We’ve Got a New Blog URL

Hi Everybody – Just a quick post to let you know that our RawFoodChefBlog has a new url – it is now hosted on our website at RawFoodChef.com/blog

We’ve set up a site redirect on this blog so you can still keep up with all the happenings at Living Light, and you can subscribe to our posts via email there, too! Look forward to seeing you over on RawFoodChef.com/blog!

It’s Pumpkin Season at Living Light! by kristin

We enjoyed a foggy morning here on the beautiful Mendocino coast of northern California. Dan and Cherie have returned from a five-week jaunt which took them to the northeastern United States, then off to Europe – swinging London, the canals of Amsterdam, a whirlwind tour of Berlin, a memorable Ann Wigmore memorial in chilly Lithuania, followed by a VERY long flight to hot and steamy Malaysia and finally back to home sweet home.

As usual, there is a lot going on here at Living Light! We currently have a full class of students for our Associate Chef and Instructor training, and they are eagerly preparing for their first raw vegan culinary demos next week, under the expert tutelage of Cherie, Martine Lussier, Jennifer Cornbleet, and our Living Light staff instructors. We have some interesting local events here too, including the 2nd Annual Soup and Chili Cook-Off to benefit the Fort Bragg Food Bank (we won with our vegan, organic, gluten free Creamy Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder last year – beating out even a Lobster Bisque!

La Dia de los Muertos at Living Light Café and Marketplace

October 28 to November 1

For the fifth year, Living Light will participate in the Mendocino Coast Day of the Dead Celebration. The Day of the Dead, or La Dia de los Muertos, originated in Mexico. It celebrates our ancestors, friends, and family who have passed on. We will create a company altar, with mementos and photographs, which will be up from October 28 – November 1.

We’re delighted to offer “A Fiesta of Chocolate”on November First: Mexican Spiced Chocolate Milk, Ancho Chili Chocolate Truffles, and Coconut Dream Bars $5.00 (includes a $5.00 coupon good toward a purchase at Living Light Marketplace). Chocolate Trio available all day while supplies last.

Raw Food and Flavor Balancing by kristin

One thing we love to teach at Living Light Culinary Institute is flavor balancing. We start teaching it almost immediately – in our first hands-on class, Essentials of Raw Culinary Arts.™

Raw Food Recipes: Balance Five Tastes

Flavor balancing is so important – no matter what kind of raw food recipe you create, from something with only a few ingredients, like a simple Strawberry Salad with delicate butter lettuce and herbs, to a much more complicated gourmet raw vegan dish, flavor balancing makes the tastes come alive!

To create a truly wonderful raw food recipe, learning how to balance the five tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent will help you  transform your dish into harmonious perfection. And there’s an extra element that some people haven’t even heard of – a term to describe the savory taste, borrowed from the Japanese language, called “umami.” There’s so much to learn about this simple concept of flavor balancing – it’s just one of the segments our students get excited about.  They love learning the simple tricks that make a huge difference! We’re proud of our raw culinary curriculum, because each step builds to the next in a logical and practical order that makes sense! We’ve been developing our teaching systems for a long time, and we know our methods make a big difference in how students learn.

Raw Food Recipes: A Visual Treat

When creating a raw food recipe, one of the main components is visual: how does the food look on the plate? How is it arranged and what is the color scheme you are using? It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it does need to appeal to the eye first. So many elements are important when creating raw vegan recipes. Food also appeals to our emotions, and so at Living Light we teach our students how to satisfy every aspect of nourishment – the body, mind, and spirit – all of our raw vegan food is “soul food”! Our Food Styling class at Living Light is another great way to truly understand the visual aspect of creating raw food recipes and why “eating with our eyes” is so important. No wonder they say that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Raw Food Recipes: Color and Texture Balance

Besides flavor balancing, color and mouthfeel are vital. You always want to balance colors and textures in your raw food dishes – both in an individual raw food recipe (when possible) and definitely in a complete meal – never serve several dishes with the same texture and color scheme at a meal. It’s also important to consider the region where you live, the seasonal availability of produce, and a variety of other factors.

We’d love to teach you how to make raw vegan food that’s beautiful, delicious, and bursting with nutrients. If you’d like to know more about our classes and certification programs, our enrollment advisors have all the “ingredients” you need to get started. They can help you design a program that’s perfectly balanced just for you! Call 707-964-2420 or visit RawFoodChef.com for more information.

Raw Food Authors in Philadelphia

We’re excited that during their Raw Rocks Tour, Living Light Directors Cherie Soria and Dan Ladermann (authors of Raw Food For Dummies) will do a special presentation, Raw Food For Smart, Busy People at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church from 5:00-10:00 PM July 8 in Philadelphia, PA. Tickets for non-members are $20. Register at http://rawfoodchef.com/tour/#

“We’re looking forward to connecting with an audience that will include many African Americans. We know that the African American community has faced multiple health challenges in recent years, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. We know that a diet high in raw plant foods is a way to reverse the course of many of these health issues, and we would like to show people how to prepare simple, delicious meals that help to heal the body and truly satisfy the soul.”

