Welcome to my Taste of Raw website
I am living in the land of enchantment and loving it in Albuquerque, NM!
I am currently offering classes in Albuquerque to share the wonderful tastes of Raw food cuisine
and the health benefits of Living Foods
Thanks to my new student who made the forget Cooking? class so much fun!
Check it out, next class is "taste of Exotic Asian Cuisine on May 27th,1:3O-4:45
Scroll Down to find upcoming classes and Call me at 363-4288 to let me know if you can come.
See the Raw vegan classes coming up...and click link to sign up for my monthly newsletter!
Teaching raw and living foods to add spice to your life!
Chef Karen Hammer
HI! I'm Chef Karen Hammer and I love fresh healthy, healing foods and I also love to prepare them. I am a graduate of Living Light Culinary Arts Institute and received my certification as a Raw Culinary Arts Associate Chef in February 2010 A lifelong interest in food and heath and a believer of the quote from Hippocrates which states "our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food". This interest also led me to study at the Ann Wigmore Foundation as she was the pioneer in foods that heal. I am interested in sharing with you foods that taste delicious and create better health and healing for many people all over the world. At this time I find it is important to find ways to stay healthy through wonderful whole fresh and organic foods. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, sprouted grains, seeds and beans. Sea veggies provide so many minerals that we need and I believe can help to keep us well. Eating at least 50% raw foods or more is what I recommend for people who want to improve their health. I am passionate about sharing this lifestyle where living or raw foods can be delicious, satisfying and beautiful using natural whole living foods. These are the foods that will sustain us into the future.
I offer group classes, personalized training, products, and private chef services.
By subscribing to this site you'll receive delicious recipes and newsletters as well as information for my classes
Above is a picture of me wearing my chef coat and hat taken while I was at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute in Fort Bragg, California in February 2010. Located on Hwy 1 the ocean there is amazing with cliffs and white waves below. It was spectacular, though the classes kept us very busy!
The founder Cherie Soria is an amazing chef and teacher who has run a vegan cooking school for about 30 years and raw vegan in the last decade. She has shared so much of her knowledge with us.
For most of my life I have always loved to cook and experiment with foods and flavors, but changing to a raw program had some distinct changes. Soaking nuts and seeds to remove the enzyme inhibitors. Preparing uncooked foods and using very low heat food (using a dehydrator) to keep all the phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals intact. Preparing foods that are satisfying with variety and not just a salad for every meal. Changing to raw and fresh living foods was a change to what I had known previously and I decided to learn all I could.
I was eating a living food diet for exactly a year before I went to Living Light. After hearing a talk by Brian Clement from Hippocrates who was on a speaking tour around the country. I saw him in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I live. Right then and there I decided to try going raw and I became passionate about raw vegan foods and enjoyed this adventure in eating. I loved the way it made me feel so alive and energetic. For that year I spent time searching on the internet to learn all I could about preparing this cuisine and experimenting with flavors. Then of course I started reading books. To change to Raw Vegan didn't seem like such a stretch for me as I was vegetarian for over 11 years. The desire for a healthy diet and learning about healthy food started in my senior year in high school. I had decided to become a vegetarian, but was convinced by family (my parents) that we need cheese or fish at the least to be getting the protein we need. It seems to be an obsession with many Americans to worry about whether they get enough protein when most people probably get too much. Have you ever heard of a protein deficiency in this country? I haven't.
Since I started as a raw vegan more than 2 years ago , I have now released over 40 lbs and I feel great. I just ate fresh and healthy raw foods in whatever quantities I felt I needed and the pounds melted off.
In November 2009 I attended a program (retreat) at the Ann Wigmore Foundation in San Fidel, New Mexico. At that time I was raw vegan 9 months.
Ann Wigmore started healing people of many diseases including herself of cancer starting in the 1960's. She was the founder of Hippocrates that was in Boston. She then created her foundation that moved to New Mexico after she passed away in a fire. I think they do an amazing job of teaching people how to improve their health with living foods. Many people with serious illnesses regain their health after learning there. They follow the protocol that Ann Wigmore developed, the concept of using raw foods and sprouts for healing. She is also considered the "Mother of Wheatgrass" I am so happy the foundation is continuing to educate people in this tradition that's needed so much right now! I give thanks to Susan Lavendar who runs it and puts her heart into it with dedication to help so many people. She has become a good friend.
Right now I am starting a new adventure, giving classes and helping people learn how much fun it can be to live and create health with this lifestyle. I'm also looking for the perfect space to open a raw vegan restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico when the time is right!
