the below is presented with only minor edits. The Raw Restaurant may have
changed some of their pizza recipes since the below was written. This file
will be posted once only and will not be saved in my personal archive, as it
may be out of date info...

Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 21:09:37 -0400
From: "Thomas E. Billings" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: living foods "pizza"

a new raw foods restaurant has opened here in San Francisco. One of their
most popular dishes is what they call a live "pizza". I don't have the
exact recipe but can describe it in some detail (those interested can
experiment to develop a precise recipe).

The crust of the pizza is made from sprouted buckwheat, ground up, mixed
with maple syrup (a cooked product), and dehydrated. As maple syrup is a
cooked product, some might want to substitute raw honey or raw sugarcane
crystals. They claimed the buckwheat was sprouted, but I suspect it was
simply soaked. (For info on sprouting buckwheat, see the sprouting info
file at the veg-raw ftp site. Note that for sprouting you must use raw, hulled
buckwheat only, and buckwheat will turn slimy if soaked for long periods.)

The topping of the pizza was raw sauerkraut, spiced with turmeric (enough to
make it yellow), cumin seed, mustard seed, and with plenty of raw jalapeno
pepper. It was not clear whether they used cumin/mustard seed powder, or
ground up soaked seeds. The sauerkraut/spice mixture was moist but not
dripping wet. The pizza also had sheets of nori seaweed in it; don't remember
whether it was on top or between crust and topping. Note that some nori sheets
are a cooked product, being boiled, hammered flat, then dried. (Some are
reportedly raw.)

I tasted the above pizza when the restaurant owners came to a meeting of the
San Francisco Living Foods Support Group. The taste was very good but it also
made my nose run and was too hot for me. Most others at the meeting enjoyed
the "living foods pizza".

Some readers will note that the pizza is not for puritans, as it can include
some cooked ingredients, spices, fermented foods. I haven't eaten any since
their visit to the Living Foods Support Group. However the "pizza" may appeal
to others, and could be a good transition food for some (or a tasty way
to introduce raw/living foods to those considering the lifestyle).

Tom Billings
[log in to unmask]
-
>From [log in to unmask] Mon Aug 21 18:10 PDT 1995
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 1995 21:10:18 -0400
Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]>
From: "Thomas E. Billings" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: living foods "pizza" - additional information

----------------------------
Submitted to veg-raw by "Thomas E. Billings" <[log in to unmask]>
----------------------------
checked the menu for the new raw foods restaurant, and wanted to update the
info on the pizza ingredients. The previous post was based solely on my
memory of the taste and what the restaurant owners said when they visited
the San Francisco Living Foods Support Group in early June - nearly 3
months ago.

The menu indicates that:
* nori sheets are between the crust and the topping
* additional ingredients in topping (besides raw sauerkraut): avocado,
sprouts, olive oil, hemp seeds, raisins, lemon juice, herbs and spices
* the herbs and spices were identified in the previous post. Although I'm
fairly certain it had cumin in it, there was little - mostly red peppers,
turmeric, mustard seeds. The primary ingredient in the topping is sauerkraut.
* the topping was partially smooth - suggesting that the sprouts, avocado,
oil, other ingredients were ground up (but not liquified) before being mixed
with the sauerkraut. Suggest you use mild-flavored sprouts if you experiment.
Note that using a blender for the topping might liquify it, rather than
simply mix it.
* it is cabbage sauerkraut, not beet sauerkraut
* raisins were a minor ingredient, if I remember correctly
* hemp seeds are cooked (heat sterilized), in conformance with zealous
anti-drug regulations.

The menu lists a number of other "pizzas", which they spell "pizze".
One lists the ingredients: raw cured eggplant, green olives *, dried tomatoes,
garlic, mushrooms, avocado, herbs and spices.  Note that * = probably
cooked. I won't be trying this one as I can't stand garlic!

Tom Billings