Pure Food & Wine (raw vegan)

[sarmasarma123]

the sour cherries are actually from my mom's farm in NH

Very cool -- which farm? Sarma, did you grow up on a farm? (feel free to ignore if I'm getting too personal I'm just wondering if this is something that shaped your love of food.)

My Mom and step-father run a place called Alyson's Apple Orchard (alysonsorchard.com) in Walpole, NH. It's really pretty there... they host a lot of chefs from Boston and some from NY, and a couple years they hosted the Chef's Collaborative 2000 group (I think that's what it's called) - a really fun event. I don't get there nearly often enough, but my Mom likes to send us down cherries, peaches, apples, whatever they have when it's in season. I grew up in a suburb of Boston, and we had a little garden patch in our back yard! That's about as close to a farm as I got back then. My Mom was a chef - worked at a small place called Le Bocage when I was really young. She and my step-father moved to NH full time when I was in college. I always loved food and cooking passionately, but only pursued it full-time after six fun-filled years of working in investment banking, private equity and at a hedge fund. Quitting the fund to attend FCI was fun... they were like "What?! You're resigning and going to cooking school??!" I have to say it was nice to walk away from a world where it was all about money and suits. When I left the private equity firm to go to the fund, one VERY perceptive guy asked me why I was going to the fund and why not something in food, since my first concern when discussing an upcoming business trip was where we were going to make dinner reservations, and I always talked about food and restaurants. I almost cried then... because I knew he was right, but I had just bought an apartment and had a mortgage to worry about. Anyway... sorry to get so long-winded - probably more info than anyone wanted, but that's my story! And I was always a serious Matthew Kenney fan - but only after a series of random twists and turns did we end up together. :)

[sarmasarma123]

We have here a very interesting chef who "cooks" at Raw Food & Wine, who is part of the raw food movement, and who has been kindly disposed towards sharing some insight into this movement with us. Let us avail themselves of this resource rather than bickering about the definition of "soufflé" and "tartare."

The bickering is pretty entertaining. And the controversy over this type of restaurant is only natural - in some ways that's part of what makes running this restaurant with Matthew so fun - most people coming in for the first time have no idea what to expect.

Anyway... I appreciate being part of this forum!

[SobaAddict70]

Could you tell us a little bit about your eventual plans for autumnal and winter menus?

Thanks,

Soba

[sarmasarma123]

Could you tell us a little bit about your eventual plans for autumnal and winter menus?

Thanks,

Soba

Yes! Of course, our ingredients will change depending on what is available - that's what I love about printing menus every day - we can adjust it depending on what we get in house. During the fall and winter of last year, Matthew and I were researching and working on menus, so our intial drafts have some more wintery dishes, which we'll be working on to develop further when the time comes.

Butternut squash, for example, is great when julienned and tossed with a little olive oil, maple or agave nectar, cumin, lemon, sea salt - and then put in the dehydrator... it's like VERY sloooooooow roasting. Last year we made "sun-charged" sweet potatoes.. tossing them in same ingredients and literally putting out in a bowl in the sun all day with a mesh screen over it (we were in Maine, though!). I want to use a lot of citrus too... made a citrus cous cous with different herbs and spices and dried fruits. The cous cous is made much like we make our sushi rice (jicama and other ingredients), except chopped up finer and without the sushi rice seasonings.

We can also serve things warmed... right now our white corn tamales served warm. And while our soups are all chilled now for summer, we can serve whatever soups we are doing then warmed as well.

Some dishes on the menu will probably always stay... the most popular being the Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps with Tamarind Chile Sauce... and the Lasagna as well, except we won't be able to use Green Zebra or other heirlooms then.

Wild rice is an ingredient I'm excited to use... real wild rice is, I believe, actually a seed. I'll look into it further, but I know there are types of wild 'rice' that I have had at a raw dinner once... when soaked long enough, it gets plump and tender, like rice. Would be nice with dried cranberries and pecans as part of some dish. I am just thinking out loud now. I'd love to experiment with chestnuts too. Matthew just mentioned chestnuts... spinach gnocchi with chestnut cream?

