The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » tree nut cheese

Giving Thanks, and Leftovers

TheDiscerningBrute — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:13:56 +0000

Last night was such an overwhelming food frenzy! There were more amazing dishes than I had room for on my plate or in my stomach. Last night was also a true testament to the fact that I really don't miss any non-vegan foods! I'll be posting the recipes for my two dishes, in a couple of days: Smokey Seitan w/ Mushroom Mousse & Braised Apples in a Pumkin Butter Shell, & Pumpkin Pie Cookies! I am really blessed to have such an amazing group of people in my life. I can't tell you how revolutionary it is to be at an event overflowing with amazing drinks and food and conversation, and never have to worry once about the ingredients of anything, defending my choice to be an animal advocate, or losing interest in any conversation. From shoe designers, comic artists, TV personalities, and food-science artists - to organizers, fund-raising powerhouses, filmmakers, lifestyle experts, full-time animal rescuers, lawyers, wellness therapists and fashionistas - there was so much good karma in the room that I was high on it.

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!

City of Angels

TheDiscerningBrute — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:01:10 +0000

I always thought of LA as a big, dirty strip-mall that extended for miles in every direction. Now, however - after visiting for a few days with an amazing tour guide, I think of LA as a big, dirty strip mall with tons of vegan joints for miles in every direction. I arrived in LA with a suitcase and a big bag of Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese to share with the west coast. Here's some highlights:

Vegan Spot, Silver Lake 3206 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 Vegan Spot had some yummy sandwiches. I had the "Cheesy Roast Beef" and Zoe had the "Philly Cheese Steak". They thin-slice seitan, and smother it in onions and melted-vegan cheeses. It was pretty scrumptious. We headed over to a wine and cheese party where we ate copious amounts of Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese with the likes of Skinny Bitch: Rory Freedman, Emily Deschanel, Ari Solomon of Scent of Scandal, Karen Dawn and Paula the pitbul of Thanking the Monkey, among other amazing veggies!

Good Micro Brew & Grill 3725 W Sunset Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90026 Casa de Sousa 213 703 5236 634 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (Located on historical Olvera Street) We shared some Pinkus organic vegan beer over Hemp-Nut and Blue Manna Dr. Cow's Tree Nut Cheese at Good Micro Brew & Grill. This appeared to be their only known vegan beer - and lucky for us - it's a really delicious, light German beer. The Germans don't use Fish Bladder (AKA isinglass) in their beer. Thanks Germany! This places serves meat but they have some decent veg options like the orange tofu. Ana loved the cheese! She works with Guayaki Yerba Mate, and gave me mate and a gourd! Then we visited the historic Mexican district of Olvera Street and had vegan Mexican-chocolate lattes at Casa de Sousa, a vegetarian Mexican cafe!

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.