Tassili Ma’at is one of Atlanta’s leading authorities on healthy cooking, and the founder of Tassili’s Raw Reality restaurant and lounge is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of patrons one nutritious recipe at a time. Chef Tassili creates delicious raw foods for optimum health. On June 6 and 7, Atlantans will have the opportunity to find out what it takes to prepare unique raw food dishes during the third annual Wonderful Wizards of Raw raw food extravaganza. The free event will take place in the historic West End at Tassili’s cafe, and will feature cooking lessons from some of the best raw food chefs in the country, as well as live performances from local talent in the Atlanta area.
The affable chef began her journey as a raw vegan nearly two decades ago after leaving her sugar addictions and unhealthy lifestyle far behind. Chef Ma’at began her training in California during the mid-1980s and later moved to Atlanta to open her business with a modest budget of $2,500. Just six years later what seemed to be a dream became Tassili’s Raw Reality. The raw food cafe is now noted as one of the top 10 raw food restaurants in the U.S. by SheKnows.com and has been recognized around the world for having the best kale in Atlanta.
For Ma’at, her career as a master chef is about more than just preparing great food. She genuinely wants to help her community thrive physically, mentally and emotionally. Ma’at believes that when people eat the right foods they feel better — internally and externally. “I have seen my customers lose anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds. Eating raw food transforms the bodies of people who work and dine here,” she says.
Ma’at has combined her culturally diverse knowledge of food, plus diet and exercise to develop organic recipes and food products to help promote healthy living. Ma’at stresses the benefit of eating raw food rather than cooked food. “When people cook their vegetables they tend to cook 100 percent of the nutrients out of the food [as] opposed to raw food, which provides 100 percent of what the body needs,” she says.
For those who want to join the raw food movement, get more information and health tips at Ma’at’s website, www.tassilisrawreality.com.
–lauren martinez
