Delicooks

I really enjoy cooking with raw food and I think following good food combinations makes you very, very creative in the kitchen.

From radio host ... to writing a raw vegan cooking blog. How did you get into raw cuisine?

I got into to raw food because of health issues then I realized I just loved it!  Eating raw food gives me a lot of life and energy.  During the day I work as a journalist and when the evening arrives I continue in my kitchen where I can indulge in my imagination with different types of food. 

How and why did you decide to write the blog BibiRaw ?

I started the blog in November last year after I returned from my first holiday away as a raw vegan. I wanted to share my experience and show that is possible to be a raw vegan anywhere in the world. After the trip, I recalled the types of foods I experienced at social events such as weddings or dinners and then I gave free rein to my imagination and began to cook what I wanted to eat, without too many ingredients, because a lot of vegan recipes combine lots of vegetables and ingredients that do not mix well and contrary to belief are not particularly healthy. I wanted, and I want to make simple recipes, with good combinations of food. 

Looking at your blog I see that sweet food stands out more than savory.  Do you prefer sweet to savory?  Do you think that fruits are slightly forgotten in the world of blogs and raw vegan cook books? 

I have always had a sweet tooth and in the last few months I have written more desert recipes.  I think society considers fruit as a dessert, breakfast or a snack, but I eat fresh fruit all day!  I remember the day I made the recipe milhoja (made with fruits), stuffed with a creamy mango and that was my meal. For most people however it would have been just a pudding.

I don’t think raw vegan deserts are forgotten they just need a little imagination.

How do you see the overall picture of raw cuisine in Spain? Has it come a long way since you've became interested in it?

I have only been raw vegan since June 2011 so I don’t think that much progress has been made during this time.   I don’t think a lot of people know about raw veganism, so we have a long way to go to educate.

Is it easy to be a raw foodie in this country?

Yes if you want to... I haven’t attended a social event at a restaurant in Spain yet, but you can always ask for a salad or some fruit in a restaurant.  I remember I had a job in a restaurant where there was nothing to eat that was raw or vegan.  That night I went hungry! It's easy to be raw vegan at home, but it is true that Spain is not ready to embrace it.

Do you go to any restaurants that make raw cuisine?

I think there is only one in Spain and that is in Madrid!  Which is a bit far away?  In the city where I live, if I have to eat out and I can choose where I am going, I normally find a restaurant with a young chef who is eager to learn different things.  They always prepare a simple salad with a twist that always surprises me!

When you cook for yourself, you don’t have to slave over an oven!  Tell us what you normally cook for yourself and what your specialties are

I like fruit in its natural form. I find it very tasty. But I love pancakes or fruit strudel which I make   in the dehydrator and ice cream (I've been eating that all winter!) To a lesser extent, I enjoy vegetable milk especially combined with apple, almond, lemon, maca and cacao. And I also think that buckwheat has a special flavor that blends perfectly with algae ... and that reminds me of "rice Abanda" typical Valencian dish.

Which authors do you enjoy reading in raw cuisine?

James Russell I love him! He is a born creator!

You have traveled extensively outside Spain ... Which country has been your favorite for raw cuisine?

Since being a raw vegan for less than a year I have only been to Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia, and in all these countries I really enjoyed the different types of fruit such as mangosteen, which tastes like lemon tart, and durian, which is the best fruit I’ve ever tasted!  No wonder they call it the "king of fruits".  I would never tire of eating it!  In Cambodia I also tried banana flower, which is exquisite, and papaya salad, vegan version, of course!

How did you teach yourself to cook raw vegan food in so short a time?  How do you view the raw vegan community in Spain? 

I've always liked cooking and I like art. I think cooking is an art which combines imagination and aesthetics, and taste is obviously very important. I’m not sure if I’ve learned so fast out of necessity or because I like it, or both, but I enjoy working in the kitchen with raw and live ingredients and my imagination takes over!  And yes, I think the raw vegan community in Spain is quite strong.   We are small but with time will grow strong!

Would you leave journalism to devote yourself to raw veganism? 

At the moment no. I studied journalism and I have the good fortune to work in a sector that I really enjoy Also journalism pays my bills!  But you never know what will happen in the future!

Where do you see yourself in a year?

What a difficult question. I have many dreams but do not think they will all happen in a year! 

The flavors and colors of raw cuisine are amazing. Do you miss cooked foods or do you feel that you are now enjoying cooking more than ever as you’re not a slave to the oven?  Do you feel more creative?

I don’t miss cooked food at all.  It turns me off. Even the smell bothers me.  I really enjoy cooking with raw food and I think following good food combinations makes you very, very creative in the kitchen.

Is it healthy?

It can be healthier. Initially I tried a lot of different raw vegan recipes which didn’t agree with me as there were too many ingredients mixed together i.e. different types of sauces and nuts etc.  I even tried raw nut cakes with raw cacao and became very ill.  It is true to say that I abused it a bit.

What would cook for a special evening?

If it was only for me, a whole durian! Or a tray of fresh fruit with custard apples and mangoes ... But to initiate a new raw vegan stomach.... Dessert would be my last creation, a crude sponge cake with carob mousse. For starters, a lollipop of zucchini with a few crackers with noni (a fruit that tastes like a blue cheese), and hummus with crudités of carrot and buckwheat. Then as a main course, pumpkin sorbet with salty miso milhoja oil. Warning, not suitable for sensitive stomachs!