Vegan Cooking & Cookbooks discussion

re vegan cheeses, continued from the long discussion at the member introduction thread:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...

keep chatting! ;-)

I found a really delicious vegan cheese spread at our local Whole Foods. It's a product of Montana, so I hope it is available at more of the Whole Foods stores as it's not a local company. It's called "We Can't Say It's Cheese" and it's super yummy! It's made with oatmeal, of all things, and I like that it's got a healthy first ingredient and isn't soy-based for a change and is also gluten-free! It reminds me a bit of the "pub cheese" type spreads. Not exactly gourmet, but really tasty. I got the smoked cheddar flavor and it was good with tortilla chips, too. FYI! :-) I haven't found another "cheese" spread like it before.

If the store starts carrying their Butterscotch Pudding, I'm in trouble ;-p

http://wayfarefoods.com/content/products

I love Daiya cheese now. I know when I first tried it I was not crazy about it but after six months I crave it. I have a mexican lasagna dish that I make with Daiya's Pepper Jack and Cheddar. It is not the lightest dish but it is such good comfort food.

I am still on the hunt to try Dr. Cow's vegan nut cheeses. I asked my local health food store if they could order it and they can't. (or don't want to, lol, I don't think there are a lot of vegans around here)

If anybody knows a good faux cheese recipe, I'd like to try making some. There was a decent store bought one that I liked, but they changed the recipe about six months or so ago and now tastes more like processed cheese.

I just happened to see the Daiya PepperJack cheese for the first time in a grocery store last night. Up until now, I've only seen the cheddar and mozzarella varieties available. I don't even know what regular pepperjack cheese tastes like so I'm not sure how it will compare.

Tim, I know Betsy DiJulio who is a member of this group and a wonderful cook has some cheese recipes on her blog.

What kind of cheese recipe are you looking for? A melty one, hard cheese or something to spread? Or for sauce?

I'd like a melty one, but I'll certainly try some of the others when appropriate.

I'll check Betsy's blog, thanks!

I don't like Daiya, but many do, and I just noticed they now have wedges as well as the original shredded, for those of you who have interest:

http://store.veganessentials.com/daiy...

(I guess those of you in Canada already had this!)

I've never seen them. I think they're a new product. I'm guessing the "from Canada" is because they're a Canadian company? I don't know.

Tim wrote: "I've never seen them. I think they're a new product. I'm guessing the "from Canada" is because they're a Canadian company? I don't know."

Oh. Okay. Yes, that's most likely. When I first read about them they seemed to be a new product.

Farrah wrote: "I love Daiya cheese now. I know when I first tried it I was not crazy about it but after six months I crave it. I have a mexican lasagna dish that I make with Daiya's Pepper Jack and Cheddar. It is..."

I have tried the Dr. Cow cheese, it was the cashew cheese. They are fermented and taste a little different then even the basic soy vegan cheeses. I didn't like it much but my BF said he liked it a lot. So it's all about taste. As to consistency it's kind of like a Brie spreadable..

Kathryn wrote: "I found a really delicious vegan cheese spread at our local Whole Foods. It's a product of Montana, so I hope it is available at more of the Whole Foods stores as it's not a local company. It's called "We Can't Say It's Cheese" and it's super yummy! It's made with oatmeal, of all things, and I like that it's got a healthy first ingredient and isn't soy-based for a change and is also gluten-free! It reminds me a bit of the "pub cheese" type spreads. Not exactly gourmet, but really tasty. I got the smoked cheddar flavor and it was good with tortilla chips, too. FYI! :-) I haven't found another "cheese" spread like it before ...

http://wayfarefoods.com/content/products
"

Yes, Kathryn, I tried that "We Can't Say It's Cheese" product, too, and really enjoyed it. I also like that it's made of oatmeal ! It really wigs people out when you tell them. People assume everything vegan is made out of soy. :( Nothing against soy, but just because it's vegan, doesn't MEAN it's made of soy, ya know? Hurray for fighting the stereotypes !!!

I find out about the product because one of my hobbies is to visit Vegan Essentials and go through their "Cheese Alternatives" list and try new things.

http://store.veganessentials.com/chee...

See above for the link. They have THREE PAGES of vegan cheese alternative products.

