For a long time, the hotel industry's interpretation of "vegetarian cuisine" was a sad selection of scantily seasoned grilled or steamed vegetables, or ethnic dishes denuded of their spices to make them more palatable to an American marketplace. Vegetarian cuisine was perceived as a time-consuming specialty that really had little place in the high-volume, bustling kitchens of a busy hotel industry. Changes in Americans' awareness of healthful cuisine, as well as the industry's movement toward spas in hotels, are creating a need for better-tasting, interesting and cost-effective vegetarian alternatives.

Raw cuisine is an ideal solution. Chef Roxanne Klein of Roxanne's in Larkspur, Calif. has been a leader in putting raw cuisine into the mainstream and getting the word out about this great alternative. Raw cuisine takes vegetarian cooking to a new level and opens up many new paths in the preparation of non-meat dishes.

Health experts tell us that the minerals and nutrients found in raw vegetables are key to good health and longevity. The natural process of cooking tends to remove many of these nutrients and destroys the natural enzymes needed for the remaining nutrients to be metabolized by our bodies. Raw cuisine advocates believe that by cooking vegetables at a ...