The shop features our unique brand of retail food items, kale chips, granola, chocolate, ice cream, kombucha, etc. all of the essential raw food faves and of course, all of these things are great and absolutely necessary! However, what is most exciting about the shop is the opportunity it gives us to give back, and reach out to support like- minded business. Over the past year- researching and sourcing different products to sell has been a welcomed, exciting challenge. I have been utterly overwhelmed by all of the cool, conscious products that are out there and I am thrilled to have to chance to feature some of them here on Lifestyle.

As my first feature I would like to introduce Ariane Dutzi.

Ariane Dutzi, designer and founder of dutzi design, inc., is a former fashion editor who lived in Paris and New York, before she moved to the Yucatan. She now divides her time between New York and Valladolid, where she shares her home with two Jack Russell terriers, Luna and Cinza. Fashion was always her passion. In 2008 she started designing bags made out of Vintage burlap and recycled raffia- she wanted to use fashion as a means of contribution to our environment. Her goal was not to create just another “it” bag. She wanted to create something fashionable that could give back, by respecting nature, our resources, and the people who live on this planet. In this same year, she started her own company “dutzi design, inc.” and in 2009 the dutzi workshop followed. The dutzi workshop was created to help women, mainly Mayan, to have the opportunity to make some money on their own. Each bag is individually hand crafted inside and out by one woman. No assembly line involved. Ariane selects the materials and provides each woman with the resources needed to craft the bags. They are allowed to craft the bags on their own time, which gives them the opportunity to continue to fulfill household duties while still doing something for them. They are paid by the project, so that they are all committed on a personal level- no salaries- the attitude must be commitment. On top of giving these women the opportunity to make a little money on their own, she also takes the time to educated them on managing their finances- understanding that giving them money without the tools to handle it is somewhat futile- you must have a “backbone to stand” or so to speak. At this point, the workshop counts 23 women and is constantly growing. She is an idealist who believes in beauty, making the world a better place and that business is about more than just making money. You can see, and feel this through her products.

My conversation with Ariane was truly inspiring. I found her approach to business so unique and refreshing. Her bags are beautiful, sophisticated, and useful- the longer you carry one the more it becomes a unique part of you, your personality and style. To know that you are buying a product that has a life behind it, a soul, and a personality is such a gift in this era of commerce where almost everything you buy is a lifeless, mass produced good. It makes me happy to be a piece of the puzzle in bringing like-minded people, and companies together under one roof.

Visit dutzidesign.com

Related posts:

1. 105degrees
2. Brookthere: Brooke Delorme
3. Launching the New MKL

This month Matthew and 105degrees are featured in Whole Life Magazine.

View the Article.

Every Culture has their “drink” – their signature beverage. From wine in France , to Tequila in Mexico or Vodka in Russia- wine and spirits often offer unique insight to a culture or a region’s identity. For most people Pisco falls some where in between.

You’ve probably heard of Pisco, but may or may not know where it comes from or what it is made of. Pisco is at the heart of a cultural battle of sorts. Two countries lay claim to this clear grape-based liquor, and the cocktail that it is most renown for, the Pisco Sour. These two countries are Peru and Chile. Their product is by no means identical. Chilean Pisco is slightly sweeter and of lower proof, where as Peruvian Pisco has more of a bite. This, in my opinion. makes for a better Pisco Sour.

You can find plenty of information on the two and fro as to who can actually lay claim to Pisco and the Pisco sour. But I won’t give you a research paper on the history behind this debate, because I may cause another one. I will only speak from my own experience and how, on a recent trip to Peru, I saw first-hand that Peruvians take pride in their Pisco. At first, I thought that the Pisco Sour might be a cliché, a tourist gimmick, and was a little leery of ordering it on my first lunch- but the more I looked around, the more I saw – Peruvians drink Pisco Sours before lunch, with lunch, after lunch, and with dinner. Excellent! Now, I could too- because clearly, I was not a tourist. So I did.

