My friend Ani Phyo is a Renaissance 2.0 woman. When I first met her in 1993, she was an economics grad creating mind-bending cyberdelic video art for raves. Then, she became immersed in information architecture and wrote an accessible and popular “howto” book on the subject, Return On Design. In recent years though, Ani has become a student (and teacher) of healthy living, eating and cooking. She co-founded Smart Monkey Foods, makers of yummy raw food snack bars and packaged foods available mainly on the West Coast. This month, Ani’s first (un)cookbook was published. If you’re not hip to the raw food scene, Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen will surprise you with recipes that somehow seem very familiar even if you’ve never eaten them before.
I especially like that Ani isn’t a raw food fanatic. In fact, the last meal Ani cooked for me was a fantastic leek soup, grilled spicy tofu, and a superclean salad. Don’t get me wrong. Ani’s a health nut, but she also has her feet firmly planted on terra firma. She’s ultra-busy just like the rest of us, so most of her advice is easy to implement and her recipes are often quick to prepare. For, er, a taste of Ani’s style, check out her DIY series of cooking shows she’s posted for free on YouTube. (A DVD compilation is also available from her Web site where you can also check out sample recipes and other news.) Congratulations, Ani!
Link to buy Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen, Link to Ani’s site, Link to Ani on YouTube