Raw Foods Chef Plans Tasty Party to Celebrate New Recipe Book FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, April 15, 1998 For more information, call Shaune Velazquez at 212-941-5857 Hooked on Raw is the title of a unique upcoming recipe book featuring 350 gourmet living and raw foods recipes. To celebrate, the book's author, inventive Manhattan chef Rhio, will be holding a gourmet raw foods vegetarian dinner feast on Friday May 8, at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at her festive Tribeca loft, and will give food enthusiasts a taste of some of the amazing recipes in Hooked on Raw. Rhio (who goes by one name only) provides an information hotline (the Raw Energy Hotline: 212-343-1152) on raw foods events such as potlucks, lectures, classes and conventions, as well as health news updates. She is also known for hosting raw foods potluck dinners, and for giving raw foods classes. Rhio is one of many who believe that living foods (those that are still sprouting as you eat them) and raw foods (those that have not been heated above 105- to-115 degrees F) provide the highest form of nutrition, because when foods are heated over 105 degrees F, their enzymes and other valuable nutrients are destroyed. "A growing community of people are discovering that eating vegetarian foods in their natural, uncooked state makes them feel vibrantly alive," she says. Raw foods are not only healthful eating, they're the newest taste trend. In fact, two raw foods establishments have opened locally within the last six months: O- Zone (a Tribeca cafe featured recently on Channel 7's Eyewitness News), and Sunfire Juice Club (a take-out store in Brooklyn). Several other US cities also feature raw/living foods restaurants, among them, San Francisco, San Diego, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Hooked on Raw's 32 chapters will cover a large range of food types, such as appetizers; dehydrated foods; salads; marinades and condiments; breakfasts; sauces, dips and spreads; and desserts; with an emphasis on hearty main course dishes. It will even include chapters on spices you can make from scratch, and cosmetics you can make from supplies in your kitchen. Finally, readers will find valuable information on the benefits of sprouting; the drawbacks of food irradiation, genetic engineering of plants, hybridization of seeds; and many other important topics. The May 8 event will feature live entertainment and surprise guests, as well as a not-to-be-missed feast of fabulous raw and living foods recipes prepared by Rhio. There will also be a drawing for prizes, including: a week at the Ann Wigmore Institute, a Champion juicer, massages, and more. Rhio's Raw Energy Hotline number is 212-343-1152. The book (to be delivered to customers next winter) can be ordered for $30. Those buying it now will receive free admission to the May 8 event. Payment should be sent to: Rhio's Raw Foods, 244 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2354, New York, NY 10001-7604. Rhio's e-mail address is: [log in to unmask]