Are you having a party soon? Do you have your menu planned yet? Might I suggest the book “Raw Food Celebrations Party Menus for Every Occasion" by Nomi Shannon and Sheryl Duruz? And once it has been decided the menu will be one featured from the book, is it too rude of me to invite myself to the party?
After using “Raw Food Celebrations Party Menus for Every Occasion” there should never be a reason why anyone couldn’t effortlessly prepare a raw food meal and dazzle friends. NEVER A REASON. With six different menus to choose from, Italian, Thai, Brunch, Cocktail, Traditional and Light Luncheon buffet, Ms. Shannon and Ms. Duruz lay out the ground work for you.
Easy-to-follow recipes with step-by-step instructions, equipment lists and a “Planning Ahead” section makes it feel like these two ladies are in the kitchen with you. From someone who loves to prepare ahead, that section is my favorite.
It breaks everything down for you, from when to grocery shop, set the table, which components of recipes can be prepared ahead of time and so much more. Make sure you pay attention to the “Serving Suggestions,” sections. They are chock-full of useful tidbits for creating a memorable meal.
Last weekend, I created the Thai Menu as an early anniversary celebration. I didn’t prepare everything on the menu but the items I did make were visually stunning and tasted incredible.
Daily Raw Café Annversary Celebration On the MenuThai TeaThai Coconut SoupThai Cucumber Salad
Phad Thai
Phad Thai, pg. 35
Thai Tea
(adapted from Raw Food Celebrations)
8 cups water
4 cups loosely packed Thai basil leaves (approximately 32 leaves)
Juice of 2 medium-sized limes
¼ teaspoon stevia*
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh peeled ginger
Combine water and basil in a blender. Process until basil is chewed finely. Stain the mixture through a nut milk bag. Return basil water to the blender; add lime juice, stevia and ginger. Blend until well-combined. Serve on ice.
*I used NuNaturals Pure White Stevia Extract
Thai Cucumber Salad
(recipe from Raw Food Celebrations)
6 Kirby cucumbers or other small cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 limes, juiced
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons light agave syrup
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving time. This can be made the night before.
Thai Coconut Soup, p. 36