dinner menu august

Dinner Menu 

August 2013

first course $12

curry spiced coconut and vegetable soup, served with marinated lotus root

or

stuffed tomato with marinated mushrooms and cashew cream

Second course $20

vegetable risotto, topped with marinated cauliflower served with gremoulata and garlic

infused olive oil

or

walnut and sunflower pate, served with vegetable spaghetti, pesto cream and koji fermented

celtic salt

Side salad $9

seaweed salad with spicy tahini and miso dressing

or

beetroot and rainbow chard with brazil nut cream

Dessert $10

vanilla and matcha mousse, served with pine nut and yacon caramel sauce

or

white and dark chocolate swirl cheese cake

or $46 for three course meal with a side salad

warm drinks

herbal tea $3.00

tonic tea $3.50

herbal coffee - ask for different flavours $3.50 (.50 c extra for our freshly made almond milk)

warm cacao

warm chai

warm latte (with herbal coffee / no caffein)

warm mocha

all warmed in vitamix only $5.00

sugar sugar sugar! why we feel bad eating sweet food?

Oh how we love sweet things….
if you have a condition that requires you to cut down all the sugars, including fruits and less processed sweeteners then please follow your practitioners as well yourself.
if not i don't see sweet things as 'bad" food anymore.
For a while i was strictly avoiding everything sweet. I think i only ate maybe 2 pieces of fruits in 6 months because I was even avoiding "natural' sweet food. It was a good experience but for now I am happy with "choosing to eat sweet things consciously" path.
I find it interesting that many of us feel guilty about eating something sweet, even though our first food, mother's milk, is extremely sweet. We didn't feel guilty about it then, right? Is it because of all these processed products labelled as "guilty pleasure", "naughty habits", "bad food" ? or is it because we feel we are not worth enjoying the deliciously sweet food?  or is it the strict mind set that all the sweet food is something that is damaging to the body?

All the smoothies, desserts, cakes, biscuits and other treats at the cafe are made to be enjoyed for your tastebuds and mentally. All our sweeteners come from less processed sources, such as dried and fresh fruits, super powder that is naturally sweet (e.g. mesquite, lucuma, maca), coconut nectar and sugar, yacon syrup, stevia and lakanto. Though I still don't want to over eat them and always balance out with something green I don't feel guilty about eating them anymore. When you know that it comes from natural and whole food source and they are made with "love" it fuels my body and mind in many ways.
I stay away from overly processed sugar , including agave syrup as I learnt and experienced  negative effects on my body. I still find it hard when people kindly share or give me things that I would not normally eat. I am learning to be grateful and eat them with gratitude, and I feel it helps. But sometimes it does backfire after. I am still trying to find the balance…

I would love to know how you cope with the situation like this!

if you are interested in the effects of white sugar and alternative to them click here
Also i will be posting the latest sugar alternative that I am so excited about soon

until then, enjoy your cake "consciously"
 yoko xx

recipe for raw beetroot and pine nut dip

 I was at the cafe creating a dip for lunch this afternoon. I have been blessed with beautiful pine nuts lately and have been making different dishes, including raw crackers, pesto etc. I was going to make pesto again with rocket but no rocket today and saw a beautiful beetroot in a basket. This is how I love getting the inspiration.   Beetroot is abundant in winter and usually reasonably priced. We love its vibrant colour as well as its powerful blood purifying quality.  

here is a (brief) recipe

2 medium size beetroot, scrubbed clean but skin intact

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup activated pine nuts

1-2 tsp your favourite salt

juice of 1/2 lemonade or lemon

1/4 cup olive oil (optional)

food process garlic, nuts and salt. 

Add chopped beetroot and lemonade juice and process further till your desired consistency is achieved. 

Enjoy with your favourite crackers, bread or vegetables. 

If you know how I make dishes, you know I just don't measure things… so all the measurements are not exact. Enjoy experimenting yourself, have fun with tasting as you go (just don't wear a white top!)

Have you tasted lemonade this winter? It is cross between myer lemon and true lemon. deliciously tangy with a slight sweetness, just like lemonade. 

love

yoko

thank you note to people who have come to see us at the cafe.

It has been nearly 6 months since we opened the door to the public now. What a journey it has been. I have learnt so much as a business person, mother, woman and as a spiritual being.
I always had an issue with a self esteem. As a person who is running a business which is exposed to the public I had to learn not to react to every negative comments and quiet days.
Every mornings and every time before we reopen for dinner on saturdays the thought comes to my mind still. "Maybe no one will turn up… (Instead of being consumed by that thought I thank that thoughts and say bye to that now)
I sometimes catch myself obsessively looking through all the negative reviews on UrbanSpoons and feeling down about them (Then I remember to concentrate on what I am doing right now and what I can learn from those reviews)
I doubt it for a moment when people tell me that they like what they are eating (then I accept simply and be grateful for that moment)
I still get the guilty feelings of not doing everything "right" and being the "right" person, especially as a mother. I have so much to do now. I work as soon as I get up and work till I go to bed. Not much time to do things or go somewhere away with my daughter anymore. even if i do then I feel guilty about not being able to get things done for the cafe. (Then I remember I am doing everything I can right now)