Right now the "We Can't Say It's Cheese" products are on page 2. :)

I'm not really into vegan cheeses per se, because they are expensive and not typically "whole foods," "good for you" types of things ... and I don't have a cheese addiction (what I do have is a sugar addiction), so I don't feel COMPELLED to buy cheese alternatives ... but ... I'm an adventurous eater and I enjoy trying new things.

And I like the idea of supporting businesses that are making cheese alternatives. Plus, I know that "YOU CAN'T HAVE CHEESE" is basically the deal breaker for a lot of people who might otherwise consider going vegan. So ... I'm very interested in "how good these cheese products really are," and that's why I'm always going along the list and trying new cheese products from Vegan Essentials. If I find something really good, then I know it's something I can order in advance for the next party where omni people will be present, etc.

Generally I don't have any desire for cheese, personally. That being said, I do think Daiya cheese is very handy for making pizzas, lasagne, and quesadillas seems more like the "real thing." And this helps to discourage my omni boyfriend from buying real cheese to put on those items ... so Daiya cheese is something I do keep in the house. :) The other cheese items I buy as novelties, to try them out and see what they taste like.

Farrah wrote: "I am still on the hunt to try Dr. Cow's vegan nut cheeses. I asked my local health food store if they could order it and they can't. (or don't want to, lol, I don't think there are a lot of vegans around here)"

Hi Farrah !

They do have the Dr. Cow Nut Cheese at Vegan Essentials.

http://store.veganessentials.com/dr-c...

They also have it at my local grocery store, Rainbow. Unfortunately at Rainbow the Dr. Cow cheese costs about $10 for a round that is about the size of ... gosh, I don't know what it would be size of, but it's a small thing. However, I have been curious enough to splurge and I have tried about four different varieties of Dr. Cow from Rainbow. They are very good, very complex, very interesting !!!

I would love to have a cheese and crackers with wine party where people could sample these Dr. Cow cheeses one by one. The problem is, I would have to spend a fortune buying enough cheese for everyone. So I haven't done it, but it is a dream ! If you get a chance to try some of these cheeses, I think you will like them. I especially like the blue cheese ... looking at the flavor list at VeganEssentials, I'm guessing it's the flavor called "aged cashew nut and crystal manna algae."

Rachel wrote: "I tried that "We Can't Say It's Cheese" product, too, and really enjoyed it. I also like that it's made of oatmeal !"

Did you get this at Rainbow? I don't like Daiya; I can taste the coconut and I don't like coconut, but this looks as though it might be worth trying.

I believe I've seen "We Can't Say It's Cheese" at Rainbow, in the refrigerated section, near the Dr. Cow cheeses (I think it might have been across the aisle from the Dr. Cow's). However, I originally purchased it from VeganEssentials.

Thanks, Rachel. From Vegan Essentials, do you have to buy the ice packs? I've noticed the vegan cheeses selections at Rainbow have expanded a lot! I don't buy much but tend to like the Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar and nothing else so far.

Lisa, just so you know, the "We Can't Say It's Cheese" is like a spread, in a tub. It's not meltable slices or grated cheese, and it is nothing at all like Follow Your Heart (which I know you like) OR Daiya (which I know you don't like).

It's like those spreadable "cheeses" that they sell in a jar, which come with "gift baskets" at holiday time. Oh, I guess you could say, it's something like Cheeze Whiz ! Except thicker and stiffer. I dunno. Something like that. Aside from spreading it on things, I've heard it's possible to use it in hot dishes such as macaroni and cheese, or cheese fondue type of stuff. Maybe Kathryn can give us some more info on it.

And yes, I get the cold packs when I buy that kind of stuff at Vegan Essentials. That's why, when I order from them, I order a lot of stuff.

For those who are curious about exploring vegan cheese alternatives, I highly recommend looking at the Vegan Essentials web site, for some ideas.

http://store.veganessentials.com/chee...

And don't forget, there are THREE PAGES!

When I first used to go to vegan essentials, I was only aware of the products on Page 1 within each category ... for a long time, I didn't know they had little page numbers at the top, and you can go to multiple pages within each category. I just don't want any newbies to make the same mistake! :)

Ideally, if these products are available at your local stores, that's a better place to buy, then you don't have to pay for cold packs, and also you are supporting local businesses. But I think Vegan Essentials is awesome for folks who can't easily get out of the house or who don't have vegan-friendly shopping opportunities nearby.

