Die Kunst der Nusskäse Zubereitung / The art of making nut cheese

Wer von euch hat die Frage noch nicht gehört: “Aber was esse ich denn in der Rohkost anstelle von Käse?” In der Tat, der Käse hat es den Deutschen angetan und als kleiner Feinschmecker und selbst immer noch Liebhaber von Höhlen- oder Bergkäsespezialitäten, Parmesan, Gorgonzola, Schafskäse und co. kann Gourmet Raw Chef Boris Lauser (b.alive!) das sehr gut nachvollziehen.

Darum lag es ihm vor kurzem besonders am Herzen, sich endlich einem schon lange anstehenden Projekt zu widmen: Der Herstellung von Nusskäse. Ja, ihr habt richtig gelesen, man kann aus Nüssen richtigen Käse herstellen, welcher auch noch nach Käse schmeckt :-) Dieser entsteht simpel zusammengefasst durch Fermentation einer sehr dicken Nussmasse mit Probiotika. Das Ergebnis seiner ersten Versuche wurde auch direkt in seinem kleinen Berliner Dinner Club verköstigt und das Feedback der Gäste war grandios! Sharon, eine der Dinner Club Gäste, hat sogar direkt einen ganzen Artikel darüber geschrieben (auf Englisch), den ihr hier lesen könnt: http://reluctantveganrawfoodian.blogspot.com/2011/05/day-61-oh-my-sainted-aunts.html#comment-form

Nun aber erstmal zu den verschiedenen Käsesorten auf dem Bild: Vorne links seht ihr einen Mandelkäse mit Pfefferkruste, vorne rechts eine Sonnenblumen – Käserolle nach Schafskäseart im Lavendel – Zitronenmantel und die hinteren beiden sind gereifte Cashew- und Macadamianuss – Käse. Besonders der Cashewkäse erinnert in Geschmack und Konsistenz an einen alten bekannten, nämlich dem französischen Brie oder Camembert. Dieser war auch der ungeschlagene Favorit aller Gäste bei den beiden letzten b.alive! Dinner Club Abenden.

Der vegane Rohköstler muss also nicht mehr länger auf den zarten Schmelz und die so allseits beliebte Würzigkeit von gereiftem konventionellen Käse verzichten. Begeistert? Ihr könnt noch bis Ende des Monats täglich für Boris Lauser als Deutschlands Rohkost Chef der am meisten begeistert abstimmen. Wo? Auf www.rohkost.de, Deutschlands informativem Rohkost Blog und Portal. Wenn das nicht den Goldenen Vitamix verdient ;-)

Wer nun selbst in den Genuss von diesen Nusskäsespezialitäten kommen möchte, der kann dies gerne bei einem meiner Dinner Club Abende oder die Kunst in meinem eigens dafür entworfenen Kurs erlernen. Infos dazu findet ihr auf meiner Webseite (www.balive.org). Bestellen und kaufen auf Anfrage kann man die Nusskäse ebenfalls bei b.alive! in der Dresdener Strasse in Berlin.

Die mutigen Pioniere unter euch können aber auch einfach schon mal loslegen und selbst experimentieren. Hierfür teile ich mit euch eines meiner Rezepte, welches vom Blog The Sunny Raw Kitchen (http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/04/not-cheeze-pleaze.html) inspiriert wurde, sowohl als auch von Russel James e-book und Charlie Trotter´s Gourmet Buch Raw (http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Charlie-Trotter/dp/1580084702).

Viel Spass beim Experimentieren :-)

Harter gereifter Cashewkäse

3 Tassen Cashewnüsse, 12-14 Stunden eingeweicht

3 probiotische Pillen (der Pulverinhalt) oder ¾ Teelöffel Probiotisches Pulver

2/3 Tassen Rejuvelac (oder Wasser)

Alles im Mixer zu einer cremigen Masse pürieren. Mit weniger Flüssigkeit starten. Je weniger Flüssigkeit benötigt wird, desto härter das Endresultat.

Fermentation:

Ein Passiertuch doppel - lagig in ein Sieb legen und die Cashewmasse reingeben. Das Passiertuch einschlagen, so dass die Masse eingeschlossen ist. Einen Teller darauf geben und das ganze mit einem Gewicht beschweren und für 14-16 Stunden an einen warmen Ort stellen (je nach Belieben und gewünschter Stärke auch länger).

Nun ist die Käsebasis fertig zum würzen.

