"Water Night" first took my breath away when I heard it performed on "From the Top" by the highly aclaimed Norman North High School Chorale in Oklahoma. This translation of a Spanish poem, adapted by Eric Whitaker, is a beautifully evocotive, metaphorical piece formed in a series of vignets about the connection of the water to the soul, and the quest to find the innermost spirit in ourselves. Further interpretation reflects the experience of holding something difficult inside over a period of time, and finally letting it go to find peace.
"Water Night" is the inspiration for one of my upcoming paintings.
(Please press play. Feel free to read along with the lyrics below.)
Water Night
Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
night with eyes of water in the field asleep
is in your eyes, a horse that trembles, is in your eyes of secret water.
Eyes of shadow-water, eyes of well-water, eyes of dream-water.
Silence and solitude, two little animals moon-led, drink in your eyes, drink in those waters.
If you open your eyes, night opens, doors of musk, the secret kingdom of the water opens flowing from the center of night.
And if you close your eyes, a river fills you from within, flows forward, darkens you: night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.
Octavio Paz, 1914-1998 (Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Muriel Rukeyser)
**The original poem is "Agua Nocturna" by Octavio Paz. Peace is connected to a long tradition of "night" in visual art, poetry and music.
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it.
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-09-05 14:27:002012-09-05 14:27:00Water Night
Maple Cinnamon Crispies & Strawberries awaiting creamy Almond Milk
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies), a recipe from the beautiful book, Raw Food Real World, by the equally beautiful Sarma Melngailis, falls into the addictive category for me. Not only are they delicious served in a bowl of creamy Almond milk (they remain nice & crispy in milk too!) but, since I find myself daydreaming of their crisp, sweet deliciousness, they're currently my favorite snack as well… a perfect nibble alongside a cup of tea. Fortunately, they're also quick and easy to make!
Buckwheat isn't actually a grain, but rather, an edible fruit seed which is easy for the body to digest, unlike grains, which increase acidity in the body, upsetting its pH balance. An overly acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy, functioning correctly and even preventing and combating cancer.
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies) is one of the first recipes I made using my Excalibur dehydrator, a raw foodist's tool for many recipes. The dehydrator achieves the ability to warm and "cook" ingredients in a processs which retains almost 100% of the nutritional content of the food as well as the alkalinity of fresh produce while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of microforms such as bacteria. If you don't have a dehydrator, you could substitute your oven on it's lowest setting, leaving the door slightly ajar (to achieve a temp. of 115 F). Be sure to purchase raw buckwheat groats for this recipe, not the toasted type called kashi.
Enjoy!
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies & Cocoa Crispies (Serves 4-6)
Recipe from the beautiful book: Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis
Ingredients:
2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked for at least 1 hour (will yield about 3 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 packets stevia
2 teaspoons sea salt
Method:
Rinse buckwheat groats to get rid of extra starchiness.
Place groats in food processor along with remaining ingredients. Pulse until combined but not pureed, until it looks like soupy oatmeal.
Divide between two Teflex-lined dehydrator trays, spreading to about 1/8" thick with an offset spatula. Dehydrate at 115 F for 8-12 hours until top is dry to touch & teflex peels away easily. (If using your oven on lowest setting with door propped to achieve consistent 115F, spread on a nonstick baking matt or secured nonstick foil so doesn't slip when spreading.)
Set a second dehydrator tray lined with only mesh screen this time, over each partially dehydrated sheet of buckwheat crispies. Flip two trays over in order to then remove top tray & peel away teflex. Place flipped buckwheat back into dehydrator for an additional few hours until completely dry and crunchy.
Break into pieces and store in airtight container. You may also store in fridge for maximum freshness for up to a few weeks.
Cocoa Crispies: Replace the cinnamon with 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder or carob powder.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Admittadly, I considered posting only the pictures of this luscious dish. It was that delicious, fresh and beautiful. Couldn't it possibly stand alone with no words to accompany?
I'm having SO much fun cooking Raw Vegan Cuisine, learning a ton, working with new ingredients, techniques and tools, making many ingredients by hand… and continuing to feel amazing changes in my spiritual, mental and physical well being.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue is a recipe by Matthew Kenney, James Beard Award nominated chef and co-founder of the upscale, sexy, award winning raw vegan cuisine restaurant in New York City, Pure Food & Wine. This dish encapsulates what I love about Raw Cuisine: light, intoxicatingly fresh ingredients, bursting with delicious flavors. To be absolutely cliche, it's summertime on a plate.
