The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » dr. cow

Kale Cashew Cheese

joshuakatcher — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:51:52 +0000

The raw cashew alchemists behind Dr. Cow have struck again, expanding their selection of delectable, hand-crafted, gastronomic-goodness. Kale and Tomato varieties are now available, and I happily sank my teeth into some of the aged, raw, vegan Kale-Cashew Cheese this morning, brimming with active, healthy pro-biotic cultures. It's greener, with a sweet herbaceous aftertaste, dark nutty notes and a a tangy-sharp finish. This soft cheese is definitely not for the weak-of-palate! Ten more wheels please...

Creamy Crimini Porcini Gnocchi

joshuakatcher — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:32:51 +0000

What is better than a rich, hearty, steaming helping of potato-pasta smothered in slow-roasted mushrooms, onions, garlic, with a generous helping of cultured cashew cream cheese? Not much! I whipped this dish up to satisfy a serious post-workout hunger. Serve this as an entree or side with some greens. I used broccoli in this case. Your guests will fall over for this one, so get going to the market! WHAT YOU'LL NEED (serves 2):

• 2 cups whole wheat gnocchi
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 10 small crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried porcini mushroom
• 1 cube vegan bullion (I prefer salt-free Rapunzel brand)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs Cashew Cream Cheese (Dr. Cows)
1/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tbs olive oil (for skillet)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add dried mushrooms to water
3. Oil a medium saucepan/skillet and bring to medium heat.
4. Dice onion, garlic and criminis and add to skillet. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until golden and tender.
5. Meanwhile, add gnocchi to water and cook until gnocchi are floating on top (about 5-7 min.)
6. Drain the gnocchi & porcini and add to skillet. Pour in the wine and cook for an additional 5-7 min over med heat.
7. Turn off heat and stir in the 2 Tbs of Cashew Cream Cheese.
8. Serve with your favorite veggie or salad.

Also check out our hilarious pal Jen's take on a gnocchi dish with pumpkin sauce!

Chelsea Boots, Melty Vegan Cheese, & Crabs That Feel

TheDiscerningBrute — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:41:20 +0000

1. What's simple, classic, and not allowed to be worn with baggy pants? Check out this 100% synthetic Chelsea Boot from TOPMAN. Hot, and only $100! Next, if your metal-head babysitter from 1985's wardrobe got turned into an amazing, urban, hi-top - these gold 'n black faux-snakeskin foot-prizes would be it. Dang! Only $70 at TOPMAN. 2. Dr Cow Cashew-Bazil Nut & Macadamia vegan cheeses now available online! They are not cheap, but they are insanely yummy. 3. Speaking of cheese - I got to try the very-talked-about, soy-free, melty-as-hell Daiya cheese while mingling at a star-studded PCRM event last week. Yum! Not sure when it'll hit stores, but it was stretchy and delicious when heated. 4. Has anyone tried the So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage? I saw it on the shelves in Whole Foods, but I haven't tried it yet and want to know: how does it taste? Can you steam it or foam it? Does it curdle in tea? Tell me! 5. Once again, the Canadian Seal Hunt is leaving a trail of blood. Please watch the video and click HERE to help. 6. A new study has found that crabs feel and remember pain. So that's what a brain and nervous system do? It seems silly to even have to point this out, but unless scientists shock living things, the public thinks that brains and nervous systems are just for fun. As if you neeed one more reason to boycott Red Lobster? Duh, what's trawling?

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:03:53 +0000

1. Is My Whiskey Vegan? My favorite spirits are locally made here in New York State. They are Whiskey, Rum, and Vodka from Tuthilltown Spirits. Completely vegan, and although some are made from wheat, completely gluten-free. The Hudson Whiskey is the best whiskey I've ever had! Their rum is made from black strap molasses and aged in former whiskey barrels for a really distinct taste, and their vodka is made from New York State apples pressed into raw cider. Very discerning! You can find their spirits on this list of bars, restaurants, and shops! For more info on vegan spirits, see The Vegetarian Society's list on Vegan Spirits! 2. Girlie Girl Goes Live! Chloe Jo of the Girlie Girl Army has gone live! Her new website is gorgeously designed by vegan web design icon, Lord J Davis. Go check out her amazing blog and tell your sisters, moms, girlfriends, and any ethically fabulous lady in your life. They'll swoon over her fashion sense and her common sense! This week? The C02-output-of-your-diet-calculator! And dating tips for the tragically shy or unlucky! 3. Dr Cow Goes Nuts!Our favorite cheese has a brand new website where you can order gift box assortments of vegan nut cheese! I might live solely on this stuff. If I am what I'd be eating, I'd be totally nuts! (ha...) 4. Splendid Mills Organics Earn your organic stripes at Splendid Mills. If you don't know why the United Nations has referred to conventional cotton as one of the "most staggering disasters of the 20th century", WATCH THIS. 5. Is My Tattoo Vegan? In certain tattoo inks, bone-char (black) and glycerin (derived from animal fats) are typically used. Make sure to ask your artist to check ingredients or to use a company like Stable Color, who claims their inks are vegan-friendly. My tattoo artist, Seth Wood is a vegan, so it's also a good idea to get a vegan tattoo artist!