Thanks, Rachel. If I feel like a processed food fest, I might give it a try.

Don, You could do it with gluten free bread.

Don wrote: "I did an impulse buy and decided to try Daiya havarti cheese, the jalapeno flavor. I really liked it a lot and it actually tastes like I remember havarti tasting. I diced it and put it in a salad..."

Don, keep an eye out for Schar gf bread - it's one of the best (http://www.schar.com/us/) The Pan Carre loaf + vegan cheese makes a great grilled cheese sandwich!

Hello!

Personally, I don't enjoy any store-bought vegan cheeses. I do like to eat non-dairy cheese, though! I've tried a lot of different recipes.

The thing is, you can make a simple vegan cheese that's really very good for a lot of things pretty easily. Most of those are tofu and nuritional yeast- based, and they can be pretty great. My personal favorite for grilled cheese (which I always, alway put pesto into) is Vegan Diner: Classic Comfort Food for the Body and Soul's Great Smoky Mountain Cheeze.


But if you want to get serious about making cheese, it involves fermenting, usually with an old raw food secret ingredient called rejuvalac. You make it yourself by soaking grains over the course of a few days until the grains sprout. And then you have this liquid that is called rejuvalac, that will ferment when you mix it with nuts.

I learned all this from the incredible book Artisan Vegan Cheese.

It is somewhat involved to make many of these cheeses (others are simple, like the cream cheese which is just soaked raw cashews, lemon juice, salt, and soy yogurt, which is the fermenting agent in that one) BUT it is well worth it! First of all, they are a miracle. They taste so much closer to dairy cheese than anything you can buy that it's simply incredible. Also, it makes you feel super-accomplished to ferment your own cheese. And lastly, although there are a couple steps, it's actually quite simple and does not involve locating a bunch of obscure ingredients. Well, OK, it has one significantly obscure ingredient called Irish moss powder or, as she calls it in this book, carageenan. A useful tip, though? It's ALSO called rong bien if you go to an Asian grocery store, and it's far cheaper to buy it there!!

It helps to have a really nice blender or food processor. I don't, but I still do OK!

Wow, Melissa! Thanks for all that info.

I can tolerate Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar cheese but don't like any other store bought cheeses either. I've had some fantastic restaurant made vegan cheeses, but never tried to make any.

I have the old book The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Create Delicious Dairy-Free Cheese Substititues and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes. Have you ever made any of those recipes?

Now I'm tempted to get Artisan Vegan Cheese (I will check my library) but for years now I'm generally satisfied without cheese (it was my hardest animal product to give up) and I can't see frequently putting in a lot of effort to make cheese. It sounds as though it could be fun though. You've definitely got me intrigued.

At the very least, get your hands on the cream cheese recipe. I think that, more than any other kind of cheese, cream cheese has this varied use that even vegans struggle to go without, and that's why Tofutti's crap is so popular. Which, actually, works fine for most baking. But it's less good, say, on a bagel, or for jalapeno poppers, or, frankly, for making cheesecake.

I feel much the same way. I don't miss cheese much. I'm just used to not eating it, and I do believe it is like a drug. You cannot do a drug "in moderation," because you get addicted. Cheese is like that too. If you really give it up, it is constantly easier not to eat it. But if you eat it sometimes, it's far harder to resist.

Still, though, it's wicked fun to make it and impress people with it.

Well, I never liked cream cheese or mayo or many other things, so I've never had the desire to try vegan versions of them. I liked the hard cheeses and I've read so much now so I understand why they were so hard for me to give up. The vegan versions don't have the same addictive properties for me, so I can eat small amounts every so often and rarely crave them. Dairy cheese was different. I gave it up 100% for the animals and to a much lesser extent for the environment. I never could have given it up for my health. That goes for veganism in general, which is now effortless for me to do, and has been easy now for many, many years, but for many years was challenging re dairy and eggs.

Wow, thanks Melissa! I'm very tempted to get Artisan Vegan Cheese too. The process sounds so interesting and I haven't fallen in love with any of the commercial vegan cheeses either.

