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cheese everything but the moo

Everything but the MooIt ’s a new era for nondairy cheese.by roberT wemiSChNer

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38 The NaTioNal CuliNary review • November/DeCember 2014

cheese everything but the mooP

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ir Isaac Newton may not have had the world of specialty food in mind when he said that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” but some of the same logic seems to be at play in the world of food, particularly in the growing corner occupied by artisanal

cheese. One cannot consider the meteoric rise of small-scale dairy-based cheesemaking in this country without giving a nod to the burgeoning category of nondairy cheese. Nondairy cheeses are being hungrily incorporated into the diets of vegans, vegetarians and others who wish to enjoy some of the pleasures of real cheese without the offending dairy ingredients. Many are nut-based rather than dairy-based, but cultured and shaped to resemble classic European cheeses in a bid to gain the attention of a broad audience. Unlike the often unpalatable nondairy cheeses born out of the counterculture hippie fringe of 40 years ago, today there is a wide range of nondairy cheese products, some based on soy, rice or coconut milk, some containing lactose and casein, and others that are soft and creamy versions enlivened with herbs and based on cashews, almonds, macadamia or Brazil nuts. There are soft nut-based cheeses with the texture and nearly the taste of fresh ricotta, and rounds that can be cut like semisoft cheese, cultured, molded and even aged like their dairy counterparts. “Our nut-based cheeses are some of the first of their kind to be displayed next to the classic European cheeses,” says Monte Casino, cheesemaker at Kite Hill, Hayward, California. “Just as dairy cheese producers pride themselves on making farmstead varieties using the milk produced by cows, goats or sheep grazing on their property, we are in control of all of the processes of production, starting with making our own nut milk based on almonds and macadamia nuts.” Using natural cultures, which brings down the pH of the nut milk, Kite Hill can create a curd, a process analogous to dairy-based cheesemaking. The resulting coagulated curd is shaped, pressed and brined for varying periods of time, depending on the kind of cheese the company is aiming to make. This sounds a lot like what artisanal dairy cheesemakers say when describing their processes and systems.

More artisanal-made options With his tree-nut cheese company Dr-Cow, Brooklyn, New York, Pablo Castro has been pioneer-ing in the field of nondairy cheeses for the past eight years. “What we make is all USDA organic,

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Previous page: kite hill’s ricotta-style cheese, made from almond milk, has sweet overtones and a buttery finish. Top: Cheeses from tree-nut cheese company Dr-Cow are certified uSDa organic, contain no animal products, and are lactose-free and 100% vegan.bottom, left to right: This creamy, soft fresh cheese from kite hill can be spread on crackers or paired with olives, nuts, pickled vegetables or fresh fruit.

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¾ cup spelt flour¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour1 t. nonaluminum baking powder¾ t. sea salt, divided¾ t. ground cinnamon, divided¼ t. ground allspice2 T. maple syrup1½ t. vanilla extract, divided1 t. almond extract1¹⁄³ cups unsweetened almond milk or soymilkGrated zest of 1 lemon2 T. neutral-tasting high-heat oil + additional for coating pan1 container GO Veggie! Dairy Free Classic Plain Cream Cheese Alternative4-5 strawberries, finely chopped2 T. brown rice syrupDash fresh lemon juice8-10 strawberries, sliced1 large spelt boule (round loaf) or French bread

1) In medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, ½ t. sea salt, ½ t. cinnamon and allspice. Add maple syrup, 1 t. vanilla extract, almond extract, almond milk or soymilk, lemon zest and 2 T. oil. Whisk until smooth (do not over-mix).

2) In large bowl, combine cream cheese alternative and finely chopped strawberries. Add brown rice syrup, ¼ t. cinnamon, ¼ t. sea salt, ½ t. vanilla extract and lemon juice; whisk with fork to combine.

3) Put sliced strawberries in separate bowl.

4) Slice boule or loaf into 2-inch-thick slices. Cut into each slice horizontally to form pocket without cutting all the way through.

5) Preheat griddle or pan to medium-high. Grease with oil.

6) Stuff each bread slice with strawberry cream cheese and a few sliced strawberries. Coat each slice in batter; put on griddle or hot pan. Cook until bottom is slightly golden and edges look dry, 2-3 minutes. Flip; cook 2-3 minutes, or until golden.

7) Let French toast cool 3-5 minutes before cutting. Slice in half with diagonal cut for best presentation.

STrawberry Cream CheeSe STuFFeD FreNCh ToaST Spork Foods // Los Angeles

YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS

starting with cashews, Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts, yielding a spreadable creamy cheese that is totally lactose-free, contains no animal products and is 100% vegan,” Castro says. Himalayan pink salt is the seasoning of choice for Castro, whose storefront in Brooklyn not only sells his tree-nut cheeses, but in-house-made granolas (his first foray into the organic specialty food realm) and other products labeled as gluten-, soy-, dairy- and animal-free, and vegan, using 100% certified organic and unprocessed ingredients. Something for everyone If nut allergies present a problem (an estimated 3 million Americans suffer from peanut and tree-nut allergies combined), there’s room for plenty of variety in the nondairy cheese world apart from nut-based products, as evidenced by the extensive line from GO Veggie!, North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Unlike nut-based cheeses, the company’s nondairy cream cheese is a blend of coconut and sunflower oils with some starch and gum for thickening. The product, with the mouthfeel and spreadability of its dairy-based analogue, is available in institutional sizes. It captured the attention of Heather Goldberg and Jenny Engel, chefs/founders of Spork Foods, Los Angeles, who have developed recipes using a number of nondairy cheeses. Proving that restaurants can easily add a vegan option to their established breakfast and brunch menus, they love the challenge of training chefs from mainstream restau-rants to adapt nonvegan dishes by using nondairy cheeses, drawing inspiration from the GO Veggie! line. Jamie Schapiro, director of marketing, characterizes his company’s offerings as being pitched to a mass, largely nonvegan market filled with individuals identified as lactose-intolerant who are seeking a heart-healthy lifestyle and diet, or who are deter-mined to cut some animal fat from their diets and are dipping into the world of nondairy cheese as their point of entry. Forward-thinking chefs in all segments of foodservice—from institutional foodservice, including college venues, and casual and multi-daypart restaurants to finer dining operations—would be well-advised to follow the trend. And judging from the space devoted to nondairy cheeses in mainstream and health-oriented supermarkets, it seems a safe bet to delve deeper into making room on menus to include items that are dairy-free. Start slowly, gauge the response and fine-tune the menu accordingly.

ROBERT WEMiSCHNER (WWW.ROBERTWEMiSCHNER.COM) TEACHES PROFESSiONAL BAkiNG AT LOS ANGELES TRAdE-TECHNiCAL COLLEGE ANd iS THE AuTHOR OF FOuR BOOkS, MOST RECENTLY, THE dESSERT ARCHiTECT (CENGAGE LEARNiNG, 2010). HE iS CuRRENTLY AT WORk ON HiS FiFTH BOOk.