Gooey, cheesy vegan goodness
Marin resident Miyoko Schinner has been writing vegan cookbooks for decades, and her eponymous vegan creamery makes some of the best nondairy cheeses and butter on the market. And she has a farm animal sanctuary. She is not only an inspirational person, she is also a creative chef, and so is her book “Artisan Vegan Cheese: From Everyday to Gourmet” ( 138 pages, Book Publishing Co., $19.95).
Schinner set out to make nondairy cheese that rivals dairy — mission accomplished!
I tried out many of her recipes and found mostly success, and a couple not as successful, cheeses. As I tried more recipes I got better and was more comfortable understanding the consistencies and flavors I was looking for.
My dog got to my air-dried Parmesan before it was ready for me so I’m not sure how that would have turned out, but it was so much fun to see the texture and taste change as the cheeses cultured and aged. I particularly enjoyed dropping the fresh mozzarella balls into a brine and watching them seize up, and seeing my Camembert develop a perfect skin as it aged on my counter. These recipes really feel like magic.
Schinner’s recipes do call for a number of ingredients I had never heard of (rejuvelac) and some that I had to source online (carrageen powder), but she explains either how to make or where to find these. The only thing that I found to be missing was more pictures and sometimes a little more clarity on what textures to be looking for, but once I had some practice I was able to use more intuition.
My favorite were the meltable Muenster and meltable Cheddar. I’ve been making grilled cheeses with them using Schinner’s butter, that can satisfy my cravings for gooey cheesiness for about a week, but I’ve been making them much more frequently.
The book appeals to those who like some chemistry in the kitchen and who have patience, but also offers some chapters for those less inclined to take on a weeklong cheese-making project.