In fact, tonight I was at a birthday party and one of the mothers who knew I was vegan asked me for a recommendation for her son who likes cheese and yogurt. I was sadly unable to name a brand for her to try. I mentioned Daiya and Toffuti cream cheese but have never actually eaten vegan yogurt. She said she'd tried the Yoso brand yogurt which is what's available in our local supermarkets but found it to be pretty gross. Do any of you eat vegan yogurt?

Lee, I think Whole Soy has a very good soy yogurt. I agree with Don -- vegan yogurt is way overpriced. I have found the large tubs of Whole Soy vanilla and unsweetened plain for about 3.50 USD. If you have access to Trader Joe's, they have single serve cartons of strawberry, peach, and raspberry flavors that are pretty good.

I've never actually tried soy yogurt because the idea of it is not appealing to me. I'll let my friend know that she should check out the coconut or almond based ones. We live in Canada and there are no Trader Joe's here so the brands tend to be a bit different. I'll look for the ones you've all mentioned. Thanks for your help!!!

Tim wrote: "If anybody knows a good faux cheese recipe, I'd like to try making some. There was a decent store bought one that I liked, but they changed the recipe about six months or so ago and now tastes more..."

Farrah wrote: "I love Daiya cheese now. I know when I first tried it I was not crazy about it but after six months I crave it. I have a mexican lasagna dish that I make with Daiya's Pepper Jack and Cheddar. It is..."

Tim wrote: "If anybody knows a good faux cheese recipe, I'd like to try making some. There was a decent store bought one that I liked, but they changed the recipe about six months or so ago and now tastes more..."

I have the book Artisan Vegan Cheese. Lots of recipes. I've made the Chevre twice now and it's great!

The best shop-bought vegan cheese available is definately Vegusto. For those of you that haven't heard of it Vegusto is a Swiss comapny that makes soya-free gluten-free vegan cheeses. I've tried the Piquant one and it tastes like a really mature strong cheddar and the texture is perfect, it's isn't rubbery or plasticy. It makes an amazing cheese sandwich!

http://www.vegusto.co.uk/shop/no-moo-...

Also Wilmersburger gouda-style slices are very goodon a sandwich. They're made by a German company. http://www.wilmersburger.de/en/default

I don't know if these are available outside of Europe but I'm sure they'll expand outwards soon!

Thanks, Blueberries. I'll be on the lookout, but I haven't been thrilled with any vegan cheeses and have liked very few. I'm okay with that though, but for me it took years for cheese cravings to stop. Sharp cheddar used to be my favorite so I'll look out fro that one. I have a store near me that has a huge variety of vegan cheeses. I'll bet they'll eventually carry it, if they don't already.

I found the Daiya wedge cheese recently and it was delicious! We made pumpkin ravioli with havarti sage nutmeg sauce - super easy and felt like pre-vegan days! The havarti flavor tasted more to me like gorganzola, which made it even better!

Sheese is also fantastic but I think its not available in the states right now (that may just be my area).

A friend also recommended Cheesley, but I haven't tracked that one down yet.

Dianah wrote: "Sheese is also fantastic but I think its not available in the states right now (that may just be my area)."

That is true that it's no longer being imported to the U.S. Pangea (veganstore.com) used to have it. It may become available again in the U.S.

Hmm ... reading about these vegan cheese options has gotten me curious. I wonder if my bf would finally go vegan (or at least cut out the dairy cheese!) if I could learn to successfully make some of these homemade vegan cheeses that Melissa is raving about.

Or even better, maybe my bf can learn to make them! :) He is the cook, and he makes all vegan food for us at home, so maybe I can get the cookbook and see if he will get excited about starting to make the recipes!

(Although he makes all vegan food for us to share at home, but he still buys and brings home fancy dairy cheese (the hard kind), just for himself to eat. He has dutifully most of* the vegan cheeses, but they were either too expensive (Dr. Cow), or too plastic-rubbery tasting to pass muster for his "cheese and crackers" snack.)

He really enjoys cooking, so maybe he will get excited about Melissa's homemade vegan cheeses!

* Of course we haven't tried ALL of the vegan cheeses, we are learning new ones all the time. I had not yet heard of or tried VEGUSTO, mentioned by Blueberries. Will keep an eye out and see if my bf will like it!

