From Desperate Housewives to My Kitchen Table

I'll be honest, I just took the culinary advice of a Desperate Housewife, and it was delicious. This month's Bon Apetit magazine featured an article about celebrity restaurateurs. In the article, Eva Longoria, who owns BESO in Los Angeles, states that she grew up on guacamole being made with fresh squeezed lemons rather than limes. She recommends that others try making it with lemons, as she can't have it any other way. So, that's exactly what I did today. I made guac with lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, bean sprouts, red onion, garlic, salt, and a dash of hot sauce (not raw, I know). It turns out that guacamole tastes quite different this way - much lighter and fruitier. I have to say that I really like it and will probably continue to make it this way in the future. Thanks Eva!

I made some onion bread from RAWvolution and used it as a crust for Guacamole Pizzas. They were both hearty and refreshing....a nice combination, right?

Avocado Soup with Blood Orange and Mango Salsa

I've been having a major case of the winter doldrums (probably why I haven't posted in a while). I'm sick of kale, sweet potatoes, turnips, and celeriac - ditto for cold wind, slush, and air that has been robbed of any moisture by my heater. My body has been craving foods that are more vibrant, if that makes sense. I was, therefore, SO excited to see that blood oranges are in season. When I saw them at the market I knew I had to buy some, as I was confident they would cure my winter ills.

I remembered seeing a recipe in Sarma's newest, Living Raw Food, for Avocado Soup with Blood Orange and Mango Salsa. The fact that it incorporates some tropical fruits really sold me (sorry locavores). I honestly don't make soup too often because my sweetheart doesn't really understand the point of soup as an entity, and because they're often too cumbersome to make only for myself. But, this one is actually quite simple. It's just like making a smoothie and a fruit salad at the same time.



This recipe made a lot of soup. Luckily, my sweetheart devoured a bowl - afterward he looked at me with concern and asked "is this all we're having?", but I digress. I asked Sarma if it can be stored in the fridge, and she thinks it can for up to 2 days. This makes sense because the recipe calls for some lemon juice, which should stave off oxidization for a bit. I'll be having some for lunch tomorrow.

London

Just returned from a whirlwind trip to London (I was there only 72 hours). I had a great time, but deviated majorly from the raw vegan path of righteousness. Dim Sum and Lebanese food were just too tempting.

I did, however, have one raw meal. On Saturday I met up with the lovely and talented Antony Heaven, of Antony In London (livingrawfooduk.blogspot.com). We ventured north to grab lunch at Dragonfly, a stunning (at least by the looks of their website) raw food restaurant that we learned went out of business when we approached the vacant storefront. It was very disappointing. But, we then headed over to Camden to eat at inSpiral Lounge. It's a vegan cafe with some raw options. It was satifying enough, but just know, should you ever dine there, that you can select THREE side orders and ONE main. Aparently I didn't get this through my American head fast enough, much to the chagrin of the icy sales associate. Still, it's worth the trip if you're in the area.