Radical Foods

Embrace uniqueness, expand your mind, expand your palate.





I have always been intrigued by the small assortment of tropical fruits and vegetables in the supermarket. As a child I'd get a special thrill if my mother would buy me a coconut or mango on a shopping trip. Along my macro-raw food journey I've discovered that much of this uncommon produce is not only delicious, but high in essential vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. I'm actually rather concerned with the variety dwindling in the U.S marketplace. Even staple produce like tomatoes and apples once had thousands of varieties. Today they have been slaughtered off to only the hardiest few because of high yield demands and cross-country shipping.

A passion of mine it to seek out untypical foods, learn about their properties and uses, and experiment with them. My very favorite places to explore are Asian food markets. They are filled with foreign fare to excite my infatuation. Macrobiotics originates from traditional Japanese cooking. I visit the Asian market to get all of my macro staples, rice and other grains, sea vegetables, umeboshi and teas. However my favorite part of the markets are their produce sections.

On a recent trip to my local Asian market around my birthday I treated myself to all of the rarities on the shelves. One that I had never tried before was the Asian Long Bean, also called the Yard Long Bean. Similar to the American Green Bean, it can be eaten raw, but is a bit more tough. They are a great vegan source of vitamin A, vitamin C, protein and iron. I created a recipe based on light water steaming, common in macrobiotics. I made the dish a bit more spicy than would be advised for a macrobiotic diet, but I was in the mood for spice. A macrobiotic principal is to avoid most spices as they are too harsh for the body and create a more yin imbalance. However, I enjoy spicy dishes on occasion and believe they are fine in moderation as long as one is not trying to heal an illness.



Spirited Long Beans
1 Big bunch of Long Beans washed and cut into about 2" pieces
1 2" piece of fresh ginger
1 2" piece of fresh turmeric (also found in most Asian markets)
3-4 Thai hot peppers chopped

Fill a pan with about 3 inches of water. Grate the ginger and turmeric into the water. Bring this to a boil. Add the beans and peppers and let simmer for 7-10 minutes. Alternately, to keep the dish raw, place all of the ingredients in a large glass bowl and put in a dehydrator set to 105 degrees for 5-7 hours.