The Pisco Sour is a simply delicious cocktail. Not too fussy, complicated, or confusing- and it won’t knock you out before dinner. Usually served in small old-fashioned glass, it is the perfect aperitif to commence a meal. Made well, they are slightly sour, slightly sweet, and have just enough bite to get your taste buds in gear for a delicate meal of ceviche, tiraditos, and causas. The Pisco is traditionally made with a type of small Peruvian lemon that has a similar flavor to a key lime. This is also the same acid that has been historically used in making ceviche, which is why the flavors compliment each other so well. The balance of the slightly salty fish, with the sweet tang of the cocktail, and the slight creaminess that comes from the egg white to compliment the texture of the fish – it truly is pairing perfection.

And now…. I’m thirsty- so let’s make one.

• 1 egg white
• 2 ½ ounces Pisco (Peruvian)
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice or key lime juice
• ½ oz simple syrup
• Angostura Bitters

In cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine egg white, Pisco, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Cover, and shake vigorously and strain into six ounce cocktail glass. Top with a splash of bitters.

Related posts:

1. Sweet Pepper Soup, Basil Manti and Hazelnut ‘Yogurt’
2. White Corn Tamale
3. Spicy Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet Tamarind Fondue

When you are the type of person who attempts to be an educated consumer, the world of wine poses a challenging hurdle. The amount of history and information surrounding wine is extremely complex, with hundreds and thousands of different producers and grape varietals to choose from- growing regions, climates, the list goes on.  I am not going to attempt to sort through this information in such a short article. What I am going to help you understand is a bit more easily defined- although still wrought with politics and controversy. I will try to keep it as simple as possible.

What do all the labels mean and how do you know?

First of all wine is raw. Wine is made from pressing the juice out of grapes and allowing that juice to ferment with strains of yeast. The yeast eats the sugar and converts it to alcohol and CO2 yes, carbon dioxide. In most cases the carbon dioxide is released, but in the case of sparkling wine, it is trapped in the bottle and that is where the bubbles come from- Voila! Champagne, but that is a different story. If all wine is only fermented grape juice, what is vegetarian/vegan wine?  Aren’t all wines by definition vegan or vegetarian? The answer is no, they are not. To remove the yeasts and particles from wines they are filtered. Most often in the filtration process a small amount of animal products are used from a variety of sources; gelatin, isinglass (fish bones), casein and egg whites are all examples of products that are used. Although it is a very small amount, if you are strictly vegan, you may want to pay attention to this fact.  However, even if a wine is not labeled vegan or vegetarian- if a wine is labeled unfiltered, you have a good chance that it is animal free.  Like with most agricultural products, there are basically three levels certifying the “green” factor of a wine.

Sustainable

As to whether a wine is sustainable might require you to do a little research to ascertain. Because of the rigorous process to become certified organic, many small-scale wineries do not have the money and/or resources to obtain this classification. Many small wineries farm in a way that is environmentally friendly and their owners are proud and happy to share this information with you. For this reason it makes sense to spend a few extra dollars to support a smaller venture that might not have corporate financial backing, but embraces an eco friendly ethic.

Organic

Just like with food, organic wine is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and steer away from using most conventional pesticides; petroleum-based fertilizers or harmful fertilizers; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. In order for a product to be labeled “organic,” a Government-approved certifier must inspect the vineyard to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. This process is expensive and time consuming.

Biodynamic

Biodynamic farming is perhaps the most rigorous and intense method of farming. As applied to wine, biodynamic farming principles treat the vineyard as a whole organism rather than just concern for one singular crop. Biodynamic regards the soil as the life of the vineyard (which it is) and treats it with detailed focus and attention; crop rotation, green manure, cover crops, wind protection etc. Thus biodynamic vineyards attain the most environmentally sound forms of production, and yield a very high quality crop. Traditionally more popular in France and Germany, biodynamic farming has started to gain recognition and popularity in the US.