And I can't wait for pomegranate seeds, which I love.

The question every one asked us last year is if we missed hot food in the winter, and I can honestly say... no! We had feared ourselves that eating only this way would be challenging in the winter, but last winter I didn't even think about it unless someone specifically asked me. Of course, I wasn't skiing in Austria or snow shoe-ing in Canada, but then again, it got pretty cold here in the city! But honestly, I really didn't miss hot foods. I'm writing this from the kitchen again... keep stopping and starting to do other things and the music just got too loud and a bunch of tables just sat at once... so I have to go! Anyway... hope I answered your questions!

Sarma :)

[Jinmyo]

Wild rice is an ingredient I'm excited to use... real wild rice is, I believe, actually a seed. I'll look into it further, but I know there are types of wild 'rice' that I have had at a raw dinner once... when soaked long enough, it gets plump and tender, like rice. Would be nice with dried cranberries and pecans as part of some dish. I am just thinking out loud now.

Sarma, with all due respect, that seems to me to be positively barking mad.

[sarmasarma123]

Wild rice is an ingredient I'm excited to use... real wild rice is, I believe, actually a seed.  I'll look into it further, but I know there are types of wild 'rice' that I have had at a raw dinner once... when soaked long enough, it gets plump and tender, like rice.  Would be nice with dried cranberries and pecans as part of some dish.  I am just thinking out loud now.

Sarma, with all due respect, that seems to me to be positively barking mad.

Do a search on google...

"Wild rice is a coarse aquatic grass with short roots that are easily

pulled up. It lives only one year but bears such quantities of seed that,

in spite of what the Indians gathered and what was eaten by huge

flocks of wild geese, ducks, and blackbirds, it was plentiful. It is a

stately graceful plant with a few long, rather broad, pointed leaves on a

stalk that grows to be from 4 to 12 feet tall and from 1/2 inch to 2

inches in diameter. At the top is a long flower cluster with spreading

lower branches from which dangle many pollen-bearing flowers, and

erect broom-like upper branches with the seed-bearing flowers. The

slender awl-shaped seed, or rice grain, is almost black, about 3/4 inch

long, in a husk with a long bristle at the tip. These grains fall very

quickly after they ripen in midsummer and early autumn, especially on

a windy day."

Am I crazy? I don't think so...

[Jinmyo]

Sarma, I know what it is. I use it extensively on its own and mixed with Korean short grain sweet brown and other rices.

I mean soaking it for a couple of days instead of simply boiling it.

Tell you what. I'll soak a bowl full and after it's swollen hae a few dozen people taste it in comparison to cooked wild rice. Both will be plain and I'll use salted water in both cases.

I'll get back to you.

[alacarte]

I always loved food and cooking passionately, but only pursued it full-time after six fun-filled years of working in investment banking, private equity and at a hedge fund. Quitting the fund to attend FCI was fun... they were like "What?! You're resigning and going to cooking school??!" I have to say it was nice to walk away from a world where it was all about money and suits.

you go, girl!

I think more than a few people on this board will relate to your story....

[sarmasarma123]

Sarma, I know what it is. I use it extensively on its own and mixed with Korean short grain sweet brown and other rices.

I mean soaking it for a couple of days instead of simply boiling it.

Tell you what. I'll soak a bowl full and after it's swollen hae a few dozen people taste it in comparison to cooked wild rice. Both will be plain and I'll use salted water in both cases.

I'll get back to you.

We soak and sprout nuts, seeds and some grains so that their enzymes, vitamins and minerals remain intact, so it's for reasons beyond taste, although I've eaten sprouted wild rice and I think it's quite comparable in taste to boiled rice, although it's of course room temperature rather than hot, which is fine with me.

Anyway... I eagerly await sarcastic replies!

[alacarte]

Some dishes on the menu will probably always stay... the most popular being the Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps with Tamarind Chile Sauce... and the Lasagna as well, except we won't be able to use Green Zebra or other heirlooms then.

