That being said, we’re postponing our Wichita posts until the very end of our Kansas journey. Stay tuned…

For dessert we had a dark chocolate ganache tart with vanilla cream, from the same recipe book. For those of you a little unsure about raw foods this tart will change your mind! It is made from maple syrup and chocolate, and tastes like thick melt-in-your-mouth fudge.

105degrees specializes in what’s called “living food”–greens, fruits, vegetables, and nuts that have very minimal processing. There’s no traditional cooking, sauteing, or baking because above 105 degrees Fahrenheit or so the live enzymes in the food start to break down, making the food less nutritious. All the food they prepare here is fresh and put together in very creative ways. We ate from the winter menu and were amazed at the beautiful (and delicious!!) works of art they brought to our table.

Ryan started with the Mezze: Zucchini Hummus, Eggplant Chips, Marinated Olives, Hemp Tabouleh, and Falafal. Ryan raved about the hummus, which was made using macadamia nuts instead of chick peas. The eggplant chips were especially tasty–crispy and a little spicy from the marinade. Mmm.

I started with the Kale Caesar (salad), Pine Nut Parmesan, Rosemary Croutons. Curly kale is pretty stiff and more fit for garnish (or smoothies) than a salad. The remedy? Massage the kale! It was very soft and crunchy, and the creamy pine nut cheese and crunchy croutons were a perfect fit.

Ryan’s main course was Coconut Curry with Smoked Cashew Custard, Broccoli, Red Chile, and Bean Sprouts. He thought the coconut “tofu” was great!

I had Cannelloni with Pignoli Ricotta, Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara, and Pistachio Pesto for my main course. Wow. The “noodles” are paper-thin slices of zucchini. The cheese tasted better than ricotta and the marinara was perfectly sweet.

Dessert was THE best part, and so delicious that we forgot to take pictures! Ryan had a hazelnut feast called the Gianduja Tasting: Hazelnut Fudge, Hot Chocolate Hazelnut Float, Hazelnut Butter Cup, and Hazelnut Semifreddo. I had the Pomegranate Red Velvet Cake with Lemon Frosting, a layered cake garnished with sweet pomegranate sauce and juicy seeds. It was easy to forget that we were eating living food and not the traditional dessert filled with refined sugars, butter, and white flour.

Since we had a nearly 3-hour drive back home we ordered a mocha and a malted classic smoothie to go. The plastic cup my smoothie came in said it is made from 100% corn and that it is compostable. I’ll add it to my compost pile and let you know how it goes!

Before we left we took a look around their gift shop, which was filled with artisan products, pure beeswax candles, body products, and living foods. They had a good selection of dried teas, homemade kombucha tea, and ice cream. One item I couldn’t pass up were the glass drinking straws (made from the same type of glass as Pyrex).

Ryan and I had such a great time together trying out all the different foods! The food was some of the best food I have ever eaten. I’m glad that I already have a few of the recipes and will have to get the chef’s other recipe book so that we can make these dishes at home until we can go eat there again.

Kansas is more than just sunflowers and The Wizard of Oz. The state has been home to presidents, astronauts, entertainers, and industry pioneers. It contains the world’s largest tallgrass prairie, landscapes with badlands-like canyons, and wildlife areas that attract over 300 species of migrating bird from all over the country. Kansas has a rich pioneer history, with the Santa Fe, Chisholm, and Oregon Trails running through the state, where wagon ruts can still be seen today! Our state was also part of the Civil War and has scars to show for it; there are graves, memorials for battles, and several forts still standing that tell the history.

This year Ryan and I are on a quest to visit the entire state and share its landmarks, historic places, and people with you. We’re using the Kansas Official Visitors Guide as our guidebook and will go to every region in the state: eastern wooded hills, Flint Hills, central prairie, and the western high plains. We’ll blog about each visit in the hopes of encouraging more Kansans to go out and see what their state has to offer.

Our first stop: Wichita. I can’t wait for you to join us!

Head on over to check it out!

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