Rachel, Do you have/have you seen Artisan Vegan Cheese?

We have a thread going about it:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

(I can't remember if you've posted/seen it.)

I have a Do It Yourself vegan cheese cookbook, I don't remember which one. I haven't made any recipes from it. I will check when I go home. I guess I had much faith in the idea that it would actually work, and that I could actually DO IT (make vegan cheese myself; sounds so difficult !!) .... until reading Melissa's post. Now I'm heartened ... perhaps Jeff and I can experiment with it this weekend.

Rachel, Do you have The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Create Delicious Dairy-Free Cheese Substititues and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes? This new one goes to a whole new level. The cheeses don't look hard to make, though most do take some (waiting) time.

Lisa, I didn't get around to looking to see which cookbook I had, or to making any of the cheeses, that weekend, which now seems so long ago! :)

Hmm, I looked at the link, I don't recognize that cover. I will have to see which one I have. Also, it seems you didn't like the book, from your review?

I'm glad to see that Daiya has responded to concerns about orangutans. BUT ... Now they are sourcing palm oil from Brazil, which is not a habitat for orangutans, and what other animals are being squeezed out over there?

It's too bad; there are lots of plant products (even just regular fruits and vegetables) which are very destructive to the environment. :( It's a tough thing to reconcile! Not sure how to address it, in our own lives. For example, I know a lot of people how don't eat bananas, but what about monocrops in general, for just about any fruit or vegetable ... and corn, soybeans, wheat or anything else. Our "civilized" methods of agriculture typically wipe out whatever ecosystems were there before, and then we use all of these pesticides wreaking further havoc on the planet. And of course now with GMO's things are even messier. :(

Not sure what to do about it, but thanks for sharing this "response" from Daiya. I didn't even realize Daiya cheese was made with palm oil.*

*See edit below. So far it's only the Daiya "wedges" that are made with palm oil, not the more common shredded cheese style of Daiya.

Oh, I just checked, they are talking about "Daiya wedges," which is something I have never heard of.

I only knew about the Daiya shredded-cheese style. The shredded-cheese style DOES NOT have any palm oil, according to the ingredients list.

http://www.daiyafoods.com/our-product...

That makes sense ... because palm oil is one of my "red flag" ingredients, and I thought I would have noticed that if it had been there.

Don wrote: "I've been trying to make an effort to avoid palm oil. It's very destructive to the environment and is driving orangoutangs to extinction.

http://www.daiyafoods.com/node/15163"

And many other endemic plant and animal species as well.

I would rather buy organic butter than palm oil, but mostly I just use organic olive oil (or another type of oil), I will certainly never consider buying Earth Balance again, ever, unless they change their formulation and no longer use palm oil. And if Daiya is also using palm oil, that will be another of my "do not buy" products (but it sure is hard to avoid palm oil altogether, it is used in so many products, sigh).

Gundula, the Daiya shredded cheese style DOES NOT have palm oil. Thank goodness! :)

About artisan vegan cheeses, here's something for SF Bay Area people (Marin County, SF, Oakland), just came in my e-mail inbox today.


Miyoko is the author of NOW & ZEN EPICURE, JAPANESE COOKING, and ARTISAN VEGAN CHEESE.

She was the former founder of Now & Zen Restaurant & Wholesale Company. Presently, she host of the web TV shows, "Miyoko's Kitchen" and co-host of "VeganMash-up" airing on public TV.

Check out her website for details: http://miyoko.com/ Bottom right corner is info on how to pay.

All-Around Cheese Class (San Anselmo CA):Sunday, Feb 3, 2013, 12:00 - 4:00 $85.00 per person

In this part-demo, part-hands on class, you'll learn how to make a variety of cheeses from basic cashew chevre to aged cheddar and meltable Muenster. There will even be a couple that are not in my book! (Cambozola Blue, Truffled Brie)

Beginning Cheese Class (San Anselmo, CA):Wednesday, Feb 6, 2013, 5 - 8 pm $65.00 per person
In this shorter, weeknight class, we'll cover the basics and first steps of culturing cheeses. We'll start off with rejuvelac and homemade yogurt, and move onto the easier cheeses, including cream cheese, chevre, gruyere fondue, and some that are almost instant.