Hopefully this helps you see that all wine is not created equally. When you are meticulously trying to put the cleanest foods in your body, you should also do so when choosing a wine. Grapes are an agricultural product that can be laden with pesticides, and farmed in a manner that is damaging to the environment. Fortunately many wineries are getting on board with the idea that how they manage their vineyard can actually be a contribution to our ecosystem instead of a detriment. Which is why supporting smaller producers is a great idea- it helps contribute to the diversification of wines instead of supporting mass produced equals. (Mondovino great film on this subject). The differences and the quirks in wines are what make them intriguing, appealing and exciting – a good thing. A wine should represent the climate, vineyard, and year it is grown in- making each bottle unique. When you support environmentally friendly wine production, you come closer to supporting quality and diversity.

Wine can be an important part of enjoying life and food. Wine can calm your spirit and bring you in the moment to sit, relax and savor a meal with friends and family- raw, vegan, vegetarian or otherwise. Choosing wine should be as pleasurable as enjoying it, not an intimidating decision that makes you question yourself or your choices.

The Shop at 105 Degrees has many cool products- all distinctly thought out and sought after. To choose just one artist to mention was nearly impossible. So we decided to start with one of our favorite products, that we both sell in the shop and use in the restaurant.

The Glass Straw- by Glass Dharma. This eco friendly solution to a “plastic problem” is not only logical and cool- it happens to be aesthetically very beautiful and well designed. We chose the beautiful bended version to serve and sell- and customers are constantly impressed. (I think we are almost sold out!)

To mention the straw, we must mention the maker. We would like you to meet David Leonhardt. David brings us GlassDharma from the beautiful Mendocino coast in Northern California where he both works and lives with his wife Gail. After giving up his corporate life, David decided to “retire” to the beautiful coast to pursue a more peaceful existence. David worked as a lamp worker (glassblower) for over 10 years before deciding to change his glass blowing specialty to glass straws. David recognized the glass straw as something that is not only creative, but also incredibly useful and environmentally friendly. The goal of GlassDharma is not to focus on whether global warming is human caused or not, but to focus on ways to provide a positive impact. I bet you didn’t know that McDonalds serves an average of 52 million meals a day- if each meal only used one straw (doubtful) that would still be 52 million plastic straws a day! So even though plastic straws may seem like a minor problem in the grand scheme of things- it adds up. In a setting where re-use is an option, the glass straw is the perfect solution. And, how cool does it look to be sipping a smoothie or cocktail from a beautiful glass straw? Very. Another good reason good reason to use a glass straw? When you use a plastic straw in a hot beverage you are leaching harmful toxins into your beverage. Remember the “Don’t leave plastic water bottles in your hot car spiel?” Same thing.

Hemp Sleeves

Once we established that a glass straw is good for the environment and your health, we asked if a glass straw practical? It does sound potentially hazardous, and often the first question is, “Will it break?”

Several weeks after opening, 105 Degrees provides a sound example of the durability of these works of art. In a restaurant setting, glass inevitably breaks- between customer handling and commercial dishwashers, all glass gets a lot of rough attention. I can confidently say not a single straw has broken thus far and this is not because they haven’t been through a lot already. These straws have a lifetime guarantee.

The straw in our own Blueberry Lavender Lemonade

Cleaning? Easy. David and his company send a cleaning brush with each straw.

With heightened awareness on environmental issues, the door for new creative solutions and positive impact is wide open. It is an exciting time for art and design and the shop at 105 Degrees will continue to provide an outlet for cool people and their companies.

www.glassdharma.com

Opening events are often great to attend but challenging to orchestrate.  I’ve had my share of difficult ones and some that flow suprisingly well.  Among the many I have been involved in, our first annual Live and Learn at 105degrees is my stand alone favorite.   My partner Dara Prentice and I, along with our entire team at 105degrees, hosted several of our friends, colleagues and a couple hundred guests for a full day of events last weekend – a day that included dynamic and motivating appearances from our many presenters;  Philip McClusky, Anthony Anderson, Penni Shelton, Hope Ferdowsian, Ani Phyo, Courtney Pool, Karen Knowler and Tim Van Orden.

