CHOW C Local Product Offers Creamy Recipes, Without the Dairy

By Nicole Vulcan

Awalk down the milk aisle of the grocery store these days reveals plenty of non-dairy options — oat, almond, soy, coconut and even cashew competing for space and the dollars of a generation of people who no longer look to cow’s milk as their go-to. For some, that’s a personal choice; for Central Oregonian Cheri Redgrave, it was something of a requirement.

For years, Redgrave suffered from symptoms rooted in an autoimmune condition. After seeking help from her traditional doctors, she eventually sought the help of a naturopathic physician who put her through an allergy routine, finding that she was allergic to dairy, among other things. Omitting the foods that triggered her condition was a game-changer. Redgrave spent some time testing out recipes using the various non-dairy milks on the market, never quite satisfied with the level of creaminess the milks provides. As a self-described “cheese ball,” things were looking pretty bleak.

“It was a whole life of doc tors saying, you’ve got autoimmune problems but we can’t help you,” Redgrave said. But hearing that the problem might be rooted in dairy was a disappointment. “I couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t improved with cheese on it. I’d put cheese on a cookie!”

After two and a half years of experimenting in her own kitchen with the help of her engineer husband, Chris, she eventually came up with Cheri’s HazelCream, using Oregon hazelnuts (or filberts, to the non-Oregonian) as the key ingredient. After many attempts at the right mixture, finally, things like creamy garlic pasta were back on the menu.

Unlike other non-dairy milks that come pre-mixed in a carton with a certain amount of water, Cheri’s HazelCream comes concentrated, in a pod-like form, allowing home cooks to pop it in the blender and add a little bit of water to make it a creamier substance, or more water to make a milk worthy of a bowl of cereal.

Redgrave invited me to her home kitchen just outside Bend to try out some of the recipes she makes with the HazelCream, and as someone slowly converting off the dairy train

By Nicole Vulcan

and into a more plant-based lifestyle, I was impressed. Creamy garlic nondairy pasta that doesn’t skimp on the “creamy?” Yes, please.

“When you cook and bake with it, you don’t taste the hazelnut. I didn’t want gravy that tasted like coconut or gravy that tasted like oatmeal,” Redgrave said.

The visit to the Redgrave house started with a cup of coffee – natch – topped with a dose of creamy HazelCream. Drinking it in the coffee did bring out the hazelnut a bit, but that’s because coffee and hazelnut complement one another, the Redgraves said.

Next up was a nacho “cheese” sauce, served with chips, with all the creaminess of the dairy variety. Then it was on to a creamy garlic pasta. Using Cheri’s HazelCream involves the extra step of adding the pods to a blender, adding the right amount of water and letting the blender do its thing for 1 minute, creating an emulsified mixture with the right amount of fattiness in the mouthfeel. (Hazelnuts, after all, have their own fat content that offers that element.) The effort in blending is worth it. Once blended, the HazelCream can be used in any recipe that calls for milk or cream, in the same proportions one would use a dairy product.

As Redgrave shared, “I even made sweetened condensed milk for my pumpkin pies this year!”

In the case of the creamy garlic pasta,

I was full by the time I’d consumed half of my modest portion, but I pressed on because this creamy vegan goodness was just too good to let go to waste.

Still, Redgrave wasn’t quite done. We finished off with a chocolate syrup poured over strawberries – the HazelCream once again offering a thick, full-bodied element to what could otherwise be a thin chocolate gruel if you tried this with other nut milks.

I was sold – though a product like this, shelf-stable and offered not in the traditional milk “carton,” has been hard for grocery-store managers to wrap their heads around. Some put it by the baking supplies. Others put it near the nut butters, Redgrave told the Source Weekly. But wherever it’s sold around Central Oregon, those seeking non-dairy options for cooking and baking should seek it out. It’s a welcome innovation in an increasingly nondairy world.

