I'm sure that many of us will be attending or hosting Halloween parties. (I'm doing both, heh.) So, we need to figure out some party foods, right?
For my Halloween party, I have been toying with the idea of making a vegan cheese platter and being a little fancy! You know, really showing off that I've finally reached adulthood. Cheese platters are one of those things that make you feel fancy and sophisticated, even if you're only serving slices of Velveeta or something like that.
Now, I'll probably be making most of these cheeses myself, but when I was at Whole Foods the other day I decided to take a plunge and try a vegan cheese that's supposed to be very good.
Now, I'll admit that I've never been a cheese expert, really. (Is there a cheese equivalent to, say, a sommelier?) I only know what I like.
So, I purchased this primarily because it was the cheapest (there are some other vegan cheeses they have that I still need to review, too). It's also a pretty small portion. It also has a great reputation though. It's cashew-based (though I'm upstairs at the moment, so I'm not going to claim it's soy-free).
This is what you'll see what you take it out of the box. It's wrapped nicely in this waxy paper, and the label makes you feel all ~*swanky*~.
It was much harder than I expected. When I purchased it, I had been imagining it'd be soft, like brie. (This was also one of those times I wish I had a cheese knife.)
I first tried a plain slice of this - nothing fancy. And it was not love at first bite. It has an incredibly unpleasant first taste (it might be the mesquite flavouring, but it was almost too lemon-y and sweet) but then it melts into this nice flavour that, as Eric pointed out to me, is a bit like cream cheese. He despised it when he tried it - he spit it into the sink.
I was about ready to throw it out completely, but then I remembered I had some Saltines down in the media room (I like snacking on them, I'm weird). I cut a slice and put it on the cracker, and the flavour was instantly better. The salt from the cracker kind of negates that overwhelming first bite, so all you're left with is the smooth bit at the end. Unfortunately I had no red grapes in the house, but if you tried cracker-cheese-grape, it'd probably be rather nice too.
So, what's the verdict?
I will not be serving this at my Halloween party and would probably not purchase it again, but I would not turn it away if someone gave me some. I'd like to perhaps try experimenting with it in recipes and such, but for now I'm rather lukewarm with it in general. (Which, by the way - when serving this, it's recommended that you serve it right out of the fridge. I'm curious what it would be like at room temperature, though.)
Terribly sorry if this review has burst any bubbles! I'm glad I finally tried this brand though, and I'd be interested in trying some of their other flavours. But there was just no love connection here.
If you've tried this before and loved/hated it, let me know! And if you have any suggestions for the blog, feel free to leave me a comment below or send me an email!
Until tomorrow, loves!
xo, Kate
Edit: As an extra treat, because this review was disappointing, here's a picture of Catsby.
Meow.
Edit #2: I've now tried this shredded up into pasta and on top of pizza, and it was mild and nice so I recommend that as well!
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