Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009
By RON VIDIKA
rvidika@MorningJournal.com
Che Gonzalez, of Oberlin, is a vegan and a member of the so-called raw food movement.
In her recipe for apple crisp, Gonzalez said there is no baking, cooking or frying.
The only heat comes from an oven, preheated to its lowest setting, which is between 118 and 120 F. After the oven reaches the desired temperature, the oven is turned off. Only then is the apple crisp placed inside.
Gonzalez, a public services associate at the Oberlin Public Library, has been a vegan for about 30 years.
"Back in the 1970s," Gonzalez said, "a friend of mine, who was a natural hygienist, talked to me about the premise that your body can heal itself with living food and raw foods, that have the life force in them; not food that has been processed or heated over 118 degrees. The more processed food in your body that is not simple food, means that your body has to work harder to digest it."
Gonzalez described the taste of the apple crisp as "a fusion of the cinnamon and the savory sweetness of the dates."
A health educator, Gonzalez hosts "raw food potlucks" at the library, which are free to the public, as well as informational meetings at her home about the advantages of eating raw foods.
