"no-cook" news and stories

A diet that consists solely of raw food can be intimidating and a little jarring if you're not used to it. But despite its associations with body "cleanses" and hippy-dippy living, it's really a welcomed change from the overly-cooked, overly-fussed with food many of us are used to.

This month, Domino Magazine features a days' worth of raw food recipes (minus dinner) that are heavy on taste and light on pretension.

The menu?

Breakfast: Blueprint Pudding atop Manna bread and adorned with fresh berries
Lunch: Nori Lettuce Wraps spiced up with pickled ginger, garlic and minced jalapeno
Snacks: Crudites with Sesame Dip and a luscious Chocolate Mousse

These dishes are simple and satisfying, whether you try them for a day or make them a permanent part of your diet.

While it may seem like a "duh" moment when you hear that there are a lot of veggies that taste great at room temperature, it's a good thing to keep in mind for a picnic. I know that I tend to think of sandwiches and salads, as well as cookies and other treats, all of which can pack up nicely, but not of things that are usually served hot. At home, I usually cook and serve vegetables right away, but as I noshed on a leftover ear of grilled corn on the cob, I realized that it would be perfect picnic fare. With corn, you can grill it or boil it, tuck it into a ziploc bag (once it is cool) and bring it along. Once you hit the picnic table, you can still butter and salt it or, better yet, use some lime juice to really bring out the flavor.

Other cooked veggies that I like at room temperature are artichokes, which require a little more preparation than corn on the cob since you'll need a spoon to remove the choke, but are excellent even when chilled (try lemon juice and salt to avoid bringing heat-sensitive dips outdoors), asparagus (if they still have it at the markets in your area), zucchini/summer squash and any kind of beans. Of course, you can always add in some raw veggies, like tomatoes, cucumbers, celery and carrots, but you'll probably want some hummus or other dressing to make them a little more interesting since they're not as easy to simply spice up as cooked vegetables are.