~ Cherie Soria

Gearing up for Gourmet by kristin

We’re getting ready to begin our Gourmet Raw Food Chef™ certification series on June 22, which includes our five-day advanced training available just three times a year. The advanced courses include Ethnic Flavors in Recipe Development, Raw Fusion Gourmet Spa Cuisine, and Raw Event Catering and Elegant Entertaining, and now we’ve added a day six: Food Styling—wowza! 

“Ethnic Flavors” is so much fun…just think of getting a personal culinary tour of the world—from India to Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and other exotic places. Your teachers at Living Light will make each region come alive, and you’ll explore the tastes and textures of each locale as you prepare its cultural cuisine.

“Raw Fusion” is designed to support an active lifestyle—you begin with simple, light and luscious fresh ingredients and learn how to combine textures and flavors to produce a wide array of exotic dishes and gourmet feasts! You’ll also learn how to develop your own recipes and make delicious dishes without using a recipe.

In “Catering” you’ll learn how to cater events from intimate gatherings to elegant weddings and beyond. Wouldn’t you love to learn how to organize, budget, negotiate a contract, plan menus and manage a catering team? And the crowning achievement of this course is catering an organic gourmet raw vegan lunch for the public!

In Food Styling, you’ll learn how to plate and style recipes using color, texture and contrast, and make them “camera ready” for your website, blog, flyers and other publicity purposes. When you complete our gourmet raw food chef training, you’ll feel like the professional you are! Call our enrollment department for a personal consultation today! 707-964-2420

“I enjoy the professional way of teaching and all of the helpful staff at Living Light. I especially enjoy the creative challenge and freedom to explore recipe development in Ethnic Flavors and Raw Fusion and having all my dear classmates around me. A big hug to Living Light.” 

-Christine

“The level of organization and orderliness here is something I will carry with me the rest of my life – as valuable as the techniques we’ve learned. Truly outstanding!” 

-Ariel

Passionate About Pastry by kristin

Our raw dessert guru/diva has just arrived back in Fort Bragg, which always creates a lot of excitement with both students and staff.

Vinnette Thompson is an amazing teacher and a remarkable person who brings a smile to everyone’s face – and not just because she makes terrific desserts. She also makes creating the desserts a memorable experience. Students learn how to work with a variety of ingredients – Pastry Arts classes are a combination of theory, culinary demos, and practical hands-on training, from a master in the art. Learn how to use binders, thickeners, emulsifiers and gelling agents; how to choose the right sweeteners and fats for a variety of classic pastry recipes and discover the secrets of making exquisite raw desserts that taste even better than famous cooked desserts!

It’s definitely a thrilling class for people, because they’ve learned a lot of fundamental skills in our other classes, and they can now translate those skills into unbelievable confections. The Pastry Arts – Unbaked! course is definitely its own reward…mmmmm.

The good news is that Vinnette is going to be here for an entire month. She’ll be teaching during all of our advanced courses, including Ethnic Flavors in Recipe Development, Raw Fusion Gourmet Spa Cuisine, and Raw Event Catering and Elegant Entertaining. Her bright spirit is a wonderful tonic for everyone who meets her! Yay, Vinette – we’re glad you’re back! And if you are interested in a Pastry Arts Certification, you can start with FUNdamentals of Raw Living Foods May 16 and stay through Pastry Arts – Unbaked! June 16- 19 – what fun! Call Mary Elizabeth or Amanda in enrollment for all the details: 707-964-2420

A classically trained chef, Vinnette earned her culinary arts degree from the Culinary Institute of America and is also a graduate of the Living Light Culinary Institute, where she now teaches a variety of classes. Vinnette has two culinary passions, vegetarian cuisine and culinary education. A chef for over 25 years, she caters privately and teaches culinary arts for the Palm Beach school district in Florida.

Green Juice for You by kristin

With the Dina’s Science of Raw Food Nutrition™ certification series beginning May 25, I thought it might be a good time to share some special green juices from Karin Dina, D.C. Don’t forget, any class at Living Light is discounted by 15% until May 15!

Light and Dark Green Juice By Dr. Karin Dina, D.C.

I’m constantly coming up with ideas about how to enjoy more green juice. I love developing new green juice recipes and am continually amazed at the nutrient content of even the simplest of green juices.

 Here is a green juice recipe for people who enjoy a lighter flavored green juice:

5 stalks of celery (12″ long), 1 medium lemon, peeled, 1 medium cucumber, 8″ long

Makes about 2 cups of juice. The ingredients for this juice contain 198 mg of calcium, 2 mg of iron, 1 mg of zinc, and 81 mg of magnesium.

