I'm just going to put it out there - I'm a carnivore through and through. My favorite cuts of choice - the rib eye from the cow; the rack, chops and shanks from the lamb - get my nod of approval all day, and dare I say there isn't anything better than pork belly. So yes, I am a carnivore and I don't have any plans to change that anytime soon. I really think my life would sorely be lacking if I did.
But I admit that there are times when I do need a break from all the meat, and from time-to-time have been known to whip up a little meatless something.
For about a year I had noticed this sign called Raw on Da Porch, but honestly didn't know what it was all about. I would pass it and think about these crazy Bahamians coming up with crazy names for their businesses. And ask myself what it meant.
It was in the middle of last year that I finally found out it was a raw food "restaurant" that ascribes to the belief that the most healthful food for the body is uncooked. Although most food is eaten raw, raw foodists believe heating food is acceptable as long as the temperature stays below 118 degrees Fahrenheit (the cutoff temperature) - and that was the kind of food that Christina Thompson, aka Chrissy Love, has served at Raw on Da Porch since opening her location at #1 Rosetta Street at the Hawkins Hill light. All of her meals consist of veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, herbs and sprouts.
On one of those days when I was feeling absolutely weighed down by meat I strolled in, not knowing what to expect or even what to order. I noticed things like ish (fake tuna) and chips, noodle bowl, Porch burger, Thai salad, sea salad and all kinds of nice-creems (Chrissy Love's take on ice cream sans dairy). And of course, I can't forget the green smoothie.
Not knowing what to expect, my very first order was of ish and chips and a green smoothie. I remember tentatively going in with my chip, only to be wowed by the flavor that was tuna-ish, but definitely not tuna, or meat of any kind, and digging in with chip after chip. Now I honestly can't say the same thing for my first taste of the green smoothie (and goodness only knows what was in it). As I understand it, whatever green is available on a given day is what Chrissy Love throws into that smoothie, so it could be anything from broccoli to kale to Swiss chard to whatever.
At my first sip, I was hit with a kick of ginger and the taste of "green" that left me wondering whether I really liked the drink, but after a second, third and fourth sip, I was really digging it and couldn't get enough. I traveled to the Palmdale area to get that smoothie everyday for a week straight - it was that good.
Since then I've really broadened my horizons and tried out a variety of her noodle bowls flavored with her choice of channa masala curry sprinkled with raisins for a Mediterranean twist, adzuki beans or chickpeas.
Then there's the mountainous Porch burger piled high with veggies sandwiched between sprouted buns that seems almost too much to eat. I've also had the Thai wrap, which of course is filled with veggies and ish (actually I could use a little more ish in my wrap). I've had the sea salad, and mind you it tastes just like conch salad without the conch. And the first time I had the nori nibs, it almost made me believe I was eating sushi (and I'm a true sushi lover to the core). So that was a major feat.
I've also had the ELT (eggplant, lettuce and tomato) sandwich with avocado and veggies, and here's where I had to make a 180-degree turn. The filling is served between slices of sprouted bread, a type of bread made from whole grains that have been allowed to germinate. The bread is often eaten uncooked or slightly heated by proponents of raw food to ensure the maximum possible vitamin content. When I asked to have my bread toasted, the reaction was akin to me asking for $1 million, it was mission impossible. Chrissy Love refused to kill her "live" bread by toasting it. That day I had sent out for a sandwich and when it arrived it was on untoasted bread. I do not eat untoasted bread, so I picked out the filling that actually was quite delicious and into the trash went the bread. The next day I decided to give the sandwich another try as she acquiesced a tiny bit and grilled the bread for me. This still did not work out for me because all that grill did was put some nice grill marks on my bread, but as far as the crispy toast that I adore, that was non-existent. So I've given up on that sandwich. As a textural eater, I love crunch and the dark toast that I like I doubt Chrissy Love will ever do.
Now Raw on Da Porch also offers a number of different desserts which I've yet to try because that's simply too much eating for lunch. But I must say, since the middle of last year to now I've been pretty enamored with the food Chrissy Love is preparing at Raw on Da Porch. I'm not missing the meat that I'll have at dinner anyway, and I'm having a delicious meal to boot. So I feel good that I give my body a break. But there's one thing that won't change, I'm still a carnivore through and through, and I'm always looking forward to my next lamb shank, pork belly or rib eye of course. But thanks to Chrissy Love for allowing me to lighten up when I feel like it.
 

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