Crudessence, Tiramisu and French Lesson #1.

My version of raw Tiramisu from Crudessence.

I discovered CRUDESSENCE, the Montreal based raw food restaurant about two years ago; love at first sight... I have discovered their amazing Tiramisu a couple of months ago... I will be sharing the recipe with you so read on.  Crudessence Academy (yes, there is an academy as well) offers interesting courses and I will be taking some in the near future. Yep, that's wright! I love everything about them.
If you are my client you already know that I wholeheartedly believe beauty does not come from a tube of the latest skin care product. In my opinion food we eat forms the base for a healthy body and healthy skin. I am always eager to broaden my nutritional knowledge for my own good but also so I can be a better support to you...
Now, back to Tiramisu; a lot of people expressed they would like the recipe and I myself wanted it badly. This is what happened...
Crudessence has a 'cookbook' and the Tiramisu recipe is in it. Naturally I got the book. Here is the trick, the book is in French and I do not know how to speak the 'language of love'. So with this book I am not only learning how to make Tiramisu but also I am getting a French lesson.
I have learned English by listening to the lyrics of songs. It looks like I will be learning French from a 'cookbook'. I am totally up for it... Thus French lesson #1...
A little note about the book; it is beautiful with lots of delicious recipes and wonderful photography.
It is a fresh and vibrant invitation to raw food exploration:)) Just as a book about live food ought to be. If you can, get it!

 

 

The famous Tiramisu by Crudessence.

OK, lets get to work...

 

You will need:

Almonds, cashews, espresso coffee, dates, agave nectar, cocoa powder, coconut oil, soy lecithin, vanilla extract(without alcohol), agar, sea salt, water.

The recipe is given in stages and in each stage the amount of ingredients is specified.

I have used my food processor for all the mixing. It worked great.

Tiramisu by Crudessence - the recipe.

Night before

Soak ½ cup of almonds for 8 hours.

In another container, infuse 1tsp ground espresso in ¼ cup of water for 8 hours.

The day of

Soak ½ cup of cashews in a fridge for 4 hours.

Rinse the cashews and almonds very well and pour out the water from the soak.

Filter the coffee / keep the infusion and discard the grinds.

Make almond milk with the soaked almonds and 2 cups of water.

How to make almond milk for this recipe?

Place the 1/2 cup of soaked and drained almonds and 2 cups of purified water in a blender. Blend for couple of minutes. Strain through nut milk bag or cheesecloth.

The cake

In a bowl mix: 1 ¼ cup of ground almonds, 1/3 cup of date paste, 1tsp of vanilla extract (without alcohol),  1/8tsp of sea salt, 2Tbsp of coconut oil and 2Tbsp of almond milk. Mix well. Distribute the mixture at the bottom of a cake pan (8 inch in diameter).  Put in the freezer while you are preparing the Mocha layer.

How to make a date paste?

2 ½ cups of dates and 1½ cups of water.  Make sure dates are covered with water and soak for 2 hours. Put the dates and water in a food processor and blend.

*This is way too much for our recipe, you will need only a bit. However it will keep good in the fridge for a long time so you may use the rest in other recipes.

Mocha layer

Mix the following ingredients with a mixer: 1 1/2Tbsp of date paste, 2Tbsp of agave nectar, 1½ Tbsp of cacao powder, 2¼ tsp vanilla extract (without alcohol), 1/8tsp sea salt, 2Tbsp of coconut oil, 1 ½ tsp of soya lecithin.

Next add coffee and ½ cup of almond milk to these ingredients and mix well.

In a pan mix 2Tbsp of water with ¾tsp Agar. Bring to simmer stirring frequently. In the meantime take the cake out of the fridge. Once agar/water is brought to simmer remove from the stove and wait 2 min. After 2 min. blend the agar/water mixture with the mocha layer (turn few times). Immediately pour the mocha layer onto the cake and place it back in the freezer.

Top layer

Rinse the cashews and pour out the water.

With a mixer blend the following: ½ cup of cashews, 1/3 cup of coconut oil, ½ cup of water, 2Tbsp agave nectar, ½tsp vanilla extract (without alcohol), 1/8tsp of sea salt, 2 ¼tsp soy lecithin add 1 cup of almond milk and mix until creamy.

Take the cake out of the freezer and make sure that the mocha layer has solidified before putting the icing on top. 

Place back in the freezer for 2 more hours.

Dust with cacao powder before serving.

Voila, enjoy:))


Dessert does not have to be a guilt ridden pleasure. This one is delicious and full of precious nutrients. Do not eat the whole thing in one sitting though. I know, it is going to be very tempting... .


Tiramisu will keep in a fridge for 10 days and for 4 months in your freezer in a sealed container.

The recipe is easy to make but requires good organizing like it is with many raw food dishes. Definitely worth your time...