Book Signing at The Book Passage
Ferry Building, San Francisco
Saturday, February 9 at noon
See you there! I'll have some cheese for tasting.

Whole Foods Oakland Wellness Club, Artisan Cheese Cooking Demo: Thursday, Jan 24, 6 - 8
230 Bay Place, Oakland, CA 94162 $5.00 for non-members.

To register, call 510-834-9800 ext. 291
or by email at harwellness.instructor@wholefoods.com.

A free Wellness Club shopping bag will be offered to attendees!

Unfortunately I can't attend any of this, except for maybe the Book Signing at Book Passage on Feb. 9.

Wish I could go to the $5 cooking demo on Jan. 24, that one is way more affordable! (But I'll be out of town.)

Rachel wrote: "Gundula, the Daiya shredded cheese style DOES NOT have palm oil. Thank goodness! :)

About artisan vegan cheeses, here's something for SF Bay Area people (Marin County, SF, Oakland), just came in..."

I am glad that the shredded cheese from Daiya does not contain palm oil (but you really need to be careful with palm oil, it is in so many products, including many personal care and cosmetic items).

Rachel wrote: "Unfortunately I can't attend any of this, except for maybe the Book Signing at Book Passage on Feb. 9.

Wish I could go to the $5 cooking demo on Jan. 24, that one is way more affordable! (But I'l..."

At least you are in a very vegan-friendly city with vegan restaurants etc. I would love to attend classes like this, but there is scant hope of that ever happening in Dundas, Ontario (and I would not consider going all the way to Toronto for something like this either).

Gundula, it would be great if the author's book tour would come to your town! (and other vegan cookbook authors, too!) I wish there was more money for things like that.

You're right, we're lucky that so many vegan resources are available here in the SF Bay Area. But it's still amazing to me how many restaurants and food stands don't have anything vegetarian and of course nothing vegan on the menu!

Just the other day I went up to a hot dog stand that had 20 different kinds of hot dogs listed, and I asked, do you have any veggie dogs? The guy at the cart just laughed and said "NO, sorry." And this was right across the street from a big medical complex! It was the only place I could see for buying any food around there!

I ended up walking a couple of blocks away to a Chinese restaurant I had spied earlier and getting a good vegan meal. But what I really wanted was a grab-n-go veggie dog since I was in a hurry. Oh well.

Most restaurants do have some vegetarian options, but I would say most don't have a vegan entree item. Most restaurants have a vegetarian choice that may be veganizable, upon discussion with the wait staff, but it's not vegan the way it's the written on the menu, know what I mean?

On the other hand, yes we do have quite a few vegetarian or vegan restaurants, but they frequently go out of business. One of my favorites, the Break Room Cafe in Oakland, shut its doors about a month or two ago.

Anyway ... it's interesting to me ... even in a place that is way more vegan-friendly than other places, it's (disturbingly) NOT THAT vegan-friendly. And we've got lots and lots of "foodie" restaurants here that glorify meat, dairy, and eggs ... and they're much more popular (generally) than the veg restaurants. We still have such a long way to go !!! It's a bit disheartening at times, but it just means we need to roll up our sleeves and keep at it.

Are there Vegan cheeses for sale in Australia? Does anyone know? I'm living in regional Australia...so am very very curious....

Jaq wrote: "Are there Vegan cheeses for sale in Australia? Does anyone know? I'm living in regional Australia...so am very very curious...."

Maybe someone else can answer. I don't know. I'd think so. I do know though that vegan cheeses can be purchased online. They're very expensive though. The ingredients can be purchased online if you're inclined to make any.

Jaq wrote: "Are there Vegan cheeses for sale in Australia? Does anyone know? I'm living in regional Australia...so am very very curious...."

You can order vegan cheeses online from a few different Australian shops, here are some that I know of:
http://www.veganonline.com.au/refrige...
http://www.greenedgeonline.com.au/aca...
http://crueltyfreeshop.com.au/dairy-s...

Jaq wrote: "Are there Vegan cheeses for sale in Australia? Does anyone know? I'm living in regional Australia...so am very very curious...."

There is also this shop
http://www.veganperfection.com.au/pro...