Savor: Eat Your Veggies

Three local vegetarian chefs have philosophies that differ slightly in one aspect of vegetarian cooking or another but all agree on one thing: eat organic. If you arent eating organic you most likely are not receiving the healthiest amount of the nutrients your body requires from the food you eat. Since vegetables make up a great part of the vegetarian diet going organic is a universal theme that stretches across every facet of the vegetarian dynamic.

Michele Lucido private chef and head chef at Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market (910) 799-2667 believes that the vegetarian lifestyle varies from person to person. “I think people sometimes get so intimidated that [vegetarianism] has to be by-the-book that theyre afraid to just go for it ” says Lucido. “Theres no scientific theory to my method but I think you have to find a balance for your body starting slow and adjusting your diet depending on how you feel. If I eat eight of my 21 meals a week vegan its a good fit for me but I think it depends on the individual. Your body tells you when youve had enough of one thing or another so trust it.”

Lucido attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City and two years ago with her husband and son moved to Wilmington. Within two weeks she found herself at Tidal Creek where she now serves up delicious meals that feed the full spectrum of vegetarian eaters.

She also consults as a private chef through her business The Whole Plate where she meets with people to instruct them about eating whole complete meals. “As people get interested in getting healthier they get more interested in healthier foods so I want to be able to show them how to get started ” Lucido says. “If you arent going to learn to cook now with the state of things then youll never learn.”

Marie Montemurro owner/chef of Loveys Natural Foods & Caf (910) 509-0331 has been cooking since she was six years old. Her approach to vegetarian cooking is all about taste. “The way to do it is just to take your favorite flavors and use them to prepare vegetarian meals ” Montemurro says. “I dont use measurements but I like a lot of flavor a lot of spices and color. Taste is first but appearance is almost as important. You have to mix colors because they all give you different things. You want orange yellow purple and as many greens as possible; green is the way to go.”

Montemurro came to the Cape Fear region 12 years ago from New York opening Loveys with her partner in 2002. The same recipes she remembers from her Ukrainian roots find their way onto the Loveys menu.

After 25 years of cooking vegetarian Montemurro factors in all the variations of vegetarianism when planning and preparing the Loveys menu. “We have vegetarian; we have raw; we have vegan; we have cheese; we have shrimp; we basically have something for everybody who wants to eat healthy no matter what or how they like to eat ” she says.

Krista Noschka Living Light Certified Gourmet Raw Food chef and instructor (910) 620-9191 has been “living raw” for almost four years and feels better than she has in her entire life. The philosophy of raw is all about getting back to the basics of what nature intended.

“Your food is your medicine ” Noschka says. “Our bodies are innately self-healing given the correct fuel. When food is cooked at high temperatures the enzymes and nutrients are destroyed. Raw foods retain their natural state so your body doesnt have to waste energy breaking the food down. As your body receives the proper nutrition cellular rebuilding can successfully take place and wellness and vitality always follow suit.”

Cooking since she was old enough to stand on a chair Noschka has always been in love with making great food. She once owned a 50s-style diner and has managed a handful of restaurants in her past. “I had recipes for the best steaks and burgers you would ever eat ” she recalls “but you cant live and eat like that.”

To prove that point she became ill. “I was stiff my blood pressure was going up I didnt have any energy I was overweight and depressed and the doctors just wanted to give me anti-depressants. I was scared out of my mind ” Noschka says.

She turned to the raw diet and says it took her three months to know that she was on to something big. “My goal originally was to better myself but the more I learn and understand about raw my goal now is to share this incredible lifestyle with anyone that might wish to learn about it ” Noschka says.

“Just go and get a couple of raw food books and start trying recipes ” she advises. “Its so much fun to play with. The closer you can keep things to organic and natural the better the flavors are going to be. To me when you leave out the dairy the acidic de-natured parts of all the other diets you have the perfect diet with raw vegan because you have maximum enzymes maximum nutrition and maximum flavor. What more can you ask for?”