We were privileged this week to visit Melbourne for a private dinner hosted for Matthew Kenney.
I have followed Matthews work for years and I have to admit his was one of the first recipe books I picked up when I started on my raw Journey.
Matthew Kenney is without a doubt one of the leading Raw Chefs in the world; He is a classically trained chef and has opened his own restaurants in New York and the east coast of USA. He has earned several awards and regularly lectures on food and health. He has taken Raw food to a fine dining level by taking contemporary methods and techniques and applying them to raw. In 2009 Matthew created the world’s first classically structured raw food culinary academy and now has graduates in over 30 countries.
When we arrived at Matthews’s hotel for the interview he had so kindly agreed to, we were like a couple of fans going to meet their favorite rock star! Yet here was this gentle, humble man with the most amazing philosophy on food and its purpose. He just glowed with health and vitality even though he was still jet lagged having just flown in from LA the afternoon before. I’m thrilled to be able to share this interview with you…enjoy..
Talking about everything Raw with Matthew Kenney
Raw food can be all encompassing.
Matthew: It really more than the food. Although it is about the food initially, it’s consuming food in its most natural state. Of course by consuming plants its better for the environment than other types of products. It’s also better for our health and the omissions and our energy. It brings a lot to the table. It’s the complete package. It can be life changing for most people to embrace. Food is just the beginning into health and wellness.
When did you first start working with Raw?.
Matthew: I had always been into health and wellbeing at the same time as being a chef. When I was first introduced to raw I thought it was quite strange, but everyone I met was glowing with health. I had a light bulb moment 10 years ago and decided to take it to the next level as a classically trained chef by applying the culinary skills I’d learnt to this cuisine. The focus is local, seasonal and organic. So 70% of the work is sourcing great product, then applying innovative techniques and new ideas to create the dishes. The schools and cafes are located strategically where there is access to great farmers markets
The Academy
The Mission is to bridge the gap between nutrition, wellness and the culinary arts. It shouldn’t be a compromise to have great tasting food, it can be good for you as well.
The goal of the chef training program is to reach the world and create awareness. Matthew believes the best way to take this message out to the world, is through the chefs. As he clearly states, “we are pleasure seekers” so food must taste good to us. If the Chefs embrace the concept of making the food taste good and be good for you as well as looking good, consumers will adopt that as a lifestyle more readily.
Matthew: The reason we have the academy and online academy is to spread the word. We have graduated hundreds of students and those students take what they have learnt and share it with their friends and families and ultimately we can reach millions of people that way.”
Seduction through food.
Matthew: “You eat with your eyes first and with raw food we have an advantage as we don’t cook out the colors and flavors and moisture. It’s just the most beautiful food if it’s prepared properly. When it hits your palette it’s not diluted with flour and dairy so the flavors are powerful with citrus and herbs etc. So once you know how to utilize the techniques and ingredients it’s quite an easy task to seduce people with this food.”
When we think of Raw food the two techniques that come to mind are blending and dehydrating.
Can you tell us a little about the other techniques you use.
Matthew: Yes with dehydrating, that’s one technique but it’s a bit like a traditional restaurant only using baking. But in reality there’s steaming and frying and poaching and sautéing. In the raw food world, well at least the one we practice in our schools we use fermenting, vacuum sealing to intensify flavors, thermal immersion, smoking, curing with herbs and salt, pickling. We have a machine called an ultrasonic homogenizer, which emulsifies with ultra sound so there’s no temperature, no chemicals. That’s in our test kitchen called Plant Lab. We have something called an anti griddle which freezes instead of grilling. It freezes so fast you avoid having the ice crystals. We use all sorts of slicing tools as well. So dehydration is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to it than that.
Is there’s one dish that is your favorite.
Matthew: for years it was our Heirloom Tomato Lasagna, which was the first dish I created back in New York, but now it’s our kim chi dumplings with sesame seed foam. But I’m always changing my mind about that!
If you would like to find out more about Matthew, his work and of course his amazing recipes go to
http://matthewkenneycuisine.com
Thanks Matthew for sharing your time and inspiration with us…