View to the west from my home with zoom.
Extinct volcanos and the beautiful New Mexico sunset! I took this as I had never seen a sunset like this one in the first few years living here, now I realize it was probably created by Chemtrails or geoengineering the sky, I am starting to have showings of the documentary film "What in the world are they spraying?" at my home. This is an important issue! Our air, food, water is at stake! If you are interested please contact me and come to one of them. I feel this is extremely important for us.
Please check out these of websites www.abouthesky.com or www.californiaskywatch.com. www.carnicom.com
I am so energized to be sharing Living foods by giving raw food classes for
health. The foods taste wonderful with fresh natural flavors
Upcoming Raw Vegan "Taste Of Raw Classes"
with Karen Hammer
Register now for classes below to reserve a space. All classes have a 7% sales tax
For the 3 hr classes $45.00 this makes the cost 48.15The 1 1/2 hour classes are $25 plus tax
Remember all of my classes are Raw Vegan.
So no dairy, no refined sugar or refined flour.
If it sounds like cheese it is made with a nut either raw almonds or cashews or other nuts or seeds
If it sounds like milk or cream it is also made from nuts or seeds or even the milk of coconuts
Classes happening from May to July in 2012
Sunday, May 27th, 1:30-4:45 pm
$45.00 w/ tax 48.50
Experience Raw Vegan at it's best!
vegetable sushimaki, vegetable teriyaki w/teriyaki sauce w/ pineapple kabobs, Tom Kha (thai style soup), seaweed salad, tropical fruit tart.
Raw Vegan Cuisine w/essential oils!
Sunday, June 10th 2012, 2012 1:30-4:30 pm
All American Comfort Foods
Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 1:30-4:30 to
Yum burgers, Onion rings, Cole Slaw, All American Apple Pie, Healthy Ketchup and mustard.
All raw and vegan, You will love to make these treats for a not barbeque on a warm summer day or the burger can become your raw staple to have around! Delicious and Satisfying bringing back memories of family gathering in the summertime
One and half hour class $25.00 with tax 26.75
Contact Karen:press link here chefkarenhammer@yahoo.com
505-363-4288 register by contacting Karen by phone or by email.
Pay by mail to Karen Hammer, 699 Bluebird Ln NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico,87122
All of my classes are raw vegan with maximally raw and organic ingredients!
__________________________________________ See picture of dish from my Asian Cuisine class below garden gossip.
Garden Gossip
Its Spring now and the time to get started growing your vegetables and fruits, This time is a time of action and gathering together the ingredients, soil, water, seeds to produce a marvelous bounty of nature. We still need to enrich the soil by bringing in our fruit and vegetable scraps to compost and add back into our garden soil. We may have to bring in some richer soil to add to it. Or Provide a covering of mulch to keep moisture in the soil of our high dessert terrain . This is all very important to the success of the Garden
Besides sprouting indoors and growing wheatgrass. I find watching the sprouts and living plants grow is such a gift that shows us the miracle of nature as it is intended! If anyone has tips on gardening in New Mexico, please share as this can help others and I will post tips on this website.
Farmers markets are now starting selling garden plants and vegetables or fruits will be in season soon. Other garden stores sell seeds and starter plant many with heirloom or organic seeds. CSA's such as Los Poblanos are going strong (community supported Agriculture or coop's for organic produce. In the spring summer and fall I buy as much local produce and fruit as I can find for our use. Buying this way saves energy use. It's one of the freshest ways to sustainably buy your food. We also make a difference when we buy organic and send a clear message to our farmer producers about what we need for our health! They will get it promptly and we control what we choose to put into our bodies to keep them healthy and not to ingest pesticides in or on foods our foods. There are other ways than chemical pesticides!
I am so thankful for the hard work farmers of the world put into working nature to
bring wonderful foods to give us the nutrition we need to live.
Below picture of Vegetable Terriyaki with Pinapple skewer from my asian class - mmm good!
Below that a picture of my potted flowering basil flowers which are edible. and info on lemons alkalizing properties.
It is good to include some Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes which are some of the most alkalizing fruits. They taste sour but once they go into your mouth and mix with your saliva and go through the digestion process they turn alkaline inside your body. We try to achieve a balance, but a body that is on the alkaline side keeps us healthier. You can include it in your preparation of foods or add lemon to juices or water, in addition to dressings, sauces, and most dishes in raw food preparation. Its easy to substitue lime and a tip is you need much less salt.