Basiswürzrezept für Nusskäse:

1 Tasse Nusskäsemasse

1 Eßlöffel Würzhefeflocken

¼ Eßlöffel Zwiebelpulver

1/8 Teelöffel Muskat, gemahlen

½ Teelöffel Salz

Die letzten 4 Zutaten im Vitamix zu feinem Pulver mahlen und unter die Käsemasse heben.

Abwandlungen:

Hier eigenen sich auch sehr gut klein geschnittene sonnengetrocknete Tomaten, Oliven, Frühlingszwiebeln oder Frische Kräuter. Auch ein Schuss Zitronensaft kann hier verwendet werden, um mehr Säure zuzufügen.

Härtung:

Die fertige Masse in eine Kugel formen und in eine runde Form pressen, welche mit Folie ausgekleidet ist.

Dann im Kühlschrank lagern. Wenn der Käse fest geworden ist (nach 1-2 Tagen) aus der Form nehmen. Der Käse hält sich mindestens 4 Wochen im Kühlschrank und wird härter und intensiver im Geschmack!

Gutes Gelingen und: Sag Kääääääse :-)

Vegan and Raw hit the press

The vegan movement has reached a critical mass and with it also the raw food movement is catching up in light speed and is getting massive press coverage. It is amazing to see how many press articles are being written about the subject and how the press is just literally jumping on the subject. I recently had the Deutsche Welle camera team over at my dinner club and they shot a piece on my raw dinner club and interviewed my guests. The piece was out there already a couple of months ago and now, only by coincidence I find it embedded already into another piece on veganism and the raw food movement, circulating in the web:



Still waiting for the Tagesschau coverage, but it is soon to come. Watch out :-)

Raw Magic in Berlin

Last weekend, I had the great pleasure to host Kate Magic for a magical workshop on raw and superfoods here in Berlin. Kate is the founder of one of Europe's biggest online sellers of raw products and superfoods, Raw Living, where you can find a great selection of products. The store features not only regular raw food products, but also exotic ayurvedic herbs like Ashwaganda, medicinal mushrooms like reishi, brain stimulants like Etherium Gold or amazing sweeteners like black currant powder or baobab. Kate is a most loving mother of 3 beautiful kids and has also written and published 4 books, one of which, Raw Magic, explaining the use of the aforementioned superfoods, as well as many more, in your daily life with a great selection of sweet and savory recipes.
Friday evening started with a very informative talk on healthy nutrition and making the raw food diet work in your daily life. Berlin's best organic salad bar Eve & Adams hosted this talk. Kate shared her experiences as a mum and lots of knowledge that she has gathered during her time being raw, and of course, she also shared raw living's more decadent cake Dedicakeshun, moist and delicious just like a baked brownie, but totally healthy and raw! So good :-)


During Saturday's workshop which took part in my studio loft, Kate focused more on the practicalities and also went into much more depth in the theory of raw food. During 4 hours, packed with information on raw foods, a healthy diet and theoretical background on superfoods and the general raw food diet, Kate shared with us four of her favorite recipes: a sunflower seed mayonnaise, a mouthwatering nut and seed free yellow curry, coconut oil based maca - macadamia chocolate bars as well as the best cake ever: A fluffy sprouted buckwheat cake base sweetened with lucuma, xylotol and maca, topped with a purple frosting, made from avocado, purple corn and blackcurrant powder. So yummy and surprisingly light for a raw cake!

It was a great workshop with lots of helpful, practical information and yummy food. Thank you Kate for bringing your Raw Magic to Berlin and hopefully there will be more people in the future to get a taste of it, when she comes back next year in spring :-)
b.magic!

Blissed in Bali: Gaia Oasis

After a summer full of raw food events over Europe, including a successful participation at the Rohvolution, German's biggest raw food event last weekend in Speyer, I just got back to Bali a few days ago.
Thanks to my friend Marianne, who I met during my last stay here at the Radiantly Alive Yoga Teacher training, I was asked to come to Gaia Oasis as a raw food consultant. Gaia Oasis is a jewel tuck away in the North of Bali in Tejakula. Only having seen the South and center of Bali during my last visits, I finally felt that I just discovered the real Bali. The resort is split into two locations, a mountain resort, with 9 hectars of ground where they grow all the amazing organic fruits and vegetables, like mango, papaya, jackfruit,
even Durian :-) and spinach, arugula, all the herbs, ginger, lemongrass and so much more and of course endless supplies of coconuts.
The second resort is down by the beach with a private beach access, beautiful gardens , a great spa and a picturesque restaurant patio right by the sea.
During the last 5 days, I had the joy to teach the staff at Gaia some raw food dishes that they can easily implement with their simple tools they have at hand.