This group was incredible.  I could have been fully satisfied with the day, simply by observing their camaradarie and professionalism.  Everyone was as dynamic and probably more so than they appear in their online, print or media work.  They are also all radiating health and beauty.

After most parties, I’m both relieved and tired, ready to avoid thinking about the next one for a few weeks.   In this case, Dara and I are already very excited about next year’s follow-up, which will be a full weekend of living cuisine and lifestyle events, lectures and meals.

Philip McClusky and Courtney Pool.  Philip is a captivating lecturer and a really good photographer as well (in fact, I borrowed one of his images for this article).  It was great meeting Courtney for the first time and a real pleasure listening to her knowledgeable and interesting presentation.  She is doing great work with Dr. Gabriel Cousins at The Tree of Life.

Anthony Anderson, a great speaker and very passionate.  I predict he will accomplish many interesting things in the sustainable world in the near future.

Penni Shelton and Ani Phyo.  Penni has been a wonderful friend and supporter of 105degrees.  Little did I know that, along with her many projects and being a mentor to so many, she is a talented comedian.  Ani has a ton of fans and for good reason – she is dynamic, creative and beautiful.  She recently completed writing her new book, which will have over 250 recipes!

Karen Knowler.  We were fortunate that Karen’s schedule allowed her to be with us.  She is very entreprenurial and has been instrumental in the growth of living food’s awareness in the U.K.

Tim Van Orden.  I’m used to seeing Tim in photos running up mountains in snowshoes or racing through a forest like a deer.  He carried that same energy to his presentation, which had the guest’s full attention.

Hope Ferdowsian.  Hope delivered a uniquely sharp message, filled with facts and statistics that were largely new to me.

Ani demonstrating one of her desserts (which I had for breakfast)

Meredith Baird.  Meredith alternated this weekend between her role as sommelier, photographer, pastry wizard and shop forager….and mixologist, which happened to be a very popular category at the event.

Speaking of mixology..

Dara Prentice, founder and visionary behind 105degrees, and I.  Only she would be able to manage the complexities of this event with such poise.

Me, in a demo preparing shiitake mushrooms using Thermal Immersion techniques with raw food.

The base of the first dinner course:  Shiitake Kimchi Dumplings, Sesame Foam, Shiso

Heirloom Beets

Related posts:

1. The 105degrees People
2. 105degrees

“The creative process is a process of surrender, not control” – Julia Cameron, writer

What does raw food bring to mind? Freshness, health, holism, life and energy, elements of earth and water, and all things green. What does a great food memory include? Good company, inspired conversation, perhaps a sense of discovery. How about dessert? Look but don’t touch, or the best part of the evening?

Early this summer a rustic cottage was filled with a combination of all these sentiments in order to create a book that many people would connect to. Everyday Raw Desserts is the next in a growing line of cookbooks due to hit the shelves spring 2010.

The process behind the shoot was intensive, and the stage was set with all the elements necessary to invoke a natural and cozy sense of imagery. Together we pieced together sweet delights from nostalgic recipes twisting and converting favorites both old and new. The experience, as is the norm with raw food was alchemistic.

Unassumingly basic ingredients transformed in our blenders, processors and dehydrators into whimsical variations of traditional and modern classics. The project was complimented with a talented and creative photographer, and our challenge as a team was to explore and highlight how beautiful raw desserts could be.

Rule of thumb – keep it real, what you see is what you get. Each picture was to be the exact recipe with no fillers or fluff. As one would expect time and temperature weren’t always working on the same side. The challenge of shooting living food dishes are all the natural side effects that come with the territory. Pure ingredients being unrefined or stabilized weep and melt – they practically ask to be eaten often before the shoot is complete. We worked quickly and embraced all the poetically perfect imperfections. Unexpectedly, some of the best shoots were the ones that ended up improvised. We all ended up most pleasantly surprised when we surrendered, simplified and allowed the light of the creation shine through.