If I didn't love what I do I would have quitted a long time ago. I had a pleasure of having a few "famous" people coming to dine at the cafe in the short 6 months. I get so excited meeting them and inspired by them because they have so much beautiful energy from doing what they love doing. But the main reason I am still doing this is you.
You came to say that you enjoyed the meals. You shared your stories about your illnesses. You brought your daughter who you are worried that may have an eating disorder and I see her eating what I created. You come in regularly and told me Shokuiku is like your second home. You came just to say hi and see how I am. You have spared your time to share this place with your friends and followers. I feel so much love and support from you and realise that is why I am here. After a long day, before I leave the shop I still look around the quiet space and amazed to see what I and you have created together.
Shokuiku is evolving all the time. I am still learning as it goes and hope you can be patient and see us on the journey
I am so grateful. thank you

yoko xxx

july dinner menu

dinner menu

 July 2013

first Course $12

coconut and cauliflower soup served warm with balsamic red onion and medicinal umeboshi plum puree 

or

 carrot spaghetti in alfredo white sauce served with nutty parmesan

Second Course $20

Open faced “cheese” and tomato tart with fresh herb vinaigrette

or

sweet and spicy olive and vegetable “stew” served with turmeric vegetable rice and macadamia sour cream

Side salad $9

kelp noodle and cabbage salad with teriyaki dressing

or

mixed leafy salad with chunky brazil nut, broccoli and garlic paste

Dessert $10

chocolate cookie sandwich with mint and coconut filling, served with mesquite cacao sauce

or

wild blackberry tart

or $46 for three course meal with a side salad

warm drinks

herbal tea $3.00

tonic tea $3.50

herbal coffee - ask for different flavours $3.50 (.50 c extra for our freshly made almond milk)

warm cacao 

warm chai

warm latte (with herbal coffee / no caffein)

warm mocha

all warmed in vitamix only $5.00

shokuiku revamped!

what a month!
If you have come in recently you may have noticed a new addition to the cafe.
Beautiful art work from a great friend of mine, Naoko.
I fell in love with this at the first time I saw it. then she came in one day to explain what it is meant to her.  She said she feels like she was floating like a piece of cloud when she arrived here from her native country , Japan. This art work symbolises australia from her point of view as a little pieces (us) come together to form this country. The beautiful colour was inspired by the sunrise/sunset she encountered on the plane when she was coming back to australia from a break away.  Now I see it in a different light. so powerful and beautiful. I am so grateful to have this part of her here at the cafe.




And another exciting things  are these beautiful boxes, made with all recycled timber by highly skilled carpenter, Loren, who helped me set up this place also. his attention to the details are incredible. We are using this space to display more packaged products now. full of amazing super foods, herbs, teas and raw snacks for you to try.

I am working on another detailed book that you can browse on super foods and herbs we carry.

I will be releasing a new menu for next month soon.
thank you for visiting and talk soon

eating organically.

If you know me, you know that I am really passionate about buying organic/ bio dynamic products. They may be a bit more expensive but I truly believe that they are worth it. It is beneficial for your health (because they are not covered with toxic pesticides, artificial ingredients and hormones etc), for the environment (less chemicals for our air, water, soil), for animals and workers (less chance of exposing them to the nasty chemicals), and of course to our taste buds.However eating conventionally grown (preferably locally grown) vegetables and fruits is better than eating none at all. You can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly 80 percent by avoiding the “dirty dozen” 

dirty dozen

apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, hot peppers, nectarines, peaches potatoes, spinach, strawberries, sweet bell peppers plus silver beet and kale, zucchini

A you can see most of them are vegetables and fruits that don not have any skin or covering that you take off before eating. Sometimes when people thing they are allergic to something they are getting a adverse reactions not from the certain food but from the toxic substances that are on or in the food. 

Here are some tips to save money when buying organic

-eat seasonally 

buying ingredients that are out of the seasons are expensive. Plus foods grow at a certain times for a reason

-cook from scratch

the best thing you can do for your health is to make things yourself. this way you know exactly what you are eating and how it is prepared. pre packed and packaged products may be convenient but is it up to your standard? and how long have they been sitting on the shelves?

-grow them yourself

what is better than produce from your organic store? from your garden. freshly picked produce has way more vitamins and minerals and also the energy force. 

-buy in bulk

many stores have been offering bulk options to customers. because they don't have to package they can sell things for cheaper price. why not join or start local coop where people get together to buy things in bulk. it is a great way to build a community too.

is there anything that you do to save money when buying organic? is it important for you? comment below to let me know

yoko xxx