The Best Cheese on Earth: Dr Cow

TheDiscerningBrute — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:03:04 +0000

By Joshua Katcher **UPDATE** Click HERE for NYC store locations. Beneath the Williamsburg Bridge, just off the East River, multitudes of microbes are silently ripening a viscous concoction formulated by two Argentinean transplants. The contents of this mixture, and of the modest kitchen itself, are poised to transform the face of one of the most impassioned and rapidly-growing foodie cultures: vegans.

Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese _______Photo: Joshua Katcher

Legend has it that thousands of years ago, in the deserts of Arabia, a nomad carrying milk in a sack made from sheep intestine produced the accidental first batch of cheese curds. Her movements agitated the amalgam of milk and intestinal enzymes and, under the hot sun, produced what we call cheese. Rennet (or Rennin), an enzyme that is a product of calf stomachs and sheep intestines is a key ingredient in typical cheeses - not only making most cheese undesirable for vegans, but also for vegetarians - many of whom imagine that cheese is somehow produced without harming animals. Some veal with your cheese? The world of vegan cheese-like-imitations usually consists of heavily processed soy products simply made to look like cheese at first glance - and never followed through by taste or texture. Some Vegan cheese-esque products are notorious among the adventurous, and tend to elicit the response "well it tastes ok if you cook it in something and add a ton of nutritional yeast, but never on its own". Placing a block of vegan 'cheese' on a board among fruit and crackers would be considered heretical among cheese connoisseurs and self-aware vegans alike. "It Melts!" is usually the selling point for these rubbery replicas and even the long awaited 'Scheese', imported from Scotland is a yucky disappointment after months of anticipation by American dairy-abstainers. The only tolerable soy-based cheese is 'Follow Your Heart' Monterey Jack. Even still, none of these so-called cheeses even deserve the title 'cheese'.

Fruit & Dr Cow's Tree Nut Cheese Platter

Enter Veronica and Pablo of Dr. Cow, a small company that got its start making granola. They use raw, organic tree nuts like cashews and macadamias as the base of their cheese products. They apply different cultures and molds, and age it like any udder cheese. The final products are irresistible, delicious, and obsession-worthy artisan cheeses that are not only amazingly savory and versatile, but they are 100% raw, vegan, and full of probiotics, enzymes, protein, healthy fats, and omega fatty acids. While conventional cow's milk-based cheeses are laden with cholesterol, chemicals, hormones and a host of other objectionable attributes - not to mention the ethical and environmental concerns of animal agriculture and dairy-collection, Dr. Cow's cheeses are an anomaly; Healthy and deviantly indulgent. Pablo and Veronica have relayed to me that they are continually refining and perfecting the process of making these cheeses. There is a hard Parmesan-like variety, bleu cheese, Roquefort molded, cream cheese, herbed wheels, truffled squares, blue-green algae layers, flax-crusted, and my favorite - the original soft cashew wheel that is reminiscent of a soft, sharp cheddar. Apparently they are experimenting with Swiss Cheese bacterias now. They are pioneering a new cheese, and there is no reason that any food lover shouldn't take them seriously. "We are perfecting a process that involves balancing many ingredients, carefully controlling environmental humidities, temperatures, and ripening processes. New York City is our testing grounds, and we certainly plan to expand".

Dr. Cow's 'Tree Nut Cheese _______Photo: Joshua Katcher

If you want to try these cheeses, visit Pure Food & Wine, Organic Avenue, Marlow & Sons, or Westerly Natural Market. Click Here. They also take personal orders!

DB's Etiquette Recommendation: Bring a wheel to your next gathering. I have given this cheese to many people, placed it out at parties, and tested it on devout dairy devotees. The one resounding response I hear is "Oh my god, this is really good. Really good."

**UPDATE** Click HERE for NYC store locations.