Raw Chef Dan

Dinners with Chef Dan

So I have been hosting dinner at my place under the name Omakae wich is a Japanese term meaning "Chef's Choice". My gust "Donate" twords the cost of groceries, Electric... and I mske food till eveyone is full.
If you want to come to one of these uiniquly amazing dinners visit http://www.rawchefdan.com/Omakase-Booking.html

They have been really fun and you have to come soon!

The Food You Want For Thanks Giving

Whether you had plansfor holiday food or not you will want to get a dose of Quintessences outrageous Thanks Giving Rawgazm Experience.
Featuring some of the most satisfying food you could ever eat covering Thanks Giving Staples such as Candied Yams, "Mash Potato" & Gravy, Cranberry Relish, testy soft Breads and an incredible Entry Stand-in Pineapple Ginger Glazed Veggie a la Cream Stuffed Brazil Nut Roll complete with your choice of Pumpkin or Apple Cherry Pie..

If you want to order for pickup be sure to place your order at least12 hr before you plan to pick it up.

Menu

$55 pp or $100 for two

Celery Asparagus Garlic Creamy Bisque (raw)

or Creamy Butternut Squash Soup (cooked)

(ala carte $7)

 

Arugula Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

(ala carte $12)

 

Pineapple Ginger Glazed Veggies a la Cream Stuffed

Brazil Nut Loaf

Served with a side of

“Sautéed” Spinach & Shallots Topped with Sliced Almonds

(ala carte $20)

 

Light Buttery Coconut Yam Bread

(ala carte $5)

 

Walnut Cherry Stuffing (raw)

or Sprouted Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf (cooked)

(ala carte $8)

 

Whipped Cauliflower Mashed (raw or cooked)

(ala carte $6)

 

Creamy Black Pepper Gravy

(ala carte $6)

 

Apple Cherry Pie or Pumpkin Pie

(ala carte $10)
====================================

Add-On Side Dishes

(the followings are not included in the set menu)

Cranberry Relish  $3

Candied Yam  $4

 

 

New Salad At The Q

Quintessence is testing a new Sprouted Lentil Salad featuring Arugula and the Greens of Red Radish along with their own Kosher version of a Balsamic Vinaigrette made with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Turkish Apricots, Sea Salt and a hint of Stevia.

In this delightful Salad you will encounter

Sprouted Brown Lentils
Red Radish Slices
Celery, Capers and Parsley
Tossed with a wonderfly cleaver and remarkebly saticfying
Vinigar Lemon Aprocot "Balsamic Vinaigrette" ala Kosher
Served on a bed of
Arugula and Red Radish Greens
Topped with Fresh Black Pepper

Quintessence is at
263 E 10th Street
Between
Ave A & 1st Ave
646 654-1823
www.raw-q.com

Quintessence Launches it's new "Menu Of The Day"

Quintessence Launches it's new "Menu Of The Day" A new Set Menu option. A Three course fiesta for $35! Choose from the daily specials or a selected option from the menu. Each week the menu then repeats the cleaver Mon - Friday 5 day cycle. And save room for Brunch Sat & Sun - Definitely a not to be missed Dinning Experience!
Discount Coupons available at Restaurants.com

Do Pine Nuts Really Come From Pine Trees

Pine nuts are the edible seeds of pines (family Pinaceae, genus Pinus). About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food. In Europe, pine nuts come from the Stone Pine (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for its nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer. The Swiss Pine (Pinus cembra) is also used to a very small extent.

In Asia, two species are widely harvested, Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis) in northeast Asia (the most important species in international trade), and Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana) in the western Himalaya. Four other species, Siberian Pine (Pinus sibirica), Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila), Chinese White Pine(Pinus armandii) and Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana), are also used to a lesser extent. Afghanistan is an important source of pine nuts. In some cultures, it is believed consumption of copious amounts of pine nut may yield aphrodisiac effects.

In North America, the main species are three of the pinyon pines, Colorado Pinyon (Pinus edulis), Single-leaf Pinyon (Pinus monophylla), and Mexican Pinyon (Pinus cembroides). The other eight pinyon species are used to a small extent, as are Gray Pine (Pinus sabineana), Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana), Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) and Parry Pinyon (Pinus quadrifolia).

In the United States, pine nuts are mainly harvested by American Indians, particularly the Uto-Aztecan: Shoshone, Paiute and Hopi, and Washoe tribes. Certain treaties negotiated by tribes and laws in Nevada guarantee Native Americans' right to harvest pine nuts

Pine nuts are indeed the seeds of pine trees, and you could plant them, if they haven’t been toasted, which is often the case with those you buy in stores.

They’re tucked inside the pine cones and fall out when the cones open. Not all pines make pine nuts that are nice to eat, and most pine nuts are so small that you could easily not notice them. To make matters worse, when they come out of a pine cone, they’re covered with a hard shell that has to be removed before you see anything recognizable as pine nuts.

Although about 20 species of pine make nuts large enough to be interesting as food, almost all pine nuts used for food come from four varieties: Mexican pine, Colorado pine, Italian stone pine, and Chinese nut pine.

It takes a long time, usually 15 to 25 years, for a pine to start producing nuts, and three times as long before production reaches its maximum. This means pine nuts are often harvested wild, which is part of the reason their cost is so high.

There are some similar edible seeds from other plants that make cones. The juniper seed is well known as the main source of flavoring for gin.

Pine nuts are nutritious, having a high protein content and all sorts of other nutrients. There is an interesting phenomenon, however: After eating pine nuts, some people for days or weeks taste something bitter and metallic. If this should happen to you, don’t worry; it goes away with time.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_nut
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/01/04/where_do_pine_nuts_come_from/

Japan in the Raw

Hey everyone, sorry I have been MIA for so long but life has me busy beyond belief.

I am in Japan now as you may know.
Last week I did a three day set menu event in Hiroshima to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Country Grain bakery and vegetarian restaurant in Hiroshima.

That went great, the reponse was very exciting and the food was off the hook.

 

 

 

 

This was my Spicy Fofu Parfait served with Avo, Cucmber, Scallin and Nira.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I am in Osaka where I did a three sitting set menue dinner.

It was crazy, soo much work and such a tight schedule. Today I am off somewhat, shopping and preparing for tomorrows event I will do two sittings for brunch. Then I am off to Kamakura for a 2 day worshop.

More to come as soon as I have a minute to post more!

 

 

Wasteful Stupid Us - Being Frank with God

So ST. FRANCIS is speaking with God.
GOD:
Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS:
It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:
Grass? But, its so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:
The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:
Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD:
They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:
Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:
They bag it? Why?  Is it a cash crop?  Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:
No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:
Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off?

ST. FRANCIS :
Yes, Sir.

GOD:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:
You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:
What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:
You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:
No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:
After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:
And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:
They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:
Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore.
St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:
"Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a story about...

GOD:
Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

Lemongrass Chia Parfait with Tropical Fruit

* To view in High Rez CLICK HERE

Thailand update

OK OK so these cashews are not raw BUT I just had to try this salad.
Yes we will make it in my Thai Class June 27th and maybe for the dinner
Jun 26th http://www.rawchefdan.com/raw_chef_dan/eventspage.html#RTD

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