Raw-diet proponents think food should be eaten as nature made it -- not baked, boiled, fried, broiled, braised, grilled, steamed or sauteed.

And definitely not processed -- which usually requires heat.

Anything that takes the temperature of food higher than 118 degrees, or just above the warmth of the tongue, is verboten for the raw, or living, "foodist."

Although limited scientific research doesn't support most of the claims, rawists -- typically, extreme vegetarians -- view fire as sapping food of its vital nutrients.

"Whenever you cook food, you make it a little less nutritious," said Robert Alan Ross, a raw foodist for 15 years who runs the Raw Food Live site, based in Florida. "When I eat raw food, it's amazingly satisfying."

The diet has received a degree of traction among celebrities. Carol Alt, Demi Moore, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson and David Bowie have reportedly tried it.

Some chefs -- including Chicago's noted Charlie Trotter -- have given raw food more than a second glance. Trotter co-wrote a book with Roxanne Klein called Raw (2003).

In central Ohio, the raw-food movement is gaining ground.

Shawna Stursa of the Clintonville neighborhood organizes a monthly meeting for raw-food enthusiasts -- called Columbus Raw! -- where participants discuss food and share recipes.

Stursa, who has eaten raw food for the past three years, feels as good as she did when she was a child.

"It's indescribable sometimes," the 31-year-old said. "I haven't gotten a cold or the flu even once this season. And my skin has really cleared up."

Rawists eat vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, uncooked grains and "raw" breads. Some also eat fish -- as long as it's not cooked.

Embracing the raw-food lifestyle means two things.

First, one must forsake pasta, rice, bread and meat -- because they have been or need to be cooked -- and most of the processed foods that line grocery shelves.

Second, and perhaps more important, in lieu of those ingredients, one must be willing to add generous helpings of imagination to almost every dish.

Daniela Troia, the chef at Zia's Cafe in Towson, Md., who's been trying to eat raw for more than a year, has incorporated a few live dishes into the menu by expanding her creativity.

She makes zucchini alfredo -- not with pasta and cream sauce but with zucchini, peas, red peppers and celery root. Her lasagna doesn't contain noodles, cheese and sausage but is made with zucchini, tomato, walnut pesto, sun-dried tomato "marinara" and cashew "ricotta."

Troia's orange-chocolate ganache torte, one of her rotating "live" desserts, tastes essentially like any decadent pie except the crust is made of chopped, unroasted nuts. The filling, although it tastes like a rich mousse, contains no eggs or cream.

Some of the ingredients are things most people wouldn't have in their pantries -- such as lecithin granules and raw coconut butter. Making the cake is really about technique and imagination.

Like any serious raw foodist, Troia swears by her blender and food processor. They're critical in changing the fundamental texture of certain ingredients to make them seem as if they're something else. Walnuts are crushed with dates and become a dense, cookielike crust. She utterly pulverizes cashews to give substance to her "cream" filling and mixes the nuts with lecithin granules, which help hold the filling together a la eggs.

Troia keeps the ingredients whirling in the food processor not for seconds but for several minutes to give them the smooth, chocolaty texture people would expect.

Substitutions and extra effort don't always cut cravings, though. Ohio State University graduate Stephen McIntosh, who has been living "raw" for a couple of years, said he wishes he could still eat some things.

"I miss certain things like popcorn, going out to eat," he said.

Ross, however, feels he isn't missing out on anything by eating raw. Just the opposite.

The other day he ate "spaghetti and meatballs." Of course, the spaghetti was cucumber sliced into ribbons, the sauce was tomatoes blended with garlic and herbs, and the meatballs? They were "neatballs" -- little morsels of, mainly, crushed nuts.

Since she's been following a raw diet, Troia says her energy has soared, she's lost weight and her skin seems clearer.

But like many raw enthusiasts, Troia hasn't committed to a 100 percent uncooked diet.

Even Ross, who says he thinks someone can call himself a rawist if about 75 percent of his diet is raw, guesses his is about 90 percent.

McIntosh thinks he eats about 60 to 70 percent of his diet from raw foods, but he wishes it was more.

"I noticed when I eat foods that are heavily processed, I don't feel as good."

Even though Stursa says she's as close to 100 percent raw as she thinks is possible, it can be a gradual and even partial transition for people.

"You don't have to be 100 percent totally raw. There are all different spectrums. It's not all or nothing."

Food Editor Robin Davis contributed to this report.

What qualifies? What doesn't?

• Honey: mostly not raw. (Check the label.)

• Maple syrup: only right from the tree.

• Milk: not, unless it isn't pasteurized. Soy milk: not, because it is cooked during processing.

• Nuts: mostly not. (Buy raw nuts.)

• Olives: mostly not. (Check the label for sun-dried olives.)

• Soy sauce: not, because it is cooked during processing.

Source: www.rawguru.com

LIVE ORANGE-CHOCOLATE GANACHE TORTE

Makes 16 servings

This recipe is from Daniela Troia of Zia's Cafe in Towson, Md.

3 cups raw cashews

3/4 cup raw agave nectar (see Note)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

5 tablespoons lecithin granules (see Note)

1 cup raw coconut butter (see Note)

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cup dates

2 cups chopped walnuts

Grated orange zest for garnish

Fresh berries for garnish

Soak cashews in water 2 to 4 hours. Drain.

Blend cashews, agave nectar, cocoa powder, vanilla, orange juice, lecithin granules, coconut butter and orange zest in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

Pulse dates and walnuts in food processor until you have a sticky yet slightly chunky consistency.

Press into a 9-inch springform pan or individ-ual tart pans. Pour blended cashew mixture into pan and refrigerate 6 hours or more.

Garnish with orange zest and berries.

Note: Agave nectar, lecithin granules and raw coconut butter are avail-able at natural foods stores.

PER SERVING: 430 calories; 11 g protein; 34 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 31 g fat (11 g saturated); 0 cholesterol; 9 mg sodium