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Raw Power

click any of the photos below to start the slideshow

Chef Ken Immer preaches the benefits and teaches the strategies of raw food

Photographs by
Peter Frank Edwards
Immer massages the slaw by squeezing and pressing it with his hands in order to break down the kale and make it softer.
Immer slices a rainbow of veggies, including carrots, zucchini, and red bell pepper, into large strips before placing them on the grill.
A red bell pepper contains more vitamins and nutrients than its unripe green form, which can also upset the stomach.
Participants jot down tips—like unwaxed English cucumbers have fewer seeds than others, causing fewer stomach upsets—as Immer starts in on the cucumber-avocado soup.
Immer doesn’t always stay stringent to the raw rules; simmering the quinoa with vegetable broth allows the seed to absorb that flavor.
Allowing the slaw to set for a little while gives the flavors time to mature, though the dish can be enjoyed right away.
After puréeing soaked almonds, he strains the pulp through a nut milk bag to create almond milk, which he then pours into shooters for guests to taste.
He blends cucumber, avocado, umeboshi (plum) paste, dill, lemon juice, and other ingredients.
Soaking the arame seaweed in umeboshi (plum) vinegar and nama shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce) eliminates any “low-tide” taste.
Raw Power
Contrary to what many would believe, slightly cooking the vegetables to soften them does not break the rules of a raw-food diet.
Just like the Brazil nuts and pumpkin seeds, the quinoa gets “woken up” while soaking.
Young coconuts are less fatty and “coconutty” than the mature fruit. Immer layered the mousse with fresh berries and crumbled gRAWnola.
Immer marinates red onion slices in balsamic vinegar and nama shoyu then lays them out on the grill; he reserves the marinade and mixes it into the dish at the end for added taste.
OM Cooking chef Ken Immer leads classes to share his down-to-earth approach to wellness. Today’s students include (from left) Barbara Hankin, Christi Sanford, Steve Vinzani, Ellen Rickenbaker, and Cindy Zimmerman.
After participating in a detox program, Ellen and Brad Rickenbaker (standing) have slowly progressed into an all-raw diet.
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