When your passionate about something and you see someone else that has that same level of passion and purpose for the same thing you get inspired even more. When I look at Dimitris's work I shake my head in amazement at just how powerful God is. As chefs we take each treasured ingredient that has been provided by our creator and we bring forth our own interpretation of that dish. This interpretation is based on our cultural background which dictates our tastes and the ingredients that we use. Dimitris has successfully utilized the local foods of his native Greek culture to bring forth some of the most unique and ambitious raw food around. So lets meet the chef himself , and after the interview Dimitris has a mouth watering recipe exclusive to this interview just for you.
Dimitris in his raw food kitchen
1.Shernell: for the people that don't know you please introduce yourself. ?
Hello to all the rawists and rawists’ friendly viewers
My name is Dimitris and I am a raw vegan chef.
I was a vegetarian for 19 years and ideological passionate vegan the last few years.
My journey on raw started 1 year ago when I was looking to overcome several health problems, I first learned about juice feasting, and how to detoxify myself .I started to avoid any cooked food for 8 months straight while I was feastimg, that made me feel wonderful and 95% all my health issues were gone so I decide to accept raw vegan as my future lifestyle. At the beginning I didn't know how to prepare raw food until accidentally I meet my future raw teacher flora Papadopoulou an Alissa Cohen certified instructor in Athens via the Internet and I decide to join her classes. I finished as a 2 level instructor and here I am now after four months. My goal is to improve myself and to inspire others to join the raw path as a way of life and light that goes beyond the common concept about “what is food”.
2. Shernell:What inspires you to create the kinds of dishes that you do?
I got my first inspiration from my mothers food over the years; I tried to make the raw version of those foods without loosing the vibration the smell and the colors. Good food talks to the heart and I try to feel that when I have a recipe in the mind, generally when I go to the kitchen I try to utilize whatever I have, and be grateful with the most simple and common ingredients that I can find around me.
3.Shernell: What do you call the kind of cuisine that you create?
Cuisine from the heart and light! food that respects and satisfies the eyes and the heart, a balance of those two…
4. Shernell: Your creations are very ambitious and unique, do you have a particular chef that you look up to?
When I started I was following a few recipes of my teachers but after I found out that I could make better recipes if I didn't follow any recipe in particular!
When I go to the kitchen the ideas come naturally! Somehow the fix recipe never works for me!
I get inspiration from all the chefs around the world; I admire all the raw chefs but no one in particular that I have to follow.
The hero here is the beauty of raw food itself, not the chefs
I like the food and the appearance to have a balance, very artistic appearance disorient the mind of what is the real purpose of the raw food .
5. Shernell:In your cuisine do you use local ingredients of your native Greece?
In the beginning I was using many imported materials but slowly I decide to utilize more local ingredients for many reasons. Local people are more familiar to the local taste and this is helping them to make the first step to enter the raw world.
By using local ingredients it also gives the chance to inspire other worldly chefs to get ideas and try something different as I was doing that as well, this is a nice way to make raw food more global Unitarian style of food.
6.Shernell: Where would you like to see the raw foods movement in five years?
I am personal very positive about the raw movement, I strongly believe the raw life style is the cuisine of the future. Now the people slowly realize food spirituality and emotions are connecting. What ever we eat, we become.
Food plays a major role to what we feel, and what we do in life. By food we create tendencies and its up to us to utilize the correct food for more positive and healthy life.
7. Shernell : Dimitri it’s been a pleasure having you here, I am a huge fan of your work, you have inspired me so much, is there anything else that you would like to add ?
I like to thanks you Shernell for this interview and giving me the chance to introduce myself and to make myself visible into raw world.
To be raw can be hard in the world we living but by follow the inner voice we stay strong in this path and inspire others too. Life has ups and downs and any one that feels that they have failed at the raw path I will say its ok, never mind, look forward and try again and again.
Greek raw vegan Mousaka
Layers
2 courgettes
2 eggplant
2 tbsp tamari
Salt, spices
*cut thin slices, salt them and let them 3 hours for moving the bitter taste of eggplant and the water
* (optional) brush them with raw tamari and dehydrate for 30 minutes
Cream
1/3 cup cashews butter
¼ cup soaked sesame
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup soaked pine seeds
½ tea spoon cinnamon
½ tea spoon nutmeg
Salt as you taste
White pepper as you taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
Water as needed
* Blender until become a fine cream
Fill
2 cups marinated mushrooms (tamari, olive oil, lemon, salt, spices)
1 cup soaked 3-4 hours walnuts
2 carrot grade
4 red capsicums fine chopped and pill the skin
Little parsley fine chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chopped anise root
Mix spices for grill
½ medium chopped white onions
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp slices chopped black olives
1 tbsp chopped mint
3-4 fresh tomatoes
*at food processor first blend well the walnuts with tomato and olive oil with spices
And add the rest of the ingredients and blend for 5 seconds
Preparation
Square or triangle size place the eggplant slices
Fill with the veggies and place another layer with courgette slices
Repeat 2-3 layers
Place the cream gently on top
This was such a treat for me I am so inspired by Dimitris's warm sentiments about raw food. He truly has a deep passion for his craft and it shows. Also I didn't edit to much of Dimitris's words because I feel that it is important to get his inner spirit out so you guys can get a true since of who Dimitris is. I hope that you guys enjoyed this one !
To get more of Dimitris check him out at The Raw Greek