Enjoy:-)
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
TOMATOES
8 large green tomatoes (green tomatoes are firm & slice easily, I picked a couple with spots of pink blush on the skins, lo & behold they were both beautiful green and red in the centers!)
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped tomatoes (heirloom if possible)
1/4 cup agave
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons himalayan or celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup bail, julienned, plus more for garnish
PISTACHIO RELISH
1 cup pistachios
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon himalayan or celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Method:
TOMATOES Thinly slice tomatoes on a mandoline into 1/4 inch slices.
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE Blend all ingredients except basil in a high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in basil.
PISTACHIO RELISH Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
FINISH Alternate layering 3 to 4 tomatoes with Pistachio Relish. Drizzle with Sweet Tomato Fondue, serving remaining Fondue in small bowls alongside with soup spoons. Garnish with more Pistachio Relish and a few pieces of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
One of my favorite, must-order dishes whenever we eat at Japanese restaurants is seaweed salad. The exotic textures, colors and flavors are an irressitable treat for me, not to mention a bona fide cocktail of minerals & vitamins, including B12. Ocean sea vegetables are macroalgaes that possess an impressive profile of protein, minerals and trace minerals. It is said that a piece of raw, unwashed seaweed will retain every single mineral held by the ocean. Seaweed can purify the blood because its chemical compositions are very similar to blood plasma in human beings. Not only are these gorgeous sea vegetables a powerhouse of macrobiotic nutrition, they're anti-inflammatory and possess cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer & anti-viral properties as well… oh, they also make your hair lustrous & healthy too!
You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could make this beautiful salad at home. It's a delicious, light summer meal which takes only minutes to assemble. I often use SeaSnax SeaVegi seaweed salad mix, by a great company with strict sourcing from only the purest ocean waters.
Please enjoy this magical and exotic salad!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Makes 4 side course servings or 2 main course servings if you're like Jim and me:-)
Ingredients:
1 oz package dehydrated Seaweed Salad Mix (or equivalent of mixed seaweeds such as Wakame, Agar, Sugnori, Tsunomata & Mafunori Seaweed)
1 fuji apple, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion thinly slivered
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp raw honey or agave
Method:
Place seaweed in a large bowl and cover with cold, filtered water. Set aside to rehydrate for 7 minutes, then drain into a collander.
While the seaweed is rehydrating, assemble the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, tamari, sesame oil and honey. Stir in the minced ginger and garlic.
Lastly place the rehydrated seaweed, sliced apple, sliced onion in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing until coated.
In case it wasn't obvious, I am overwhelmed with enthusiasm about the Raw Vegan adventure I embarked upon 3 1/2 weeks ago. I do not exagerate when I say it's as if I started some amazing miracle meds … I suddenly have tons more energy, my moods are even keel and happy (er, I'm actually ecstatic most of the time) any cravings I once had for unhealthy foods have dissapeared (and been replaced for cravings for my new Raw Vegan fare) and last but not least this food is outrageously delicious! I have so many awesome recipes I want to share, I'm busting at the seams… not to mention I can't wait to introduce my dehydrator, sprouting trays and other new friends. Good times.
Alas, today is about a simple, delicious dish I haven't had since those good old college days when I worked as a hostess at Amici's Italian Restaurant– Pasta Alfredo. I remember the first day I watched Eric (the chef & owner) prepare pasta alfredo; a stick of butter, a cup of cream, some salt & pepper and not much else all tossed together with fettucine and poured into a single serving pasta bowl. Yikes! I'd had no idea 'til then what exactly it took to create one of my favorite items on the menu and ever since it's been one of those dishes I never eat…
The fantastic little tool in every Raw Vegetarian kitchen which turns a simple yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini into a plate of spaghetti awaiting whatever delicious toppings your heart desires, in this case a heaping serving of
Creamy. Ooey-gooey. Luscious.
Alfredo Sauce.
Comforting. Delicious and so very light and fabulous for you all at the same time.
Please enjoy!
