Radha´s Kitchen - Costa Rica

Beet Carpaccio with Fennel Puree and Lebanese Pistachio Dressing

saraswati — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:05:37 +0000

Ingredients

2 large roasted or boiled beets, refrigerated overnight
A mandoline slicer

For the Lebanese Pistachio Dressing:
About 1 1/2 oz. salted pistachios, skins removed and chopped
1 large scallion, chopped finely
Lime juice
Sea Salt
EXVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

For the Fennel Puree:
2-3 TBSP. unsalted European butter
about 9 chopped fennel bulbs
EXVOO, enough to cover generously the bottom of a large sautee pan
Sea salt

Preparation

Remove the fronds and tops off of the fennel bulbs and save for the fennel broth. Chop the fennel into chunks and place in water until ready to cook. Cook the fennel in butter and exvoo for about 30 minutes until tender, stirring often for even coloring of the fennel. Puree the fennel in a food processor until the consistency of mashed potatoes is reached. Add more salt if needed. Adjust your mandoline slicer to the thinnest setting and slice the beets paper-thin (as demonstrated in class). Set aside while you make the dressing. For the dressing, place the pistachios, scallion, about 1/2 c. of EXVOO, juice of 1/2 lime, and sea salt in a small mixing bowl. With a fork or whisk, whisk to emulsify the dressing so that it becomes a creamy yellow-green color. Taste for salt and lime, adding more if necessary. To assemble the carpaccio: On a serving plate, smear the bottom of the plate with fennel puree. You will probably use about 1/4 c. of the puree per plate. Next, place each beet slice, one at a time, over the puree, creating an overlapping floral design. Finally, spoon about 1-2 TBSP. of the dressing over the carpaccio and serve.

What is a Gourmet?

saraswati — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:06:32 +0000

Shunyamurti has taught that this signifier comes from (and this is a deep secret of our lost historical reality) guru-mayi, the mother guru. The Mother Guru would give the perfect food to Her children.

It was the fact that she was in touch with cosmic consciousness that enabled her to give the absolutely perfect food for every stage of the child’s life. Breast milk was the first perfect food; the second perfect food is what she cooks. Sat Yoga’s Guru-Mayi cuisine is the science of continuing the eternal art of offering perfect food that is absolutely accurate for every stage in one’s life. Gourmet food can only be prepared by a guru-mayi. In ancient India, one of the renowned gurus of cooking was the ecstatic beloved of the divine avatar Krishna. Her name was Radha.

One of ancient outposts of the gods of Sat Yuga was in what is now France; a place of meeting of different kingdoms where they would create feasts to celebrate new marriages and new dynasties; the original chefs were great alchemical gurus preparing food for the gods. This tradition became centered in France after fall of Egypt. That is why there is a legend that Jesus did not die on the cross. Instead, he went with his family to France, because that’s where the food of the gods prepared by the virgin mother guru was waiting for him.

Gourou is old French for guru and from that comes the current term gourmet. Those enjoying the labors of the Gouru-ma, who found Her food irresistible, became known as gourmands. This is the original etymology. To gourmandise is to eat of the food of Gourou Ma. Because it was so delectable, they became gluttons, and that is why the word gourmet today is often associated with overeating and conspicuous consumption. It is a symptom of the fall of man.

A Sat Yoga guru-mayi (gourmet) meal involves the following levels:

- The level of the idea (it is when people say: “I never thought of that!” It is the capacity to think. It is the beautiful idea of the food that makes someone happy, that brings a spark to the mind, the joy of pure play!).

- The level of preparation: the care, love and mental concentration, the loving attention to detail, product of the lightning flash of inspiration on the higher path of spiritual realization (barakah).

- The level of ingredients: choosing the widest range of ingredients, exploring each one, choosing healthy and gorgeous ingredients, and knowing how to prepare them in the most beautiful and healthful way.

Gourmet does not mean upper class, arrogant, expensive, overpriced, conspicuous consumption, bourgeois, wasteful, waste of time, nor frivolous.

After the disappearance of the gods, the gourmet chefs became the monks, who always cooked in the remembrance of God, and in preparation for the return of God to Earth. Gregor Mendel, a monk, was a gourmet who, like most monks, grew food in the monastery garden as a sacred act. He approached his work scientifically in order to produce the best peas. His work led to his discovery of genetic mutation, which has become the basis of general evolutionary science. A Gourmet is a food scientist, discovering how to create the most pure food: genetically pure, tastefully pure, healthfully pure– that has traditionally been the science of preparing and eating food. A gourmet is a guru of food, a sacred scientist of holy communion with the products of Divine Nature, the life-giving food of the gods.

Arugula & Romaine Salad with Palmito, Pomegranate Seeds, Avocado & Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds) with a Sweet Balsamic Dressing

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:36:17 +0000

Rules for The Art of the Salad

(we will discuss this more in the next class)

1. Impeccable greens, tossed separately

and at the last minute

2. Beautiful colors

3. Delicious dressing

4. Unique interplay of ingredients

We are taking advantage this month of wonderful pomegranates being sold at Automercado. They are on the expensive side, but worth buying once to try this salad. If you choose not to use pomegranate, you can substitute dried cranberries instead.