From now on, Gaias menu has been extended with some new fun raw dishes like my b.alive! zucchini spaghetti "bolognese", Asialive noodles, zucchini hummus,
Love Sprout salad with pink ginger lime dressing, cashew kaffir lime cheese on cucumber bites, avocado chocolate pudding, passion love smoothie, coconut yoghurt for breakfast and even mocaccinos and lattes based on cashew milk :-)











Working with the kitchen team was an beautiful and rewarding experience. Sirsan, the head chef, was extremely excited to learn the new ways of preparing the food and very happy and willing to learn.
And on top, the working conditions couldn't be better, when I asked Sirsan that we need a fresh young coconut that has some thick meat inside for making a nice creamy coconut sauce, he simply walked out of the kitchen , going to the coconut tree by the beach and getting a coconut fresh from the tree ! We live in Paradise :-)

We also visited another resort and spa closeby, where they make their own organic fresh cold pressed extra virgin coconut oil. If you were ever wondering , what a coconut oil press looks like, here you go:


Gaia Oasis is a wonderful place full of good energy. Being a non-profit organization, with a board of 15 members that communally built the place and invested their money without the aim of making money, but giving back to the community, this is the real way of how to build holiday homes. The staff gets properly treated, well paid and they donate big parts of the profits of the operation to the community to support the schools and many other things.

It is a perfect place for holding retreats of all kinds and now with the inclusion of raw food definitely a good address to just spend a lush day and indulge in their amazing healthy drinks list and fresh food prepared by the most lovely chef and his kitchen staff.
Thanks Gaia for a wonderful experience. It's been a bliss to work for a place like this!

Oriental Raw Food Diner with Piano Improvisation

When my good friend Lonneke from Holland called me beginning of this summer, I was so happy to hear that she wanted to come to Berlin to visit me with her new boyfriend Freek Zwanenberg. Unbound excitement kicked in, when she mentioned that this same boy was an amazing piano player and she suggested to have a raw food dinner, during which he can play his improvisations, inspired by my food. I called Melanie from Aphrohdisia and over some vegan ice cream on a lush summer evening , we designed an exceptional oriental style 5 course menu. Reinhold "Bubi" Rath sponsored his magical location, former restaurant and raw food café Rawmeister, at the lake in the midst of the Grunewald, an inspiring place full of energy. See for yourself , what the about 20 select guests were able to experience on this fantastic evening:



Thank you Lonneke and Freek for initializing this beautiful event.
If you want to see more of what Freek is doing, check out his website:
http://www.freekzwanenberg.nl

b.alive! dinner in Rome: Beautiful notes from a guest

Yesterday evening was a true highlight in my life as a raw food chef. My dearest friends Sienna and Yves opened their Roman Palace , which they call their humble home, in the center of Monti in Rome, to host the Roman episode of my latest dinner series: Tropical Inspirations from Bali.

Watching over the roofs of Monti under new moon, 22 excited guests were served a fusion repertoire of Asian inspired raw food dishes on the beautiful roof top terrace of the apartment, surrounded by Sienna's amazing herb garden. The excitement was met and all of them left with smiling faces. I received so much nice feedback and comments from everyone and Elizabeth even wrote an entire blog post about the dinner. And so did Sarah May on her Compassionate Hedonist Blog. So, at this point, I won't go on and talk more about it, but read for yourself from the perspective of two really happy guests :-)

Here are the articles:
Raw Food in Rome, by Elizabeth Minchilli

b.alive! in Rome, by Sarah May

a balinese dinner journey by b.alive!

Inspired by my recent journey to Bali, where I worked for the Radiantly Alive Yoga Teacher training (see previous blog post), I served a selection of 5 new exotic Asian fusion creations at last weeks b.alive! club dinner in my studio loft in Berlin.
It was a magical evening, because not only was the food delicious, but my 6 excited dinner guests created the most beautiful atmosphere, while I was guiding them through jackfruit kaffir lime lassies accompanied with curry leaf mustard cookies, chinese style dumplings with sweet and sour dipping sauce, Balinese Gado-Gado and strawberry cardamom halva with nutmeg ice cream and strawberry balsam coulis. Watch, enjoy, b.dreaming and hopefully, next time you'll be one of the happy guests at a b.alive! dinner :-)