In the Raw- AmericanWay
AmericanWay
By Neal Webster Turnage
WHAT TO ORDER — heirloom-tomato lasagna with pistachio pesto or the blue-corn tostada with baby zucchini? Tough decision.
Time to consider the deal breaker: Which one will taste better raw?
That’s right, raw. As in uncooked. Or at least not heated above 105 degrees. It’s the principle behind the cuisine at Oklahoma City’s Matthew Kenney OKC, which is a part of the Matthew Kenney Academy. Here you can dine, take classes, or enroll in an (un)cooking school to get an education and/or begin a career in raw food, or “living cuisine.”
Matthew Kenney Academy is the first state-licensed living-cuisine academy in the country — and Oklahoma, despite its steak-and-potatoes rep, has proved to be an ideal locale. “People here are willing to try something new,” says Matthew Kenney, director of culinary arts and operations and twice a James Beard Rising Chef Award nominee. “It’s a city where everything is accessible — and evolving.”
Kenney likes to approach the academy, the café, and the retail shop where prepackaged food is sold with a similar sensibility. “We’re always true to the source of the dish, so it’s easy for people to feel comfortable,” he explains. “Matthew Kenney OKC utilizes a number of menu descriptions, and even presentations common to traditional cuisine, [but] the end result is highly unique. Our ultimate goal with living cuisine is to develop an entirely new lexicon for all living-food dishes. Thus, living food will become a verifiable cuisine with dishes that reflect its individuality.” Not to mention, Kenney hopes, firmly establish Matthew Kenney OKC, both the food and the Oklahoma landmark it evokes, as a culinary presence in mainstream culture.
LOOK TO THE STARS How many times did your mother say, “If your best friend jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Well, we’re not advocating that, but you must admit the following celebs look pretty darn good, and we’re betting it has a lot to do with their raw-food lifestyle.
DEMI MOORE / WOODY HARRELSON / ALICIA SILVERSTONE / DAVID BOWIE / FAMKE JANSSEN / UMA THURMAN / STELLA McCARTNEY / PAUL McCARTNEY / NATALIE PORTMAN / EVA MENDES / MICHAEL FRANTI / GISELE BÜNDCHEN / OWEN WILSON
http://www.americanwaymag.com/food-matthew-kenney-oklahoma-first-state-licensed-living-cuisine-academy