Redgrave and her husband Chris can be found delivering Cheri’s Hazel Cream to customers in their vintage panel van, as well as at local events. Meantime, Cheri’s Hazel Cream is available locally at Market of Choice, Food 4 Less, Newport Market, C.E. Lovejoy’s, Central Oregon Locavore, Schoolhouse Produce and Prineville Produce. You just might have to ask each store where they display it.

Cheri’s HazelCream

Available locally at Market of Choice, Food 4 Less, Newport Market, C.E. Lovejoy’s, Central Oregon Locavore, Schoolhouse Produce and Prineville Produce Cherishazelcream.com

Dogs get the royal treatment at many places around Central Oregon — treats at the coffee drive-thru, water bowls at outdoor patios — but at the Oxford Hotel’s restaurant, ROAM, pups are in for more than a simple treat. ROAM just debuted a full-on dog menu, featuring dog-friendly foods guests can order in small-dog or large-dog sizes.

“To create an extra special dog-friendly experience, our Executive Chef Bryant has curated a dog menu available on the patio of Roam as well as for room service in the pet-friendly rooms at the Oxford Hotel Bend next door,” said the Oxford’s General Manager Devin Cuzzolina.

The ROAM dog menu includes Pawtastic Beef featuring a ground beef patty, green peas and plain rice, and the Ruff Day Chicken, featuring chicken breast, plain rice and scrambled egg. There’s also the Dog-Gone Good Oatmeal with water-based oatmeal and peanut butter.

For dogs who are used to spoiling by their favorite barista, there’s also the Puppuccino – a cup of whipped cream in small or large-dog sizes. And for those on the go, the Roam Adventure Water includes a Ruffwear travel bowl, a water bottle and a tennis ball. (On that note, however, every meal comes with a tennis ball.) The dog menu is offered all day, from 7am to 10pm.

63363 Powell Butte Highway Bend, OR PREVIEW AUGUST 4th 10am-5pm PST

63363 Powell Butte Highway Bend, OR PREVIEW AUGUST 4th 10am-5pm PST

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

63363 Powell Butte Highway Bend, OR PREVIEW AUGUST 4th

63363 Powell Butte Highway Bend, OR PREVIEW AUGUST 4th 10am-5pm PST

10am-5pm PST

63363 Powell Butte Highway Bend, OR PREVIEW AUGUST 4th 10am-5pm PST

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

Heavy Equipment, Trailers, Welders, Air Compressors, Power Tools, Hand Tools

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th 10am-5pm PST

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and MORE

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th 10am-5pm PST

10am-5pm PST

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and MORE

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th 10am-5pm PST

-5pm PST

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR

21822 Los Serranos, Bend OR PREVIEW AUGUST 10th 10am-5pm PST

10am-5pm PST

OR

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and MORE

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and MORE

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and

High end furniture, Pool Table, Shuffleboard Table, NEON Bar Signs, Guitars and MORE

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new!

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new!

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new!

Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres

Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres

Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new!

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new! Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres

Los Serranos, Bend OR

Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres

63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or PREVIEW SEPTEMBER 11TH

63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or PREVIEW SEPTEMBER 11TH

One of a Kind AT -6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or PREVIEW SEPTEMBER 11TH 10am-5pm PST

One of a Kind AT -6

63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or

63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or

Over 35 stunning cars from classics to almost brand new! Two parcels of land to be auctioned as well respectively 19.43 acres and 20.02 acres 63000 Powell Butte Highway, Bend Or

One of a Kind AT -6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

One of a Kind AT -6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

One of a Kind AT -6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

6 in gorgeous condition Ten different planes from Cessna 175 Skylark to Cessna 336 Super Skymaster

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

Incredible Allison V12 Engine

For a full list of items at each auction please visit Downsauction.com

Larry Downs (208) 939-9456

This is the Estate of the late Leonard Peverieri. We will be auctioning off the complete Estate. Go to downsauction.com for more details.

For a full list of items at each auction please visit Downsauction.com

For a full list of items at each auction please visit Downsauction.com

For a full list of items at each auction please visit Downsauction.com

For a full list of items at each auction please visit

For a full list of items at each auction please visit Downsauction.com