Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is a vegan-chef staple that stands in for dairy in a variety of ways.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water

Directions:

Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you're not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

To make thick cashew cream, simply reduce the amount of water in the blender, so that the water just covers the cashews.