Thank you CRUDESSENCE! I can not wait to try more of your awesome recipes. My family and I will keep on translating your beautiful book but I do hope one day you will come out with an English version:)) Merci Beaucoup,

Magdalena

 

Crudessence - my favorite raw food restaurant in Montreal.

I love Montreal because it is beautiful and fun but also because I always get to eat amazing food whenever I visit. Next time you are there make sure to stop by Crudessence, my favorite place for a raw, healthy and delicious meal. Even if you are not a raw foodie it is going to be a nice experience for your taste buds.
The place is slick, food is delicious, service very nice and their location is easy to access. Crudessence is located right downtown at 2157 Mackay and Sherbrooke. I never have any problems finding a close-by parking spot. They also have another location, their original tiny space at 105 rue Rachel West but the downtown one is definitely my first pick.

 

 

'Hippocrate' juice alkalizing, very green and very delicious.

My personal favorite 'Crape Florentine'. The crape is made with Brasilia nuts, chia seeds and linseeds. How do they do it? Very filling and tasty.

 Chocolate cake, lime pie and pistachio ice cream, yummm!

Crudessence is very busy on the weekends, especially at lunch and dinner time. Make sure to call for a reservation. 514 6645188
Let me know how you like it:))

Raw facial - a feast for your skin.

If you haven't yet come to see me for the Raw Vegan Face Treatment at Woman Divine  now is the time. This treatment feels the nicest in the hot summer months. Fresh produce is abundant and I get to pick the best organic fruit and veggies for your skin.
I love creating these from scratch, fresh, live and fully custom tailored treatments, for few reasons.
#1 Live
 I work with a commercial organic skin care line all year round. But every time I do one of the raw treatments, I experience a noticeable difference in the energetic quality of the material I am working with.
The fresh fruit, raw honey, almond meal, matcha powder or freshly pressed wheat grass, vibrate with life and are very dynamic in their nature. Simply said, they are alive. It is a wonderful thing to experience as a therapist but it is also amazing to see simple fresh food interact with your skin and produce a desired outcome.
#2  Fun
It is like cooking and I love cooking. I get to be creative when I am formulating a fresh mask. Compare that to squeezing a tube of ready stuff.  It is fun for you too because you get to experience a  new approach to skin care and you walk out inspired to use food as beauty remedies at home.

#3 Simple 
If you already know me, you are well aware that I like my beauty care simple. I like it uncomplicated, easy and unpretentious. I share my bohemian approach to beauty and skin care with others because I know that once you embrace it, life in a female body becomes freer, easier and simpler;  in a good way.

#4 Pure 

You can not go any purer than this. You can eat it; all of it.  And it tastes great:))
I buy the produce locally as much as I can. Of course, it is not always possible to find all the ingredients locally, but I do my best.
Everything I use is organic and most of it is prepared on the spot. Some of the herbal preparations must be done ahead of time so I get them ready in the morning. 

#5 Harmony
At my core, this beautiful, nature-driven, planet-respecting body and skin supporting way of beauty care makes complete sense... It surely works in Harmony with Nature.

Simply Raw Express

Simply Raw Express has just opened its door at 989 Wellington street in Ottawa's up-and-coming neighbourhood of Hintonburg.

Congratulations to the owners Natasha Kyssa and Mark Faul who for many years, have been promoting the raw vegan way of life. Special acknowledgement to Natasha for her perseverance. She has been on the raw food path for twenty some years. I am certain it was not always easy going against the current. 

Natasha has been offering her services assisting people through her detox program, teaching about the raw vegan diet and she is also an author of the Simply Raw Detox Manual - a book definitely worth having.

A few years back, I personally had the pleasure to experience Natasha's 28-day detox program. I loved it! I believe it to be the best way to detox. Results are awesome and the process itself becomes a great reminder of what pure food tastes like. Finally you get to experience food as medicine!  Next time you feel like you need to clean out your body and want to see a healthy glow to your skin, sign up for Natasha's cleanse at www.simplyraw.ca

The famous Norwalk juicer; I have been fantasizing about it since the 80's. It is the Rolls-Royce of  juicers. Now, I can drink great, fresh juices pressed by this awesome contraption! Finally my fantasy has been fulfilled.

At Simply Raw Express you will find a selection of super-foods, very tasty raw vegan sushi, salads, smoothies and soups for those who like it hot. Treat yourself to Natasha's raw cheesecake; it is a must!
 

Simply Raw (Norwalk juicer expressed) fresh organic juices. I have tasted energizing carrot/apple and green alkalizing blend. Both delicious!

Good luck Simply Raw Express! I wish you great success:)))

Mimi Kirk an inspiration for vibrant agless beauty.

If you ever thought that 'sexy' is a thing of youth you surely have not heard of Mimi Kirk.
Lately, this hot and I mean hot, 73 year old woman has been a guest on many TV shows. She is an amazing inspiration for all who want to feel and look great at any age. Check out her website www.youngonrawfood.com and get her book 'Live Raw'.