Academy's first Weekend Intensive course.  Ever since I found out Matthey Kenney came to Los Angeles and opened his restaurant M.A.K.E. and his culinary academy, I have been jealous over those who were able to take the one month long cooking courses he offers.  My circumstances won't allow me currently to take those, but when he came out with a 2 day weekend intensive course  I was thrilled.

 

You can definitely learn new recipes and techniques from cookbooks, but there is nothing like learning hands on the how to make something.  I was able to hone my skills in the basic techniques of simple raw dishes that you would make at home. We also were able to use cuisine technology that has advanced the way raw food can be prepared.  I really enjoyed that.  It's truly amazing what can be done!  And the last thing that stuck with me was the emphasis on caring about how you plate your food.  A truly simple dish like butter lettuce salad plated beautifully really does taste that much better.  It adds to the whole experience.  You eyes take in the food first.  And if you ever have the chance to dine at his restaurant M.A.K.E. you will see what I mean.  Words really can't describe the gorgeousness of the dishes there.  Truly beautiful.

 

Here are some photos from my two days at the Academy. 

 



 

 

 



Raw food is not about eating a salad everyday. It's so much more than that.  If you combine the right ingredients together, you can create truly amazing and fabulously tasting dishes.  I love making new raw dishes and having my friends taste test.  It's been my way to convince them to get on this path.  And it's working too.   Please, continue on your quest to eat more raw cuisine.

 

Matthew Kenney and his team are so wonderful, so humble and gracious.  If you have the opportunity, come on over to The Matthew Kenney Academy and take one of his courses.  They will be offering online courses in 2013 too ... you won't regret it.

 

 

REFLECTING...

 

 

 

I apologize for not having a recipe post today.  I am still reflecting on the fabulous weekend I had at The Matthew Kenney Academy's Weekend Intensive Raw Cooking Course.  And I am also trying to catch up today.  The course really accomplishes the mission statement quoted above.  I am so inspired.  Inspired to continue on this course of plant based cooking and eating and to continue to create and share more recipes capturing the great flavors nature has to offer us.   I'll be posting about my experience a little more later this week I hope. 

 

Hope you have a great week!

 



M.A.K.E. SANTA MONICA + MATTHEW KENNEY

 

 

 

I am really not one to be star struck since I've lived in Los Angeles my whole life, but yesterday my friends and I were.  Even though I was jetlagged and it was carmageddon this past weekend in Los Angeles (the busiest freeway in the world was shut down for 2 days due to construction), we made our way over to Santa Monica to check out  M.A.K.E. one of our favorite chef's, Matthew Kenney's new raw food restaurant.  It opened to the public this past Saturday, September 29th. 

 

First of all, I  love the Santa Monica Place!  It's a fabulous location.  Perfect weather year round and minutes from the beach.  I dine in that area frequently, and this is where I bring many out of town visitors when I want to show them around. If you want to make a day of it, rent some bikes at the Santa Monica Bike Center at the bottom floor of Santa Monica Place and take a ride for a few hours along the beach, come back and have dinner at M.A.K.E.  The perfect afternoon, really.  M.A.K.E. is located on the top floor of the Santa Monica Place where the Market Place is.

 

I don't know if I can formulate the words to describe exactly what we experienced last night.  The mix of flavors used in each dish were so fabulous and very carfully thought out, it really blew our minds.  We spent three hours savoring every bite we put into our mouth.  Truly, just divine.

 

We were fortunate too that Matthew happened to be there that evening.  What a treat!  We were able to chat with him for a bit - he is so nice and kind.  We were star struck!

 

If you get a chance, make your way over to M.A.K.E.  It's an experience you won't forget.  It will inspire you to continue your journey to eat clean and healthy foods.  Experience how different flavors can mesh together to create something so unique and beautiful.

 

 

Here are some photos we took with Instagram and our iPhones...

 

 

view of restaurant; our gracious server with the general manager and chef scott winegard; M.A.K.E. menu; bar view



 

fabulous three "cheese" plate; chocolate walnut cake with licorice icecream, pear, candied fennel and sassafras; fragrant sorbet dessert, bartlett pear soup with young celery and juniper oil



wild mushroom mole, cashew crema, red chili, avocado tacos; celery, cucumber, lemon and fennel juiced drink; grapefruit, beet, carrot ginger, juiced drink; flatbread, hummus, jewel box tomato, fennel, capers and mint

 

Can I just chime in here and ask what you think of these dishes?  You must go and try them for yourselves, really... no words.

 

matthew kenney and me; another kitchen shot with scott winegard; restaurant shot, matthew kenney culinary; matthew kenney and the gang, contributors christine and britney, me and kelsey

 

Follow Matthew Kenney Santa Monica  on Faceboook and Instagram: matthewykenneysm to stay connected.