Diets come and go, but the followers of one diet claim it has existed since the beginning of time. That would be the raw food diet, built around uncooked meals consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, grains and sprouts.
For raw foodists Caroline Carter and Shenita Ray, it's not just a diet -- it's a way of life.
The mother-daughter duo owns Eden's Market, a line of food products (most of them raw) including crackers, granola, dips and smoothies that are wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free. And now, as hosts of a new MPTV show titled "Cooking Raw," the pair aspires to spread the message of raw food and its benefits throughout Milwaukee and, eventually, beyond.
"We are not just talking about it, we're living it," Carter said.
In the program, which debuts July 10, Carter and Ray will reveal how to make seemingly unlikely meals from raw foods. For example, the premiere episode of "Cooking Raw" will teach viewers how to make tacos using walnuts as "meat" and raw sour cream made from cashews. The following episode features an Italian dinner made from zucchini "spaghetti" with marinara sauce and kale salad.
Carter, a certified raw food chef and the self-described "creative force" behind Eden's Market, fell into the raw food movement unexpectedly. After suffering from depression for years, a friend convinced her to attend a lecture about raw food. It would turn out to be a serendipitous moment for the Milwaukee resident -- one that came down to a salad served at the presentation.
"That kale salad was so good!" she recalled. "That day began my raw food journey."
Quickly thereafter, Carter immersed herself in programs to earn raw food certifications. She started with Cousin's Incredible Vitality in Chicago in 2005, followed by the Creative Health Institute in Union City, Mich., and finally, a period of study under raw foodist Alissa Cohen of Kittery, Maine. Carter is now a certified raw chef and instructor.
For food to be considered "raw," it cannot be heated above 118 degrees. Raw food adherents say this preserves the inherent enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are often cooked away with heat. Cooking equipment often includes dehydrators, food processors and blenders.
The benefits of raw food, according to Carter, are plenty, and include weight loss (Carter lost 75 pounds), boosted energy levels and overall improved health (for Carter, going raw alleviated her depression, and she no longer needs medication).
After receiving her six certifications, Carter remained entirely raw for eight months before integrating some cooked food into her diet, which is now about 70% raw.
"That's when I knew what feeling good actually felt like from within," she said.
Carter also started experimenting in the kitchen. The result of her efforts were her flaxseed crackers, which she now produces in flavors including original, garlic and onion, sun-dried tomato and curry. When friends began placing orders and asking for different flavors, Carter realized her crackers -- which are dehydrated at a temperature above 1l8 degrees and therefore not technically raw -- were a potentially lucrative opportunity.
"We found out we had something," Carter said.
However, Carter needed help, and for that she turned to her daughter.
Ray, 33, was initially reluctant, as she teaches full time at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and is also working on her doctorate at the UW Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis.
However, Carter lured her in.
Ray now serves as the business half to Carter's creative sensibilities by managing the company, handling marketing materials and creating the product packaging. She credits her raw food lifestyle for the energy to balance school, work and the business, to push her past her limits. Carter cites another incentive.
"She wanted me to succeed. That ...was really what motivated her and continues to motivate her to do it -- because she wanted me to be successful," Carter said.
Since Ray signed on, the duo hasn't looked back. They began selling their products at the farmers markets at the Milwaukee Public Market in 2008, and then the South Shore Farmers Market. They attracted the attention of stores as well, and soon Beans & Barley would feature Eden's Garden products on its shelves. Other stores would follow.
However, Carter's desire for success is insatiable -- she began thinking bigger. While watching a cooking program on Milwaukee Public Television, Carter was immediately inspired.
"I said 'You know what? We can do this!' So I told my daughter, 'We should try to get our own little cooking show on Channel 10!' "
After a year of preparation, Carter and Ray were filming "Cooking Raw." However, both were nervous about getting in front of the camera.
"I had all of this confidence going in, but when you have to speak to a camera ..." she said, trailing off. "I have a newfound appreciation for actors.... But we weathered through it and we did it."
Now, with the first eight-part series completed, Carter and Ray continue to think big with the next venture for Eden's Market. In particular, viewers should expect to see a raw food cookbook with 50 recipes later this month. The self-published book will be available at the farmers market locations as well as online at www.edensmarket.com/."www.edensmarket.com
"We want to make it easy for people to get introduced to raw," Ray said in a phone interview. "We wanted to make it easy and simple."
Carter and Ray both emphasized that raw food is more than a diet, it's a lifestyle.
"The reason I'm so passionate about it is because I know firsthand what it has done for my life, I know what it has done for my daughter," Carter said. "I know what it has done for so many other people."
More on Eden's Market
You can watch the premiere of "Cooking Raw" at 11 a.m. Saturday on WMVS-TV (Channel 10). Subsequent episodes will air at the same time on Saturdays through August. Episodes will repeat at 6 p.m. Friday nights. "Cooking Raw" also will air at noon on Sundays on WMVT-TV (Channel 36).
Caroline's Mango Tango Smoothie Make 6 to 8 (8-ounce) servings
1 mango, peeled
1 ripe banana, peeled
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 fennel bulb, peeled and chopped
1 cup packed leafy greens of your choice
1 cup ice (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup water
In blender, combine mango, banana, strawberries, fennel, greens and ice, if using. Blend until smooth.
Gradually add water to blender jar and blend until desired consistency is achieved.
Serve and enjoy.
Caroline's Green Smoothie Make 6 to 8 (8-ounce) servings
2 cups collard greens
1 1/4 cups fresh pineapple (chopped into large chunks)
2 bananas, peeled
1 cup water
Remove stems from collard greens.
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.
Serve and enjoy.
First Published by Cailley Hammel
Posted July 13, 2010
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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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