These sweet results led me to consider how manufactured our visual modern experience is, and how deeply conditioned we can be to associate beauty with engineered perfection. This stands for the human form, as well as the food we put into it.

The project was blessed with the right environment and team for a concept people can connect to on an everyday basis. There is something for cozy snack, or some more creative entertaining (look for en entire chapter on raw chocolate.) It’s designed to demystify the most exciting side raw food. These are the creations you pass around to win over the skeptics. The recipes taste as good as they look. They are simple and what will eventually grace the pages of ERD is tangible in your kitchen (or cottage.) The images will show how wonderful the final results really were, and hopefully the inspiration that was in that cottage early this summer will be felt long after its over.

Vladimir Horowitz “Perfection itself is imperfection”

“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.” Martin H. Fischer

“The crucial variable in the process of turning knowledge into value is creativity.” John Kao

Related posts:

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2. Chocolate Chapter
3. Entertaining in the Raw Photo Shoot

White Corn Filling

• 12 corn husks
• 5 cups white corn kernels
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced
• ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1¼ cups pine nuts, soaked 1-2 hours
• 1¼ cups cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
• 1teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• 2 tbs. minced red onion
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2cup lime juice

Place 3 cups of the corn, the tomatoes and the red bell pepper in a bowl; set aside. In a food processor, blend the remaining ingredients until very smooth. Pour into bowl with other ingredients and mix well with hands.

Serrano Spiced Portobello

• 4 Portobello mushrooms, cut in half and into 8 slices per side.
• 1 Serrano Chili, Seeded and minced
• 3 tbs. olive oil
• Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Toss mushrooms with olive oil, Serrano and salt then spread on Teflex sheets to dehydrate for 12 hours. Mix corn filling with Portobello.

Raw Cacao Mole

• 6 dried ancho/chipotle chilies, soaked 2-3 hours and drained
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbs. sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours and drained
• ½ cup almond butter
• ½ cup raisins, soaked 20-30 minutes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbs. agave
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp.cayenne
• 1 cup cacao powder

Blend all ingredients in vita-mix until smooth.

To Prepare Corn Husks

Soak corn husks in warm water for 1 to 2 hours. Dry carefully. To assemble, lay the corn husks flat and place about 1/2 cup of the corn mixture onto the center of each. Fold the bottom up over the filling and then fold the sides over. Using the husk strips tie the tops of each tamale. Place the tamales in the dehydrator for 2 hours.

Guacamole

• 3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 large handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 scallion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red chili finely minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mash well with a fork.

Assembly

• Cacao Powder for garnish
• Cilantro Leaves

Spoon a generous amount of mole sauce on each plate, and set two tamales on sauce. Spoon Guacamole on top and garnish with cacao powder and cilantro leaves.

Recipe excerpted from Entertaining in the Raw, published by Gibbs Smith Publisher, 2009. Click here to purchase online.

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3. Sweet Pepper Soup, Basil Manti and Hazelnut ‘Yogurt’

One of the most exciting things about raw foods, aside from the health benefit, is having the opportunity to reinvent dishes. Sometimes you feel like an artist that has discovered a new medium. This is one aspect that I find most inspiring – being creative. Some dishes are easy, some dishes are incredibly complex and a lot of them have just never been done before! So when I was given the task of working on a traditional French Macaroon I could have not been more excited. Matthew and I both love them so aside from chocolate this is the next best thing

I actually cannot put in words how much I love macaroons. I LOVE them! Never again will any one of my family members try to steal a macaroon from me (it almost ruined Christmas one year). For me they bring back images of Paris, peering over the counter at Laudreee trying to choose from all of the beautiful colors. So many beautiful colors! As a gift, they are intoxicatingly romantic little desserts. Delicate, rich and beautiful truly a one of a kind treat.

However, making a dainty raw dessert is somewhat tricky. Raw desserts are often very dense and heavy- completely opposite from a French Macaroon. My efforts in the kichen have been surprisingly successful thus far, although I have not been able to quite capture the glow that you get on a traditional macaroon. I will. I have been working with different flours and sweetners to add flavour, but not density. There are no secrets to be revealed yet. It is a work in progress- but the end result is worth endless hours of trail and error!

