I've been vegan for almost 7 years now. I don't know why it took me so long to make cashew cream. Anyway, this isn't just a vegan thing, it's a foodie thing. It's impressive, luscious and gourmet.

You can soak raw cashews in water overnight (water should be 1" above cashews), in your refrigerator. By morning, they'll be plump and swollen. Drain the cashew water into another bowl or cup (you may need it) and blend the stuff out of your cashews. The more you blend, the fluffier it gets. You may need to add a little of the reserved cashew water to the blender if it's too thick. It'll make a rich cream, similar to sour cream. It tastes like pure cashew, so you can add anything to brighten it up.

My lime crema has the juice of 1-2 limes, 1 jalapeno (deseeded) and 1 avocado.

Taste as you go, and flavor it for whatever you're eating.

Some of my favorite riffs:

• Chipotle Cashew Crema (add in canned chipotle chiles in adobo)
• Habanero Cashew Crema (add in 1 roasted habanero)
• Lemon-berry Cashew Crema (add in fresh berries, lemon juice)