My Culinary Point-of-View

For those of you who watch "The Next Food Network Star" you know that Susie Fogelson, Bob Tuschman, and Bobby Flay hammer the finalists on their "culinary point-of-view." As Bobby bluntly challenged one finalist, "What are you going to teach me?" "Me" being the viewer at home. Why should she watch my show?

When I did my Oprah Winfrey Network audition, my goal was to show that gluten-free vegan and raw vegan food could be tasty. If OWN had chosen me as a finalist, or if I had auditioned for Food Network's YouTube Star Challenge, my point-of-view would not have been clear. Which means I wasn't ready.

My culinary point-of-view is this:  I am The Vegan Mocha Angel. I take African-American Soul Food and turn it into raw vegan or gluten-free vegan delights. It's Soul Food with a Twist!

My food raises vibrations and heals the body. I weave in stories of my family's food memories, and I include my Mocha Angel messages into the mix.

Ya'll, I was in tears last night thinking about the food my family cooked. Was it good for me physically? No. Hence why I cook differently now! But did I feel loved and protected? Yes. And that is what made me cry.

I honor my ancestors who created an internationally known cuisine out of nothing. They started with scraps, literally. But it's the 21st century. Most people know about the health issues of African-Americans. It's time to ditch the meat, cheese, and salt. I lighten the food but keep the spirit of the food.

For instance, greens.

My mom, grandmothers, and aunts cooked their greens - collard, mustard, turnip - in a huge pot. They added lots of salt and either fatback or turkey to give the greens flavor. Those greens cooked for HOURS. The whole house would smell like greens.

The problem is all the nutrients wound up in the water, aka the "pot licker."

Raw greens are awesome. My favorite is kale salad. You get all the nutrients, and most importantly, it tastes great!

Kale Salad -- Adapted from The Joy of Living Live by Zakhah

The winner of winners. Your salad will disappear at every potluck.

1 bunch of kale greens

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons liquid aminos or 4 tablespoons soy sauce (not raw)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

Use a tupperware bowl that has a top. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on the bottom of your bowl first. Wash the greens, then add the to the bowl. Add the garlic cloves, aminos or soy sauce, lemon juice squeezed straight from the lemon (watch those seeds), and olive oil. Put the top on your tupperware bowl. Shake like crazy. The success of this dish comes in all of the kale being coated evenly. Sometimes the yeast gets gloopy. So shake, do not stir or mix. Shake. Adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Raw Collard Greens

And here's another oldie but goodie from The Raw Mocha Angel archives. I demonstrate how to roll, chop, and make this sweet and savory collard greens delight.

http://therawmochaangel.blogspot.com/2009/04/live-collard-greens.html

I am so excited about this. I've been eating a LOT of greens since my CTL +ALT + DLT post. And in September or October, I'm going start a YouTube Channel. That Oprah Winfrey Network audition lit a fire under me. I still want my own network television show, and I know I'm going to have it. I can't wait to start! 

Thanks for reading!

And thanks for voting for The Raw Mocha Angel in the Black Weblog Awards!

https://3eighteenmedia.wufoo.com/forms/2010-black-weblog-awards-finalist-form/

Love,

Althea

(positive comments always welcomed!) 

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My Culinary Point-of-View