The raw food diet isn’t yet very wide spread in Toronto. There are only a handful of restaurants and chefs here catering to this diet/philosophy. But the appeal of this seemingly restrictive way of eating may increase with the infusion of gourmet raw cuisine into the city’s dining scene, particularly at the sweet end of the spectrum.

Raw food culinary artist Jessica Acs is hoping that the appeal of flavour and excitement will lead folks to try a healthy alternative to traditional cooking.

Jessica, born in Toronto, trained at a culinary school in Northern California specializing in raw vegan cuisine. She started off vegetarian and gave veganism a chance while she was there. “It was the right environment. It’s easier when you are surrounded by other people doing it. And it’s pretty mainstream in California.”

The raw food movement immediately appealed to her. “I fell in love with it. I thought it was beautiful. It’s exciting to be a part of something that makes you feel really good and be dedicated to it.

“But I came back to Toronto, because I love this city and I wanted to bring something back that wasn’t so mainstream here.”

Jessica said that through personal catering gigs she started to move toward the creation of desserts. “It’s the one thing that seems to win people over if they weren’t particularly vegan or raw.”

To that end she has been catering for special events under her Beau Vega umbrella for the past two years. Now Camros Organic Eatery is carrying her cakes and she will appear with them at this weekend’s (April 25th to 27th) Green Living Show at Exhibition Place.

“I like the fact that my food is available at a restaurant that advertises itself as balanced and healthy and organic rather than strictly vegan. The food can appeal to a wider audience. I want it to appeal not just because it’s raw, but because it’s a healthy alternative.”

Camros carries a number of her cakes rotating the selection every couple of weeks. The restaurant even held a contest to name one of the more popular cakes. The Almond Dream Cake can be described as a raw cheesecake. It’s made with fresh pressed almond cream, cashews and agave. The crust is crushed pecans with raisins.

Jessica also has a shortcake line of cakes made with almond flour left over from pressing, coconut oil (extracted by a centrifugal process), agave, fresh coconut milk and cinnamon. Maple syrup is the only ingredient she uses in some recipes that isn’t strictly raw, but it is unrefined and it’s local. A good quality ingredient for which she is willing to make a small sacrifice.

The cakes are surprisingly sweet and very much like a traditional cheesecake or firm pudding. And for all their sweetness are light and not a heavy as a traditional cheesecake.

Some health food stores have shown an interest in carrying her cakes but for now they can be ordered at Camros or from Jessica at Beau Vega.

And for anyone with a prejudice against raw food, one of these cakes might just change a mind or two.

Rod Weatherbie is a Toronto-based journalist. He is also partly responsible for Gadzooks! an online arts zine.