Freshly made Zucchini Spaghetti for Pasta Alfredo
Recipe for Pasta Alfredo (serves 4)
Pasta
2 large yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini (peeled for a closer to pasta affect, or leave peel on for added color)
Alfredo Sauce
2 cups raw cashews
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/1/2 cups water
1/8 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or gluten free tamari
3-4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp. Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt or to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. pine nuts &/or a few julienned basil ribbons for garnish
Cut zucchinis in half (otherwise pasta strands will be veeerrrry long), then, using a Spiralizer tool, create spaghetti pasta strands. Place in large bowl and set aside.
Place all the sauce ingredients into a heavy duty blender (such as a Vitamix). Blend into thick cream. Add more water if needed to create preferred consistency. Check seasonings and adjust to your taste.
Pour alfredo sauce over the pasta noodles and toss to coat.
Place into serving bowls and garnish pinenuts &/or julienned basil ribbons if desired.
https://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.png00Juliane Porterhttps://stylenectar.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/stylenectar.pngJuliane Porter2012-07-26 10:25:492025-12-06 15:02:55Dearest Pasta Alfredo… it’s been way too long!
Water Night
"Water Night" first took my breath away when I heard it performed on "From the Top" by the highly aclaimed Norman North High School Chorale in Oklahoma. This translation of a Spanish poem, adapted by Eric Whitaker, is a beautifully evocotive, metaphorical piece formed in a series of vignets about the connection of the water to the soul, and the quest to find the innermost spirit in ourselves. Further interpretation reflects the experience of holding something difficult inside over a period of time, and finally letting it go to find peace.
"Water Night" is the inspiration for one of my upcoming paintings.
(Please press play. Feel free to read along with the lyrics below.)
Water Night
Night with the eyes of a horse that trembles in the night,
night with eyes of water in the field asleep
is in your eyes, a horse that trembles,
is in your eyes of secret water.
Eyes of shadow-water,
eyes of well-water,
eyes of dream-water.
Silence and solitude,
two little animals moon-led,
drink in your eyes,
drink in those waters.
If you open your eyes,
night opens, doors of musk,
the secret kingdom of the water opens
flowing from the center of night.
And if you close your eyes,
a river fills you from within,
flows forward, darkens you:
night brings its wetness to beaches in your soul.
Octavio Paz, 1914-1998
(Adapted by Eric Whitacre, Translation by Muriel Rukeyser)
**The original poem is "Agua Nocturna" by Octavio Paz. Peace is connected to a long tradition of "night" in visual art, poetry and music.
If you liked this post, say thanks by sharing it.
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
& Cocao Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Crispies & Strawberries awaiting creamy Almond Milk
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies), a recipe from the beautiful book, Raw Food Real World, by the equally beautiful Sarma Melngailis, falls into the addictive category for me. Not only are they delicious served in a bowl of creamy Almond milk (they remain nice & crispy in milk too!) but, since I find myself daydreaming of their crisp, sweet deliciousness, they're currently my favorite snack as well… a perfect nibble alongside a cup of tea. Fortunately, they're also quick and easy to make!
Buckwheat isn't actually a grain, but rather, an edible fruit seed which is easy for the body to digest, unlike grains, which increase acidity in the body, upsetting its pH balance. An overly acidic body is a magnet for sickness, disease, cancer and aging. Eating more alkaline foods helps shift your body's pH and oxygenates your system, keeping your body healthy, functioning correctly and even preventing and combating cancer.
Maple Cinnamon Crispies (and Cocoa Crispies) is one of the first recipes I made using my Excalibur dehydrator, a raw foodist's tool for many recipes. The dehydrator achieves the ability to warm and "cook" ingredients in a processs which retains almost 100% of the nutritional content of the food as well as the alkalinity of fresh produce while simultaneously inhibiting the growth of microforms such as bacteria. If you don't have a dehydrator, you could substitute your oven on it's lowest setting, leaving the door slightly ajar (to achieve a temp. of 115 F). Be sure to purchase raw buckwheat groats for this recipe, not the toasted type called kashi.
Enjoy!
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
Maple Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies & Cocoa Crispies (Serves 4-6)
Recipe from the beautiful book: Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis
Ingredients:
Method:
Cocoa Crispies: Replace the cinnamon with 2 heaping tablespoons of organic cocoa powder or carob powder.
You may also enjoy: Vibrant Pear & Fuji Salad with Pecans & Cheddar
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Admittadly, I considered posting only the pictures of this luscious dish. It was that delicious, fresh and beautiful. Couldn't it possibly stand alone with no words to accompany?
