1. What is your favorite tool in the kitchen and why?

My large chef's knife. I have an intimate relationship with my knife and can do almost everything I need with it. I love hand chopping veggies, etc. It is like a meditation that connects you to your food.

2. What's in your pantry?

Lots of nuts and seeds to sprout, some grains, good olive oil, coconut oil, nama shoyu, and tons of fruits and veggies in the fridge, always!

3. What's your favorite meal comprised of?

That is like asking me which daughter is my favorite. I love many different foods for different reasons. There isn't actually a favorite. Usually it is what ever recipe I am working on at the moment.

1. What is your favorite tool in the kitchen and why?

My favorite kitchen tool is my vita mix. On average I use it anywhere from 2-8 times a day. I do everything in it: smoothies, soups, desserts, salad dressings, nut milk, sauces, etc. I also use it to grind nuts, flax, & oat groats, and sometimes I like to use it as a juicer by blending my fruits or veggies and then straining them through a nut milk bag.

2. What's in your pantry?

I always keep the following staples well stocked in my pantry: medjool dates, himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, cinnamon, mulberries, chia seed, shredded coconut, coconut oil, various spices, kelp noodles, cacao nibs/powder/butter, carob powder, lucuma, maca, fresh nutmeg, tahini, goji berries, and an assortment of nuts/seeds.

3. What's your favorite meal comprised of?

My favourite sweet meal is raw vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and caramel sauces, cacao nibs, buckwheat, banana, and mulberries. My favorite savory meal is a big salad with greens, veggies, seaweed, and my raw caesar dressing.

I love all things coconut. Young thai coconuts, mature brown coconuts, coconut oil, and in both savory foods and sweets. I truly think it is an amazing and healing food!  Coconut is definitely a beauty food as well, one that can be used inside of the body and outside of the body as nourishment for the skin and hair. Coconut oil is by far one of the healthiest oils a person can consume with it’s high levels of anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial lauric, capric and caprylic acids.

Coconut oil consists of mainly medium chain triglyceride fatty acids, the majority being lauric acid, which assimilate very well and are easy for the body to burn as energy. In fact it is this fatty acid that is found in mothers milk, and has been shown to boost the metabolism and support the immune system. This fatty acid profile is rare in the plant world, as most plant oils contain the more delicate and heat sensitive polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Also the medium chain saturated fatty acids in coconut make it the most stable oil to heat during cooking because it stays relatively stable and doesn’t turn easily into an oxidative free radical mess. Artisana made it easier than ever to get a whole food form of coconut in your daily diet. This butter is amazing because it can be used just like a nut butter, as a spread, blended into smoothies, soups, or desserts or just eaten plain. Like coconut oil it changes texture depending on the temperature, so in cold environments it will be harder and you’ll have to use a bit more force to get it out of the jar.

Chocolate is all about the heart chakra for me. The idea of chocolate encompasses sharing, friendship and love. Nurturing of the self and of your loved ones. The symbology of chocolate as a gift to give those you care most about, those who you have a special “heart” connection with, goes back a long, long time. In this day in age there are many corrupt practices taking place around us, influencing many aspects of our lives, and even influencing the foods that we consume. I am so pleased with this new cacao powder, not just because it’s chocolate, totally delicious and a pure and utter super food for all super beings, but because it is a truly Conscious food. Conscious right down to the method of cultivation and farming, to harvesting, to the treatment of those that grow and sell this food. Basically, something i can embrace wholly, which is very important to me!

Firstly i’d like to say a few words about why i believe raw organic cacao is an important food in todays world. As most of us can attest to, life dishes out a constant flow of challenges on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. This is why super foods with super abilities can be so amazing. Cacao can help mineralize us, protect us from free radical damage, and encourage a joyful state of mind. Cacao is well endowed with amino acid tryptophan which helps us feel relaxed and deal more positively with stress. It also contains neurotransmitters dopamine, anandamide and phenylethylamine (or PEA) which work in the brain to create feelings of pleasure and well being. The stresses we deal with in today's world can also tax us of our minerals. Cacao is very rich in minerals like zinc, magnesium, sulphur, iron, and chromium (among others), which many people are lacking in their diets. The antioxidant activity in cacao is exceptional, RAW cacao even more so! It surpasses berries, green leafy vegetables, and green tea. Also many people don’t realize that cacao contains very high levels of vitamin C to protect us, enhance our immune systems, and re-build healthy collagen and tissues. The flavonoids in cacao protect our actual physical hearts and vascular system. So the heart benefits go beyond the emotions and feelings we experience. The cacao beans used to make this powder grow wild in the lush jungles of Bali. When the harvest season arrives it is the actual local people and villagers that harvest the cacao and are payed fair wages for their labor.

The beans undergo a natural fermentation underneath organic banana leaves, and are then washed thoroughly, sun dried and peeled by hand. These are old trees with roots that reach deep into mineral rich volcanic soil! Amazing. The process by which the beans are ground down, separating the oil from the protein and fiber never reaches above 120° F, and usually remains around 113° F. The flavor of this cacao powder is rich, complex and only mildly bitter. It tastes very fresh, like it was just ground. I can taste the purity, this is REAL raw chocolate powder. The texture is light and fluffy, and it blends exceptionally well in recipes. The yumminess of this powder alone inspires me to start making my own chocolate, which I’ve never actually done before, but i am feeling a calling. I can’t wait to try the Bali cacao butter made from the same beans! Don’t be limited to use this amazing food in desserts only, try adding a dash to savory soup recipes like a chili or mexican inspired vegetable soup with spicy peppers and cumin. I find that when combined with spices and veggies in a tomato-based soup it not only adds an amazing complexity of flavor but also helps thicken the texture as well.