In October we were doing a lot of salads. Not the ordinary Caesar kind, but a hole winter collection of raw food salads designed to be eaten in Copenhagen’s first raw food bar, 42°raw. At first we thought it was going to be easy, but it was not. A few brain storming sessions later, we ended up with a bunch of seasonal ingredients, but no ideas on how to make them interesting and tasty for the meat eating people. After a rethinking we settled on modern classic taste combinations (such as Jerusalem artichokes/walnuts - tomato/avocado) and turned our focus on the soft creamy textures and succulent umami flavors that we all know from the kitchens that have stoves! Using modern techniques such as vacuum, dehydration and emulsifiers we ended up with a good very edible result. The salads are now being sold as I write and I´ve been told that the guests are enjoying them.

It has been a great journey that has taught us a lot and we are looking forward to creating the next bunch of salads in spring. I’ll try and post some detailed photos and descriptions later this month.

Until then, visit 42Raw, Pilestrædet 32 for a salad.

(Greens from field, marinated beets, salted seaweed, aromatic roses and miso/capers emulsion).

Excerpts from the press release and a few raw food facts :

Raw Food with a Copenhagen Twist SUSTAINABILITY HAS A NEW TASTE. The Danes offer a new, stylish twist on the successful raw food wave, currently sweeping cities around the globe. 42°RAW is a concept for the post-COP15 world, bringing sustainability, European cuisine and style to a whole new level.

The Danes are - still - raw The Danes are not all about vikings, windmills and provoking cartoons. As the raw food fever hits the European continent, a team of brazen young Danes have set forth to create a new and ambitious concept in modern, stylish, sustainable cooking. The inspiration for the café grew out of a personal experience in how raw food can transform your wellness and health, but with great influence from the increasing demand for - and focus in Denmark on - sustainable innovations in business and culture.

A designer’s collection - of salad 42°RAW is the premiere of raw food in Denmark, and from the beginning the aim has been to up the ante for amazing culinary experiences in raw food. Danish superchefs Lasse Askov and Bo Lindegaard have designed the menu, while consultant Caroline Fibæk has made sure everything is true to the raw food philosophy, not forgetting the importance of great taste and amazing ’healthy’ sweets.

Something for the eye and the soul But 42°RAW is not only a testament to sustainable and organic food, eco-friendly packaging and responsible cooking. It is also an expression of how vegan and vegetarian food is now going stylish and mainstream. The café is primarily take away, the small dining area is stylishly decorated with a seating stair, inspired by Prada in New York, and furnished with the special edition of Alvar Aalto’s iconic Stool 60 by Artek and Monocle Magazine. The centerpiece in the café is the company’s vision, painted in golden colors: 42°RAW is committed to changing the way modern people eat & think about food.

42°RAW FACTS Pilestræde 32 in Central Copenhagen, Denmark’s first rawfood café, No eggs, gluten, sugar and dairy products, Eco-friendly packaging, 24 seats + seating stair inspired by Prada

Read more about the raw food (danish)