A week ago I held my first raw food tasting event at Rustica Restaurant in Monclair, NJ. A total of 28 people attended which surpassed my initial goal of ten. Apparently, more people are curious and want to learn about raw foods than I thought. Definitely a positive sign.
My tasting has been an idea I wanted to do for quite sometime. Most of my raw food education has been centered around my online blogs and videos, reaching many people across the United States. However, I felt the need to bring the concept of raw foods on a local scale where the members of my community can experience the food and learn at the same time. It’s one thing to hear about raw foods but tasting them brings a whole new meaning to one’s senses.Β With the help of Rustica Restaurant, my idea became reality.
The menu featured beverages such as Green Juice Elixir and Vanilla Almond Mylk, appetizers such as my Fermented Feta Cheeze and “Summerlicious” Salad, the main dish was Sun Burgers on Sprouted Buckwheat Bread with Kale Chips, and for dessert there was Strawberry Cheezecake, Coconut Macaroons and Raw Chocolate. Prior to bringing each dish out, I did an introduction of the health benefits of that food and how it’s prepared. At the end, I surprised my guests with bubbly Water Kefir Toast!
Watch my video to see additional food photos and hear my closing speech on the benefits of the raw food diet:
Following the event I emailed the guest feedback survey to gather their opinion on how everything went and what foods they enjoyed the most. From the responses I received so far, the Top 3 favorite are “Summerlicious” Salad, Fermented Feta Cheeze and Strawberry Cheezecake. Here is some additional feedback:
“Everyone was saying that they would buy your food if it were available at Whole Foods.” ~ Melissa M.
“The explanation and narratives that accompanied each dish were great for someone like me with limited experience with raw foods.” ~ Paul W.
“LOVED the Sunburgers with Live Ketchup and the “Summerlicious” salad, and really, everything on the menu.” ~ Loren L.
“It’s amazing that foods can be enjoyable without the use of animal products and be creative at the same time.” ~ Debra B.
“The chocolates you made were fantastic!!! My absolute favorite. Next was the “burgers” and then the cheezecake and macaroons. The salad was also excellent!” ~ Lani B.
If you did not attend the tasting, don’t worry. I will be organizing another one in the next month or so. And if you are interested in any of the foods I’ve served such as the Fermented Feta Cheeze, Raw Chocolate or Kale Chips, I will be happy to email you my pricing list. Just message me at greenmomzoe@gmail.com.
Thanks again to those who come to my event and made it so special. Thanks to my mom for being such a wonderful assistant. And thanks to Rustica Restaurant for allowing me the opportunity to share my raw dishes with our local community.
Copyright Β© 2010 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved
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Hi Zoe! I would like to see you post some of your recipes on your blog…..it looks beautiful, and I would love to see your recipe for the Sun Burgers and Sprouted Buckwheat Bread!