Good to know that some of your creations already have been well-received.

Which dishes have outright bombed so far? Is there anything that even adventurous diners won't try at PF&W?

And how long do you keep a dish on the menu before you decide to cut your losses and rotate on something new? Obviously your menu changes frequently as different seasonal produce comes in/out, but I'm also wondering about the ones that "flop" for no apparent reason.

[Jinmyo]

Sarma, I know what it is. I use it extensively on its own and mixed with Korean short grain sweet brown and other rices.

I mean soaking it for a couple of days instead of simply boiling it.

Tell you what. I'll soak a bowl full and after it's swollen hae a few dozen people taste it in comparison to cooked wild rice. Both will be plain and I'll use salted water in both cases.

I'll get back to you.

We soak and sprout nuts, seeds and some grains so that their enzymes, vitamins and minerals remain intact, so it's for reasons beyond taste, although I've eaten sprouted wild rice and I think it's quite comparable in taste to boiled rice, although it's of course room temperature rather than hot, which is fine with me.

Anyway... I eagerly await sarcastic replies!

Sarma, I'll serve both at room temperature then.

My intent is not sarcasm.

I'm simply bewildered and curious.

[tryska]

wild rice gives me agita. i'm wondering if perhaps sprouting wouldn't be a good idea. it should technically ameliorate the lectin problem which of course is what gives me the agita in the first place.

Edited July 13, 2004 by tryska (log)

[Jinmyo]

That's interesting, trsyka.

I had been thinking of letting some of it get to the point of sprouting.

So far, what I have just looks like wild rice in water.

(Filtered water, by the way. Perhaps I should put a pyramid over it with a crystal dangling in the centre.)

[sarmasarma123]

yes, and play some ambient music and dim the lights...

[JennyUptown]

I'm simply bewildered and curious.

I'm with Jinmyo. No disrespect as I applaud innovation, but this is all akin to science fiction to me.

Fortunately, I'm not your target demo. I'm a meat eater (big time) and don't even like mainstream cold/room temp stuff like salads. No joke.

[tryska]

That's interesting, trsyka.

I had been thinking of letting some of it get to the point of sprouting.

So far, what I have just looks like wild rice in water.

(Filtered water, by the way. Perhaps I should put a pyramid over it with a crystal dangling in the centre.)

actually wait a minute.

considering wild rice is a grass, and not a grain, isn't it technically already sprouted? (i wasn't thinking logically this morning - or as logically as i need to).

i remember watching some tv show about how wild rice is collected - but i can't remember if there were actually grains of grass (like rice is a grain of grass) or if it was the inside of shoots or soemthing.

either way i think you'd have to start from seed for it to sprout.

am i still coherent?

either way it gives me agita. i'll not be eating wild rice for a long time.

so jinmyo - how long have you had it in the water? maybe you should put some plant food in their too. hee. altho i don't know if you'll wind up poisoning your guests with that.

[Jinmyo]

so jinmyo - how long have you had it in the water? maybe you should put some plant food in their too. hee. altho i don't know if you'll wind up poisoning your guests with that.

I began the experiment on the evening of the 12th.

So far:

Water became manky with cloudy stuff so I've changed it this morning.

About a quarter of the grains have exploded. About a quarter are still hard as, well, uncooked grain. The rest is in various stages of decomposition.

[sarmasarma123]

I would soak the rice for at least 8 hours, and then rinse it well and put it in a mesh collander over a bowl and let it sprout for a couple days, thoroughly rinsing it at least two or three times each day. The grains should split and become uniformly soft. Leaving it in the same murky water for days sounds kind of gnarly... :)

I just read a really nice (and funny) review from the "carnivores" at the following site:

http://www.killthebird.com/mt/blog/archives/000930.html

"A site for those whose interests include but are not limited to public drunkeness, lewd behavior, debauchery, donkey humping, and the occasional glimpse into life in New York City."