For people who enjoy the flavor of dandelion greens (a great Spring tonic),  a dark green juice recipe:

• 5 stalks of celery (12″ long)
• 1 lemon, peeled
• 1 medium cucumber, 8″ long
• 3 cups frisée greens (curly endive)
• 5 cups dandelion greens

Makes about 3 cups of juice. The ingredients in this juice contain 790 mg of calcium, almost 12 mg of iron, 3.4 mg of zinc, and almost 203 mg of magnesium. As one can see, the dandelion greens and frisée greens contribute quite a bit of calcium and iron to this juice when compared to the light green juice recipe. These numbers are impressive when compared to the adult daily values for these nutrients!

Living Light faculty instructors Dr. Rick Dina, D.C. and Dr. Karin Dina, D.C. have created an exceptional curriculum on the science of raw food nutrition, which includes a comprehensive 5-course series of classes that will answer all your questions about the raw food diet and how it measures up with other popular diets.

Our Advanced Raw Food Nutrition Health Educator™ package is highly recommended for both health educators and raw food chefs alike, and is perfect for anyone who plans to live the lifestyle or teach the benefits of raw and living foods to others. And the best news is that the next complete session begins May 25!

Gain the confidence you need in scientific-based knowledge, and be able to share the information with authority and accuracy!

For more information about the  Science of Raw Food Nutrition series of classes (discounted until May 15) Call our enrollment department at 707-964-2420 or Click here

Sleep Well by mary elizabeth

I know I’ve talked about the tarot cards Terilynn and I are making before.  Each week we draw a card from the deck and recreate it on an artist card – or re-purposed playing card.  We’ve got a lot done and are really liking where this project is taking us and where the cards are going.  We are getting into the whole genre of artists’ cards in general, actually.   In fact, she and her daughter are doing a card a day for thirty days.  Isn’t that cool?  So – Bridget and I are going to do the same next month.   Anyhow – my tarot card for this week is the nine of swords.  This card is all about guilt and remorse.  Yikes.  I’m happy to say that a pretty rigorous daily spiritual program keeps me less abused by these feelings than I used to be.  But – the images this card in invoking for me are a little troubling.  Funny how just the memory of a feeling can powerful.  Our feelings are pretty darn strong forces in our lives, aren’t they?  Goodness.   Anyhow – a lot of the images traditionally associated with this card have to do with lying awake in bed.  Isn’t that fitting – nothing like a sleepless night to bring  on the guilt and remorse with super hero strength.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a sleepless night.  Age plus exercise I guess.  And maybe a pretty clear conscience.  That’s what I’m loving about this project – it’s not just about being a little creative each week – it’s also about exploring an aspect of the human condition for a minute that I may not have thought about in this way.  What will next week’s be?

Here at Living Light, the foundation of all our culinary programs is our Associate Raw Food Chef and Instructor certification.  This super comprehensive training will equip you with all the skill and confidence necessary to begin a whole new life as a raw food chef.  We have a training starting in May that still has a couple spots left.  I’d hate for you to lose any sleep over the regret of letting this chance pass you by.  And – there’s some super special savings involved if you act now.  So – act now!

 

 

Steps to Success by kristin

When we imagine a new life for ourselves – one that is in alignment with our core values as well as our hopes and dreams, it might seem as though the steps to reaching our goals are steep, if not impossible. The future stretches out; we have our daily round of responsibilities and must do lists. How do we take the first steps to making our dreams a reality? This is a question that comes up every day at Living Light. Our enrollment advisors, Mary Elizabeth and Amanda, talk to eager students from around the globe and hear many fascinating stories. The great part is that we help many of those who call our office find a way to take those first steps to success by attending our school. They are inspired to weave their dreams and plans together and make what seemed like far off possibilities a reality – often very quickly.

Our graduate success stories are truly amazing, and its encouraging to see that even those students who have completed only our first level certification, Raw Culinary Arts Associate Chef and Instructor Training™ are already moving forward with new careers! Next associate chef session begins May 25, and we have a special offer when you bring a friend. Check it out here! Sometimes it’s more fun to take the first steps with someone you know.

 

Spring Fever by mary elizabeth

So the spring equinox came and went and I didn’t write a post about it.  I didn’t’ write a post about anything, actually.  I was juice fasting and sometimes that makes me a little, well, slow.  No – that’s not it.  Let’s call it peaceful.  Very peaceful.  Anyhow this blog went unwritten.  The fast went for ten days, though, and was a great physical reset.  I really love fasting – especially when I’m done and I was done with this one at midnight on Wednesday.  My sweet Amanda did it with me and we’re both feeling happy and empowered.  The sense of accomplishment is my favorite part.  Well – that and the visible results.  Anyhow – I’m feeling good and ready to hit the gym and the rest of my life with renewed commitment and enthusiasm.

It feels like spring here at Living Light, too.  Kristin brought in some beautiful daffodils and we’re getting ready for  another Associate Chef and Instructor training.  Living Light has been sending raw food chefs out into the world for fifteen years now and it all starts with this certification.  These intensive three weeks of training will thoroughly prepare you for a career in the world of raw cuisine.  Check out our graduate success stories.  Lots of our most successful grads have completed just this piece of what Living Light offers and obviously – it’s plenty!  We still have a few spots left for our April session so spring into action!  Sign up now.