All tomatoes, basil, and zucchini are local. I’ve been devouring local apricots, cherries, blueberries, peaches, and greens as well. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, try to visit the Clark Park or Rittenhouse farmers’ market this weekend!
Above is simply basil and tomatoes pureed/pulsed in the food processor over zucchini.
Orlando and I went to Horizons last night for the Valentine’s Day menu, with them happily accommodating a raw meal for me. 
I didn’t take any photographs, but I wanted to note for any raw fooders or raw-inclined people who read my blog that the raw menu that Horizons does is spectacular. I don’t remember the names of everything, but it was all light, fresh tasting, low or no oil, no dehydration, including a beet salad; a celery, radicchio, lettuce salad; a tomato-fennel soup; carrot risotto with cumin and cilantro; avocado jicama ravioli with tomatoes; and for dessert, grapes with mint, tangerines (or some orange citrus?), and pears with a pomegranate balsamic reduction.
Definitely go there, but call ahead so they know to have raw ingredients available!
Horizons will make a raw appetizer and entree if a call is made ahead of time! It is really good, too. This should be kept in mind as well now that they don’t have fresh spinach ready because the spinach salad is not on the menu (at least right now).
I was very pleased to go into Naked Chocolate at Juniper and Walnut in Philadelphia, ask about what was vegan, and promptly getting answers without a bat of an eye. These people know what makes good chocolate (that would be the cocoa/cacao, people).
I chose the fondue without the cakes and other miscellaneous items (I don’t know if they were vegan), opting for mostly raw with the fruits, and the dark chocolate. It was heavenly!
Lavender Cheesecake with White Chocolate Caramel and Strawberries…..sisters say it was delightful and creamy!
Sauteed Exotic Mushrooms. Dawn really loved these.
This is my usual setup at Horizons, a glass of Chardonnay, water, and my camera at my side. And two spinach salads and the green salad. Yes, three (or four) salads in one meal! Dawn got the spinach salad as well, saying it’s the best spinach salad she has ever had. Tracy got the grilled seitan, something she had gotten before, and she was craving the spinach and mashed potatoes.
Unfortunately, many of the pictures of the great meal I shared with Sue did not come out great; they were all taken with a camera phone.
I got my usual, the green salad as an appetizer and spinach salad (Yucatan salad) as my entree. Not all raw but mostly raw.
Sue got the vegetable sampler tasting menu, which was really cool. It came with a beet salad to start, then a tomato soup with spinach and asparagus, then a heart of palm cake with horseradish sauce and guacamole, an exotic mushroom dish with a parsnip ravioli, and then a dessert sampler with brulee, cheesecake, and biscotti. Sue said everything was great except for the biscotti.
Pictures are of the heart of palm cake, the spinach salad, and the beet salad.
Yes, I have some Cheezly….and I will make a pizza soon! I just don’t have the desire for fatty/melty foods as I used to. I think a lot of times we crave things merely because we are accustomed to them and/or there is some psychological attachment to certain foods. I don’t have a cheese monster inside of me, but I am looking forward to trying this product and will let everyone know how it is!
In the interim, I have been eating tons of raw food and a bit of cooked. It’s all part of my detoxification, as I term it, from a few days of eating rich (albeit healthier than omnivorous counterparts) restaurant meals.
Certainly, I would recommend heading over to Horizons at 7th & Kater (between South & Bainbridge) and getting the Pumpkin Pie Martini with a cinnamon stick and the Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake. If the thought of pure chocolate strikes your fancy, get the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb. My favorite entree dish there is the Spinach Salad with delicious avocado and corn pieces; however, many people prefer to start their meal with the BBQ Seitan. Get over there and splurge for the fall season!
Plantains Pacific Rim~
Crispy smashed plantains & wonton chips surround a savory parfait of wasbi crema, mango papaya salsa & sesame-soy black bean hummus. 8.75
Indonesian peanut & sweet potato soup.
These are lentil dumplings with lemongrass.
Cubano Supper*
Flaky plantain pastries stuffed with sunflower seed-smoked red pepper pesto surround tower of yellow tomatoes & avocado corn salsa. Served with chipotle jicama slaw & mango-papaya relish. 16.95
Macadamia Black Bean Cakes *
Trio of macadamia black bean cakes surround grilled hoisin pineapple & red quinoa-black rice pilaf. Served with watermelon jicama slaw & mango barbeque glaze. 18.50
Hazelnut Toffee Basket*
Filled with rich chocolate buttercream mousse, caramlized bananas & toasted hazelnuts
It was another awesome dining experience, this time with a glass of wine! We’re missing a photograph of a carryout order mysteriously placed by one of my cohorts!
I still don’t know why this restaurant chooses to serve animal products. Clearly, the chef is capable of making delicious, peaceful items.
This is an excellent restaurant in Wynnewood, PA, with very understanding waitstaff when it comes to requesting items without fish/oyster sauce and also a good ole plate of steamed greens (shown here with broccoli and bok choy).
Also shown is the vegetarian General Tso’s, which an excellent sauce. I love the green onions with it!
When going to Bertucci’s, I find that the pizza can get pretty pricy if you add individual vegetables. However, they have the side of roasted Tuscan vegetables that you can order and put on top of your pizza yourself! This pizza shown is ordered with two vegetables that come with it (this time, eggplant and fresh tomatoes) and then topped with the side of vegetables. Make sure you order no cheese, including no parmesan, as their oil mixture does have cheese in it.
The crust and sauce are extremely tasty! I love Bertucci’s.
