iEat Green - 02/21/13

Saru Jayaraman is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, Berkeley. After 9/11, together with displaced World Trade Center workers, she co-founded ROC in New York, which has organized restaurant workers to win workplace justice campaigns, conduct research and policy work, partner with responsible restaurants, and launch cooperatively-owned restaurants. ROC now has 10,000 members in 19 cities nationwide. The story of Saru and her co-founder's work founding ROC has been chronicled in the book The Accidental American. Saru is a graduate of Yale Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She was profiled in the New York Times "Public Lives" section in 2005, and was named one of Crain's "40 Under 40" in 2008, 1010 WINS's "Newsmaker of the Year," and one of New York Magazine's "Influentials" of New York City. Saru co-edited The New Urban Immigrant Workforce, (ME Sharpe, 2005) and authored Behind the Kitchen Door, forthcoming from Cornell University Press.

Raw Valentine Delight Crust- 1 cup, plus 2 TBS. ground raw almonds ¾ cup Raw Cocoa Powder 6 dates ¼ cup Raw Agave ¼ cup coconut oil pinch of salt Cheesecake Filling: 2 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3 hours, then drained 2/3 cup lemon juice ½ cup Raw agave (can use maple syrup if you are not strictly following a raw diet) ½ cup coconut oil 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 tablespoons of water Ganache Layer- In food processor, combine the following; 1 ½ cup Raw Cocoa Powder 1 ½ cup maple syrup ½ cup coconut oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Raspberry Compote 1 small bag organic frozen raspberries To make Crust Wipe bottom of spring-form pan with coconut oil. In food processor, combine the ingredients. Process until blended. Press mixture into greased pan and work it up the sides, about 1 ½“. Using opposite hand, make the edge of crust smooth and even. For Cheesecake filling: Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pour filling into pie crust. Put in freezer for 30 minutes before adding chocolate ganache. For Chocolate Ganache: Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pour ganache on top of cheesecake layer. Freeze again. For Topping: Puree 1 small box of frozen raspberries. Pour on top of Chocolate Pie and spread out to make a smooth layer. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Remove from freezer, 30 minutes before serving.