In his 15 years of strictly observing Jewish dietary laws, Alan Glustoff had one consistent gripe -- the cheese.

High-quality kosher varieties of virtually every other foodstuff have become plentiful in recent years, but rare was the kosher cheese that Glustoff felt was on par with its non-kosher cousins.

So this 53-year-old food industry veteran -- he helped develop Jell-O Pudding Pops -- did something about it. In 2005, he started 5 Spoke Creamery, a dairy with 32 grass-fed cows in Port Chester, N.Y.

Since launching last summer, the six varieties of kosher, raw milk cheese he makes there have attracted a dedicated following. That much of the attention is from people who don't care about eating kosher tells Glustoff he accomplished his goal.

"It was high time we had kosher cheeses that were as good as non-kosher cheeses," says Glustoff, whose buyers include upscale restaurants such as Manhattan's Gramercy Tavern and Chanterelle.

"I wish more people in the kosher community knew about it," says Glustoff, noting that kosher-observing Jews haven't paid much attention to raw milk, small-batch cheeses because "they haven't had cheeses like this before."

Turns out Glustoff's timing was right. Kosher cheeses have seen dramatic growth during the past five years, says Rabbi Andrew Gordimer, who oversees dairy for the Orthodox Union, the nation's largest kosher-certifying agency.

Previously, consumers could pick from just a handful of mass-produced kosher cheeses. Today, they can have grass-fed Lancashires, herb-infused cheddars, aged Parmesans, goat and blue cheeses, even an Indian-style paneer.

Much of the growth comes from European imports. Israel also is exporting growing amounts of kosher cheese, particularly sheep's milk and goat's milk varieties.

So what makes a cheese kosher? In short: rabbis and rennet.

Because Jewish law forbids the mixing of meat and dairy, kosher cheese producers generally must have a rabbi on the premises at all times to ensure that no non-kosher ingredients or utensils have been used.

Rennet, the enzyme used in cheese production, is more complicated. Because rennet traditionally is derived from cow stomach, there are numerous -- and often debated -- rules governing its use.

Many kosher cheese producers instead use microbial or other vegetarian rennets. This has the added benefit of making the cheese more appealing to vegetarians, though few kosher cheeses are marketed this way.

The growth in kosher cheeses marks an overall change in the sophistication of kosher consumers.

Brent Delman, a New York distributor of kosher cheeses to upscale East Coast markets, says the kosher cheese growth stems in part from the "intense competition in the cheese industry."

"Everybody's trying to carve out more of a niche," he explains.

Mark Rosen, for example. When the owner of Sugar River Cheese Co. in Deerfield, Ill., started making his cheeses in 2002, he says he saw kosher as another way to set his cheeses apart.

In addition to being kosher, Rosen's cheeses are also made from hormone-free milk and come in unusual flavors, such as cheddar with roasted garlic and green onion, and Monterey Jack with olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

"I try to make cheese for everybody," he says. "I certainly sell in kosher markets, but I also sell to a whole variety of stores that don't generally sell kosher cheese."

CHEESE STICKS

Start to finish: Two hours 20 minutes (10 minutes active)

Servings: Four

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Jack cheese (such as 5 Spoke Creamery's Herbal Jack or Redmond Cheddar)

3 tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, cayenne and baking powder. Pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and cheese, then pulse for about 30 seconds, or until the ingredients are well mixed. It should resemble slightly moist flour.

Add the sour cream, and pulse on and off for about one minute, or until the ingredients come together as a moist, doughy clump. Remove the dough from the food processor, form into a ball, then cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or coat it with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured counter, roll out the dough into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges to create a neat rectangle. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips 6 inches long and about 1/2-inch wide. Combine the scraps and repeat with remaining dough to make about 18 to 24 sticks.

Gently twist each strip to create a spiral, then arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for eight minutes, or until lightly browned.

(Recipe adapted from 5 Spoke Creamery, http://www.5spokecreamery.com/)

FRIED POLENTA WITH CHEDDAR AND SPICY GUACAMOLE

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Servings: Four to six

2 avocados

Jarred hot red peppers, to taste

1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

18-ounce log prepared polenta, sliced into 10 rounds

8-ounce block cheddar cheese, cut into 10 pieces

Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Use a spoon to remove the flesh, and place it in a food processor. Add the hot peppers, lime juice and salt and pepper. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Transfer the avocado mixture to a plastic bag. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the polenta rounds, in batches if necessary. Fry, moving the rounds occasionally to prevent sticking, until lightly golden on both sides, about five minutes.

Top each polenta round with a piece of cheese, then cover the pan. Let cook for one to two minutes, or until the cheese just begins to melt. Transfer the rounds to a serving platter.

Use scissors to snip off one corner of the plastic bag with the avo

cado mixture. Twist the top of the bag closed, then use gentle pressure to squeeze some of the avocado mixture onto the cheese on each round.

Mark Rosen likes topping crispy fried polenta rounds with avocado slices and his Sugar River Cheese Co.'s garlic and onion or chipotle kosher cheddars. This adaptation adds even more bite by swapping the avocado with spicy pepper-spiked guacamole.

(Recipe adapted from Mark Rosen of Sugar River Cheese Co. http://www.sugarrivercheese.com/)

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