Almost as tricky as the French when it comes to food are those who refer to themselves as ‘macrobiotic’. We all know Madonna and a host of other Hollywood celebs are ‘macrobiotic’ but what does it really mean? Well, for a start, macrobiotic people aren’t just healthy eaters – they are Super Healthy Eaters.
They don’t do sugar, dairy, anything processed and they like things to be seasonally appropriate (don’t offer them a strawberry in December). They use food as medicine, eschewing the over the counter drugs we all take for granted, in favour of umeboshi plums and daikon and if you think cooking for them at home might be a challenge, try tempting them out to dine. “It is difficult,” admits Nicola McCarthy, co-founder of the UK’s first online macrobiotic supermarket, Macrobiotic Shop. “We must have tried most of the top vegetarian and vegan restaurants in London, New York and other major cities at one time or another and 9 times out of 10, we come away thinking, it could be better. T
he food could be fresher, cleaner – in terms of what it does to the body – and the menu could be so much more in tune with what’s going on seasonally. With Terre a Terre, we are amazingly lucky that it’s on our doorstep plus they are really switched on in terms of what the discerning eater is prepared to go for and I realise as a macrobiotic person that puts me at the stellar end of picky. Terre a Terre never lets us down and they are unique in that they will sit down with you as you order, tell you what’s possible and then go down to the kitchen to talk it over with the chef who adjusts the meal! Amazing and completely unheard of. Obviously, we know we have to be a bit flexible when eating out, it’s never going to be 100% what we’d do at home but every so often, it’s nice to relax and let someone else do the cooking.”
Nicola is no stranger to exacting customers herself, in January 2011, she and husband David opened their first 3D macro shop and cafe in Forest Row, East Sussex where 007 Daniel Craig, Led Zeppelin guitar legend Jimmy Page and Katie Holmes and daughter Suri have all been spotted in recent months.
Terre a Terre’s Macro Masterpiece.
This is what Nicola and her guests enjoyed at Terre a Terre on Saturday 14th January 2012.
Aperitif: Very Berry Fizz (Chambord black raspberry liqueur topped with organic prosecco).
Starters: Mai Fu Salad (chilled black rice noodles with crisp raw vegetable spaghetti shoots & leaves, surrounded by umeboshi plum white miso & mirin dressing served with smoked tofu in roasted sesame oil).
Sesame Hoi-Sin Tofu
Tamari-drenched Roasted Pumpkin & Sunflower Seeds
Main: Jerusalem (Jerusalem artichoke presse wrapped in leeks & celeriac served with parsley sauce, thyme carrot crush and a rich sherry seco sauce).
Dessert: Rain Vodka Cherry Chocolate Churros (sugar spice dusted doughnut straws served with sticky dipping chocolate and Rain Vodka soaked cherries).
Organic Yannoh (instead of coffee).
All deliciously tweaked to suit the macro palate.
http://www.macrobioticshop.co.uk/