I'm having SO much fun cooking Raw Vegan Cuisine, learning a ton, working with new ingredients, techniques and tools, making many ingredients by hand… and continuing to feel amazing changes in my spiritual, mental and physical well being.
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue is a recipe by Matthew Kenney, James Beard Award nominated chef and co-founder of the upscale, sexy, award winning raw vegan cuisine restaurant in New York City, Pure Food & Wine. This dish encapsulates what I love about Raw Cuisine: light, intoxicatingly fresh ingredients, bursting with delicious flavors. To be absolutely cliche, it's summertime on a plate.
Enjoy:-)
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
TOMATOES
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE
PISTACHIO RELISH
Method:
TOMATOES Thinly slice tomatoes on a mandoline into 1/4 inch slices.
SWEET TOMATO FONDUE Blend all ingredients except basil in a high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in basil.
PISTACHIO RELISH Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
FINISH Alternate layering 3 to 4 tomatoes with Pistachio Relish. Drizzle with Sweet Tomato Fondue, serving remaining Fondue in small bowls alongside with soup spoons. Garnish with more Pistachio Relish and a few pieces of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue
You may also enjoy: First Spring Harvest… a cool, zippy refrigerator snack!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Wakame, Agar, Sugnori, Tsunomata & Mafunori Seaweed freshly rehydrated
One of my favorite, must-order dishes whenever we eat at Japanese restaurants is seaweed salad. The exotic textures, colors and flavors are an irressitable treat for me, not to mention a bona fide cocktail of minerals & vitamins, including B12. Ocean sea vegetables are macroalgaes that possess an impressive profile of protein, minerals and trace minerals. It is said that a piece of raw, unwashed seaweed will retain every single mineral held by the ocean. Seaweed can purify the blood because its chemical compositions are very similar to blood plasma in human beings. Not only are these gorgeous sea vegetables a powerhouse of macrobiotic nutrition, they're anti-inflammatory and possess cholesterol lowering, anti-cancer & anti-viral properties as well… oh, they also make your hair lustrous & healthy too!
You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could make this beautiful salad at home. It's a delicious, light summer meal which takes only minutes to assemble. I often use SeaSnax SeaVegi seaweed salad mix, by a great company with strict sourcing from only the purest ocean waters.
Please enjoy this magical and exotic salad!
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Makes 4 side course servings or 2 main course servings if you're like Jim and me:-)
Ingredients:
Method:
Japanese Seaweed Salad
Dearest Pasta Alfredo… it’s been way too long!
In case it wasn't obvious, I am overwhelmed with enthusiasm about the Raw Vegan adventure I embarked upon 3 1/2 weeks ago. I do not exagerate when I say it's as if I started some amazing miracle meds … I suddenly have tons more energy, my moods are even keel and happy (er, I'm actually ecstatic most of the time) any cravings I once had for unhealthy foods have dissapeared (and been replaced for cravings for my new Raw Vegan fare) and last but not least this food is outrageously delicious! I have so many awesome recipes I want to share, I'm busting at the seams… not to mention I can't wait to introduce my dehydrator, sprouting trays and other new friends. Good times.
Alas, today is about a simple, delicious dish I haven't had since those good old college days when I worked as a hostess at Amici's Italian Restaurant– Pasta Alfredo. I remember the first day I watched Eric (the chef & owner) prepare pasta alfredo; a stick of butter, a cup of cream, some salt & pepper and not much else all tossed together with fettucine and poured into a single serving pasta bowl. Yikes! I'd had no idea 'til then what exactly it took to create one of my favorite items on the menu and ever since it's been one of those dishes I never eat…
Until now!
Enter Spiralizer
The fantastic little tool in every Raw Vegetarian kitchen which turns a simple yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini into a plate of spaghetti awaiting whatever delicious toppings your heart desires, in this case a heaping serving of
Creamy. Ooey-gooey. Luscious.
Alfredo Sauce.
Comforting. Delicious and so very light and fabulous for you all at the same time.
Please enjoy!
Freshly made Zucchini Spaghetti for Pasta Alfredo
Recipe for Pasta Alfredo (serves 4)
Pasta
Alfredo Sauce
Enjoy!
Pasta Alfredo awaiting devourment
You may also enjoy: Beach Babes or Blueberry Coconut Smoothie