For four salads:

2 large handfuls washed and dried beautiful arugula leaves

Leaves from the hearts of two romaine lettuces, washed and dried

Arils (seeds) from 1 large pomegranate

4 stalks of fresh palmito (hearts of palm), cooked to al dente and then cooled and chilled

2 large ripe avocadoes

4 TBSP. raw pumpkin seeds (you can toast the seeds of the ayote squash if you can’t find pumpkin seeds)

Dressing:

½ c. EXVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 TBSP. Strawberry balsamic dressing

5 drops Stevia or 2 TBSP. honey

1 garlic clove

Juice of ½ lime

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Place all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and close the lid. Shake vigorously to combine all ingredients. Taste, and adjust the dressing if necessary. How it tastes will depend on the quality of EXVOO you use, the quality of the balsamic, the kind of honey or stevia, the kind of salt and how juicy your lime is. So if it doesn’t taste DELICIOUS, try to discern: does it need more acid, or sweetness? If it just tastes flat, it usually needs more salt. Finally, a cheap olive oil will also taste flat and oily, not fruity and aromatic. Refrigerate the dressing until ready to use so that it is nice and cold.

For the palmito: Choose small cylinders of palmito. These will cook rapidly, in 5-10 minutes of boiling salted water. Do not over cook them, as they are most delicious crispy (but tender when pierced with a small knife). Drain them, and let cool. Refrigerate for at least an hour before making the salad. When cool, cut into ¼-inch rounds.

To remove the arils from the pomegranate: Slice the pomegranate around its width to create to halves (meaning, do not cut top to bottom). Get a large mixing bowl and metal spoon ready. Place one half of the pomegranate aril side down, and gently tap or whack the back of the pomegranate with the spoon until all the arils have fallen over your hand into the bowl. Repeat with the second half. You may only need one half of large pomegranate, unless you chose small pomegranates.

Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Cross-section the avocado halves with a knife and scoop out the cubed flesh into a small bowl. Have ready your raw pumpkin seeds.

To assemble the salads:

Have all your prepped ingredients ready: the palmito rounds, pomegranate arils, avocado and pumpkin seeds.

Rip up the arugula into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch x 1 inch). Cut the romaine leaves also into 1 inch pieces. When you are ready to serve the salads (meaning, when you are ready to eat them), toss the lettuces with the dressing. If your bunches of arugula and romaine are small, you may need less dressing. Add a little, toss, taste, and then decide if you add more. Divide the tossed lettuces onto four plates. Top each salad with equal amounts of (in this order) palmito rounds, avocado, pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds. If there is a little dressing left you can dribble it over the new ingredients. Serve immediately.

Welcome to Radha’s Kitchen Gourmet & Vegetarian Cooking School!

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:44:45 +0000

Master the art of magical vegetarian cooking…

Learn to create exquisite gourmet meals that bring new life to a jaded palate, irresistible symphonies of taste, culinary classes and experiences that will remain as blissful memories forever…

A magical gourmet and vegetarian dinner can be a life-changing experience, can open the hearts and minds of those who enjoy the foreplay of arousing aromas, the jolt of enlivening colors, exotic forms, teasing textures, and the awesome explosion of delight on the tongue-—the full seductive offering of sensual satisfaction that a perfect meal provides.

The high art of vegetarian culinary conquest can be yours… right here at Radha’s Kitchen, located in Escazu, Costa Rica.

But it takes more than cooking recipes to make a vegetarian magic meal…

The Yoga of Sublime Cooking employs the subtle energies of higher consciousness, together with the wisdom of spicing, the knowledge of organic nutrition, the grammatology of gourmet presentation, of dishes the understanding of how the unconscious mind responds to the elemental signifiers of taste sensations…

In short, a revolutionary approach to designing fine gourmet and rustic cooking classes. Once you have entered Radha’s Kitchen cooking school, your relationship to vegetarian food will never be the same.

Radha’s Kitchen is an aromatic ashram located in Escazu, Costa Rica – an esoteric gastronomical school in which to learn the art of fresh culinary alchemy. Radha will teach you how to astonish your guests not once but time and again, with food menus and recipes inspired by the most wonderful cuisines from around the world.

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook or chef, you will find much to learn in our Yogic vegetarian approach to meal preparation. And you will rise from novice to expert rapidly with our hands-on gastronomical teaching method.

In our gourmet cooking classes imparted in Radha’s sacred kitchen (Escazu, Costa Rica), you will learn the basic spice and ingredient palates, as well as the techniques needed to create authentic and rustic-yet-gourmet vegetarian dishes. We will also teach you how to develop your culinary ideas, select quality organic ingredients, develop professional menus, and plan your weekly culinary calendar.

As part of the Sat Yoga Institute, Radha’s Kitchen is devoted to vegetarian and vegan cooking—-but for those who are omnivores, we offer many classes that include healthful non-vegetarian preparations and additions.

Because we practice the Yogic Principles of Seven-Body Wellness—we nourish not just the physical organism, but also the pranic, mental, and wisdom bodies, the bodies of subtle and universal energies—the delicious meals we create in Radha’s kitchen must be healthy and nutritious at the same time they are divinely beautiful.

Most importantly, we emphasize preparing organic vegetarian food in the most natural way, honoring the inherent perfection of the ingredients of Mother Earth, cooking and seasoning them in ways that enhance their color, texture, and taste in ways that delight the senses and make one feel happy to be alive.

In short, we cook to nourish the soul, not just the body.

Our gourmet and vegetarian cooking classes are hands-on and intensive–you will come away with profound culinary wisdom and a rainbow of tastes and ideas to keep you forever creative in your kitchen.