Related posts:

1. The Skinny on Everyday Raw Desserts
2. Chocolate Chapter

Mike and Rick Mast seem to have nailed it. Quit your day job and start making chocolate with your brother. Sounds like fun. And that is exactly what the Mast brothers seem like they are doing-having fun. Mike spent his former life in finance and Rick was a chef and worked at some of the top restaurants throughout the city- until they both quit their jobs and started pursuing their passion for making chocolate. The perfect team for making chocolate business.

In case you aren’t familiar, the Mast Brothers are a duo of chocolatiers in Brooklyn. Their product has recently gained much attention, and for good reason. As high-end chocolate bars pop up all over the place, making different claims of quality and originality it can seem a bit daunting to choose. The Mast Brothers do, however, have valid claim for their newfound popularity. They are one of the few chocolate houses in the US that takes the chocolate from bean to bar. Their hands are all over it. They carefully source organic, single origin Venezuelan and Ecuadorian cacao for their product. Once they have selected the beans they then clean, roast and process the chocolate right in their own Brooklyn “factory”. The finishing touch is added by hand wrapping each bar in beautiful vintage Italian wrapping papers. The bars are so pretty that it took me more than the usual one second to open it- and, I saved the paper.

So, how much fun do the Mast brothers seem like they are having? I was lucky enough to visit their “factory” in Brooklyn one lovely Saturday, the same weekend that they were written up in the New York Times. The space is only open to the public on the weekends, and the rest of the time it is put to good use. Needless to say, it was busy. I was a little ambivalent going into the hype, the coolness factor. Was this just another venture of reverse prestige- the kind of place where you walk in and you are quickly forced to be reminded that you actually are missing something.

The moment I entered, I changed my mind. There was a bustle and energy in the air that made you feel like you had found something special, or just walked into someone’s really cool apartment. The “factory” itself was more like a pristine chocolate laboratory with immaculate equipment, tables and tiles, some new, some vintage. The smell of chocolate and roasted cacao was in the air. The bars were tastefully displayed in a make-shift retail space on Cacao beans seducing you with the charm of the papers, and Rick Mast was behind the counter with a big grin on his face, eager to answer any questions. There were family and friends helping out, and Mike Mast was in the back making chocolate beer, observing the crowd from a distance. I felt like I was at the world’s coolest garage party. Chocolate, homemade beer and cute boys- Hello? Yes, please. When I was up for purchase, indecision kicked in as much because of the flavors as the wrappers. There were about ten different flavors to choose from, but this is constantly changing. The price for three bars was $20, or about $7 dollars a bar – very reasonable for artisan chocolate. I, of course, went for dark chocolate, which is all vegan. I chose the dark chocolate with nibs (Rick’s favorite), dark chocolate with sea salt (a specialty), and dark chocolate with cranberries (because of the paper). Rick asked if I would like him to hand tie them in twine- of course! I felt like I walked out with a little stack of presents. The taste does not disappoint. Pure, smooth, crisp and delicious- not too bitter and not too sweet. Each flavor is very straightforward. You taste the nibs, the salt, and the cranberries as separate elements from the chocolate, which I really like. My impression of the chocolate is the same as it was for the Mast brothers themselves, genuine, quality and unpretentious.

So why even write an article about someone else’s really great chocolate that isn’t raw or even all vegan for that matter. Whether you love Mast Brothers Chocolate or not- or think that it is comparable to the finest French or Italian delight, there is one thing that I gained from my experience. The Mast Brothers are cool, and what they are doing is very cool. As elements of our own country and economy are in such a state of disarray, it is important to support our local artisans, who are putting forth a great effort to bring a product to the market with integrity, heart and soul. And that makes you a little bit cooler too.

www.mastbrotherschocolate.com

Related posts:

1. Chocolate Chapter