If you’re a fan of the cashew, today is your day. We’re going to make an incredibly smooth and creamy cashew cream and as a bonus, make some cashew milk too.

I'm including some delicious riffs on this basic cashew cream recipe, so experiment and be amazed at what this little nut can do!

Full cashew cream recipe

Full cashew milk recipe

CASHEW CREAM RIFFS

Simply add one of these to the blender to upgrade your cashew cream into something completely new. Taste as you go and adjust amounts to get the flavor you’re looking for. These amounts are merely suggestions.

Savory addition ideas:

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled
• 2-3 roasted garlic cloves
• 1 roasted jalapeno (or jalapeno + garlic!)
• 1-2 chipotle peppers
• 1/2 avocado
• Curry powder
• Your favorite hot sauce

Dessert addition ideas:

• 2 pitted Medjool dates (you can soak these too so they blend easier)
• 1-2 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup
• Monk fruit sweetener
• Cocoa nibs

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INGREDIENT SOURCES

Raw cashews

Whole Foods/Amazon

Walmart

Trader Joe’s

Bulk nut section in your grocery store

Avocado oil

Chosen Foods Avocado Oil

Trader Joe’s (economical source for organic olive oil and avocado oil)

This week we're making a super easy whole grain mustard! It may seem complicated, but it’s not. In fact, there’s zero cooking involved, just a little patience is required. Best of all, it has zero sugar and no preservatives, which a lot of store brand mustards have.

Please see the full recipe in the show transcript.

Real food. Real nourishment. Pure alchemy.

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INGREDIENT LINKS

Brown mustard seed

Yellow mustard seed

Are you ready to make a punch-you-in-the-face flavor bomb full of garlic, shallots, chilies and ginger? If you said yes, you're in the right place! Today's all about chili crisp and we're making a 100% clean, 100% delicious version you can have in your kitchen arsenal anytime.

Real food. Real nourishment. Pure alchemy.

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INGREDIENT SOURCES

Avocado & sesame oil

Chosen Foods Avocado Oil

Primal Kitchen

Trader Joe’s

Organic options available at most grocery stores

Coconut aminos

Trader Joe’s

Whole Foods

Amazon - Bragg’s

Also available at most grocery stores

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SHOW SOURCES

Anthony Bourdain (Parts Unknown, No Reservations, A Cooks Tour - please see your local bookstore for all his amazing books. I highly recommend Kitchen Confidential.)

Welcome to Pure Alchemy, where simple, whole ingredients become something truly extraordinary. In this first episode, we'll kick off the season with an incredibly easy recipe for making clean mayonnaise. And it takes only 5 minutes! We'll discuss why whole food matters, how to avoid toxic ingredients and how to start making some alchemy in your own kitchen.

My sincere hope is this show provides ideas to someone out there who is starting to dabble in cooking or inspires the person who wants to explore whole food cooking.

Real food. Real nourishment. Pure alchemy.

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SHOW LINKS

The Splendid Table (show archive) Note: Lynne hosted from 1997 - 2017

Michael Pollan

Bonus bites: All about fats

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INGREDIENT SOURCES

Mayonnaise

Chosen Foods Classic Mayo

Primal Kitchen Mayo

Avocado oil

Chosen Foods Avocado Oil

Trader Joe’s

Mustard

Primal Kitchen Organic Dijon Mustard

Thrive Market

Today’s Bonus Bite is all about salt. Salt is the unsung hero of any dish and probably the most important ingredient in your pantry. And sadly, many salts on the market come with unwanted microplastics and heavy metals. Join me to learn why sourcing clean salt brands is so important and how cooking whole food at home can significantly lower your sodium intake.

We'll also compare the sodium in two store brands and a restaurant chain to home cooked versions and you'll be shocked at the difference!

Please share this important information with anyone you know, whether they’re on a low-sodium diet, or they grab take-out most days, or they’re simply interested in nutrition.

THE SOURCE LIST:

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

Jacobsen’s Kosher Sea Salt

Saltverk

Vera Salt

Only Salt

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RESEARCH LINKS:

Lead Safe Mama: Toxic profile salt chart

National Library of Medicine: Heavy Metals in Foods and Beverages: Global Situation, Health Risks and Reduction Methods

Today’s first Bonus Bite is all about fat and temperature. I’m gonna give you break down on the safest cooking fats and the best ways to use them. We'll cover the safe cooking fats and the unsafe ones, and what to look for on nutritional labels.

You won't want to miss this one. Be sure to save it for future reference and definitely share with anyone you know who likes to cook, is interested in whole food nutrition or simply loves food!

THE SOURCE LIST:

• Chosen Foods Avocado Oil (https://chosenfoods.com/products)
• Trader Joe’s (https://locations.traderjoes.com)
• Thrive Market (https://thrivemarket.com/c/ghee-oils-vinegars)
• O Organics (Safeway - West Coast)
• Whole Foods
• Local co-ops and natural food stores (check listings in your area)
• Also, try your local farmer’s market - many ranches sell tallow or fat. Just ask!

And don’t miss the very first episode of Pure Alchemy! Listen here and be sure to follow the show so you don't miss a thing.

Pure Alchemy is a whole-food cooking podcast devoted to transforming simple, honest ingredients into deeply nourishing, irresistibly delicious food that will enrich your table and your life. No chemicals. No lab-grown substitutes. No mysterious ingredients you can’t pronounce. Just pure alchemy using clean ingredients that support your health, not ones that cause harm.

In this first season, we’ll start small, yet mighty, with condiments that add tremendous flavor to anything they touch. I’ll teach you how to make an incredibly creamy mayo, a hearty mustard, an absolutely amazing chili crisp, and more. Watch for episode one coming Sunday, March 22!

Real food. Real nourishment. Pure alchemy.