[Jinmyo]

It's very gnarly indeed.

[Jinmyo]

Sarma, I must have misunderstood.

You mean that you sprout the wild rice so that it basically becomes a salad, right?

[alacarte]

I would soak the rice for at least 8 hours, and then rinse it well and put it in a mesh collander over a bowl and let it sprout for a couple days, thoroughly rinsing it at least two or three times each day. The grains should split and become uniformly soft. Leaving it in the same murky water for days sounds kind of gnarly... :)

I just read a really nice (and funny) review from the "carnivores" at the following site:

http://www.killthebird.com/mt/blog/archives/000930.html

"A site for those whose interests include but are not limited to public drunkeness, lewd behavior, debauchery, donkey humping, and the occasional glimpse into life in New York City."

Gotta love that they found the 6:1 female-to-male diner at PF&W a big selling point.

[jeunefilleparis]

I had the wonderful privaledge of standing behind Sarma in the kitchen last night while they fired orders. its so interesting to watch at kitchen that doesnt "cook" I ve never seen such a happy kitchen in my life. Sarma has great taste in music and one of the bus boys, a new transplant from the south was jammin while he worked.

i finally removed myself from the kitchen and sat in the garden which at 10 30 was still pretty busy. it was a beautiful night.

my friend who had not been there before met me so I made her try the zebra lasagne, which i was just nibbling on since we had left overs. we started with the lettuce wraps which i swear are the greatest things in the world. i can never recall what is in them exactly but they are refreshing, fresh and crunchy with lots of fun textures and the semi spicy peanut? dip is delicious

we also had the tomato TARTARE,,,, which was awesome again.

there was something new on the menu, the name is escaping me,,,, um, Sarma help me, all i know is that it was cooked in side corn husks and had a killer mole sauce that was spicy as hell for me.

I wanted the peach and ginger parfait but Martha Stewarts daughter who was there got the last one,, fear not, the pinot noir icecream with sweet cherrys and almonds was to die for,.,,,, as well as the lemon mousse with ginger bread crust, i liked the texture of the mousse and it was sweet but not too sweet, just right

Sarma and Matthew, thank you so much for your hospitality, you are both so kind,I ll be back next week:) I cant wait til you open for lunch too

lauren

i should clarify that this was actually last friday night,,, i m a bit slow due to work,,,

[oakapple]

The New York Daily News reviews PF&W today:

Based on appearances, it's tempting to buy into what chefs Matthew Kenney (Matthew's and Commune) and Sarma Melngailis - life partners who practice what they preach - are selling.

The dining room is snazzy, dressed up with red and brown walls, along with pictures of ducks - a wink, perhaps, to the meat-free environs.

(It's fish-, dairy- and sugar-free, too.) The backyard garden is even more heavenly. It's the warm-weather place to sup and sip organic wines.

But looks aren't everything. And the pricey food served by the charming, knowing staff rarely equals the delectable digs.

[jeunefilleparis]

The New York Daily News reviews PF&W today:

Based on appearances, it's tempting to buy into what chefs Matthew Kenney (Matthew's and Commune) and Sarma Melngailis - life partners who practice what they preach - are selling.

The dining room is snazzy, dressed up with red and brown walls, along with pictures of ducks - a wink, perhaps, to the meat-free environs.

(It's fish-, dairy- and sugar-free, too.) The backyard garden is even more heavenly. It's the warm-weather place to sup and sip organic wines.

But looks aren't everything. And the pricey food served by the charming, knowing staff rarely equals the delectable digs.

How can they call their food pricey, thats so ridiculous. I found their prices to be completely reasonable.

[Dryden]

It could be that the found the prices somewhat high for what they were eating, though I agree with your commentary. I've always felt the same way about Honmura An - people say it's expensive, but I've never had a meal there come close to $100... How can it? It's only noodles. But for noodles, somewhat expensive.

PFW is somewhat expensive for just being vegetables. Compared to the average meat-serving restaurant, it's a deal.