Why be afraid to serve your friends and family a raw Xmas meal? What makes you feel insecure about your first “give-it-a-go”? The food? The presentation? The comments? The skepticism? Yeah, I thought so.

Eating is a social matter and when we gather for a feast it can become even more stressful. But let’s go through some possibilities and solutions that really work. First ask yourself what matters the most: the food or the company. I do want to make one remark here…

Raw foodism is not about being fanatic but about finding the best solution that lies the closest to your principles and serves your guests as well. Feasting is about compassion, respect for each others choices and love.

A while ago I heard someone say that she refused to serve wine to her guests because nothing that was in combat with her raw principles would ever enter her house. Every guest who dared asking for a glass of wine or a beer got a sermon. I was very disturbed by this attitude and honestly, I wonder if those guests will ever return.

Raw food can’t be forced upon others. It is your choice, and others have to make their own. But what you can do, is make it look like something they know, serve it at your best, seduce them with your wonderful food, the love you prepared it with and leave them the choice. So…

• Let’s forget about what they might think or say, give it our very best and blow them away.

• Or… go for a good compromise that works for everybody and make “having a good time together” priority number one.

• If you want to keep it all raw but want your family to have their own choices at the same time, organize your Xmas feast as a raw food potluck to which they can bring their own made salads.

• My mother will take care of her own food as this issue has become too complicated for us and she knows best what she can eat without becoming ill.

• I will make a raw cocktail with some snacks as an aperitif, raw dessert and cake for a coffee or tea afterward.

• My sister is making vegetarian soup and steamed root vegetables with a nice sauce and puree.

• I am adding a raw food dish to this assortment for those who prefer staying raw or want to try something new.

THINK OF A NEW CONCEPT

Let me give you an example. My family is extremely difficult when it comes to food. My mother is allergic to practically all foods, my sister and her boyfriend are vegetarian but struggle with stomach issues, my daughter is transferring to raw food, her boyfriend loves meat and fish, my father is a very conservative eater, my son is luckily opening up, his girlfriend eats in the best restaurants but doesn’t like trying what she doesn’t know and I am raw. Ok… What can we do about this? This is the question you have to ask yourself.

My sister and I met with our mother, we went through each course and decided on who would prepare which course.

How difficult can it be to look for a solution that fits everybody? Just as difficult as you wanna make it…

Last time when I made dessert for Xmas -a delicious raw chocolate mousse with coulis- my father asked a second portion, not knowing what he was eating. My mother said that he talked about it for days!

THINK OF A NEW WAY OF PRESENTING YOUR DAILY RAW FOOD

If you don’t feel comfortable about serving totally new recipes or if you are too busy around Xmas to spend more time than usual, be gentle to yourself. Just take the recipes that you really have in your fingers and plate them differently. By changing the way you serve them you can make them unrecognizable and glamorous! How?

• Use a “ring” to serve your ice cream, pasta, guacamole or mushrooms in and they will look fancy!
• With a small bottle you can “draw” your sauce on your plate. Try a square or a circle…
• Look at the plate you will use. Does it have a detail you can use in the ornament you apply?
• Let a color detail in your plate return in your food by adding it in a spice or herb on top
• Try to look at the right proportions, find a nice composition, “paint” with your food on a white plate
• Sometimes a nice fork or stick can bring a lovely idea. Have a look at the fruit sticks I made here below…
• Look in your cupboards at what you have. A cocktail glass can serve to present your fruit sticks…
• A piece of wood or a nice stone can make a wonderful plate for food!
• Think “out of your boxes”, color out of the lines and you will be stunned with what you come up with

I hope this is shedding a light on your Xmas dinner. Enjoy creating! Please share your thoughts and habits with me in the comment box below. Merry Raw Xmas!