Friday, October 19, 2012

Book Review and Giveaway - Artisan Vegan Cheese

Of all of the incredible vegan cookbooks that have come out this past year, I don't think there has been as much buzz about any of them as there has been about Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoki Schinner.


What is it about cheese that is so irresistible? It is the single food that makes many people think it is impossible to go vegan. There may be something to their claims: cheese is addicting for real. According to this article by the PCRM, cheese contains very minute traces of morphine that is naturally produced by the liver of cows. It also contains casein. This sneaky little substance releases several opiates during digestion. So if people say they are addicted to cheese, they may very well be.

However, I think a lot of the "I can't live without cheese" attitude has a lot to do with our dairy loving culture too. Can you imagine a plate of nachos without the melty goodness on top? How about a caprese salad with no creamy mozz? Pizza without cheese is possible, but how fun is that? The National Diary Council has made sure that we feel like we must use their products to be healthy. Now we know better. But what's a vegan or lactose intolerant person to do?

There are lots of really good vegan cheeses now available on the market. But some of them fall short of that "aged" flavor that many have grown to love. Enter Miyoko Schhinner, a vegan food expert and restaurateur. She has written the holy grail of vegan cheeses. Her book has taken the country by storm and made the cover of VegNews, She offers a wonderful variety of flavors and types of cheese for the reader to try out.


The beginning of the book offers great tips and advice on how to become your own cheese monger. The key ingredient is patience; something I don't always have in excess. Good quality dairy cheeses require time and patience, the same goes for vegan cheeses. One of my favorite parts of the introduction is when she describes how she had lots of tasting parties and made all of her friends keep trying her experiments. I felt like she could look inside my soul as I do the same thing so often!

The chapter on "Almost-Instant Cheeses" is a great starting off point for the less patient. If you like melty cheeses, you're in luck. If you are an aged cheese fan, she teaches you about a miraculous liquid called rejuvalac. This odd sounding ingredient is the key to giving your homemade cheese that slightly pungent aged flavor.

I had two epic failures on my first two attempts. It took me a little while to realize that my rejuvalac was off. It was pretty warm here when I made my first batch. It fermented far too quickly and it was very strong. I tried to make two mild cheeses with it and was very sad when they were too pungent. I also did not follow the cardinal rule of being patient. I wanted to make it "now" and did not yet have the carrageenan suggested in the recipes. Miyoko says you can substitute double the amount of agar powder (which I did), but I got much better results with the carrageenan.

At the urging of some of my PPK friends I made the pub cheddar. Mine took quite a bit longer to get to the shiny smooth stage than stated in the book, so I was worried I was going to fail. But I channelled that sometimes illusive patience and it became beautiful and shiny. It reminded me of that bright magenta and yellow cheese that comes in a little plastic tub. It was pretty yummy on crackers and the texture was spot on for a spreadable cheddar. Sadly, I did not get a photo. However, I do know that there will be more successful cheese mongering in my future as I learn from the master.

Are you excited about having a chance to win the hottest vegan cookbook in the country right now? I'm excited for you! This one is for everyone...no matter where you live. So my international friends, make sure you leave a comment for your chance to win Artisan Vegan Cheese by midnight MST tomorrow night (10/20/12) for your chance to win. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite cheesy dish or another cheese memory you have. The winner will be announced on Sunday. Good luck!

Books can be purchased through online retailers and  https://www.bookpubco.com/

24 comments:

  1. My favorite cheesy dish is definitely lasagna! I hardly ever make it, however, so my second is mac & cheese :) I always use vegan gourmet. Would be nice to have this book and make my own cheeses!

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  2. I love everything cheesy, as long as it's vegan! Especially when combined with pasta in some way. I make a lot of cheese sauces (always with the three key ingredients cashews, miso and nooch), but I've never made my own hard cheeses and I'd be excited to try it!

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  3. My favorite cheesy dish used to be my Aunts mac and cheese. I'm pretty sure it is a Paula Deen recipe, so it's full of nasty stuff, so I've been trying my hardest to recreate it without much success yet. Maybe this book could give me a few pointers.

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  4. I make this awesome vegan lasagna that you have to make your own ricotta and cashew cheese sauce. It is so freaking tasty. The recipe was actually in a past issue of VegNews. I add spinach to mine and its been a hit with everyone, non vegans included.

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  5. I'm still looking for a vegan baked macaroni and cheese topped with vegan cheddar. I'm hoping I that with this book I can make cheese that tastes like cheese.

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  6. My pregan cheese love was caprese salad with fresh mozzarella! The pic at the top of this post made me drool! And gave me hope that maybe I can recreate it someday...

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  7. When I was a kid, I would cut an apple into eighths, put a slice of sharp cheddar on each piece, and pour myself a glass of orange juice. I would take this snack out into my favorite tree, climb up, and read up in the tree while enjoying my snack. (I distinctly remembering doing this while reading the Anastasia books - my favorites!!) I have yet to find the vegan cheese that replicates this experience perfectly, but I remain hopeful. :)

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  8. I had not eaten nachos in 6 months or longer until my husband and I visited Spiral Diner in Texas. They make an incredible cashew queso. It was then that I realized that I would not be without delicious cheesy goodness and have been seeking out cheese recipes since.

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  9. Favorite cheesy dish? Probably cheese melted on toast. Is that weird? Its not easy to find a good vegan cheese for that. Teese is the closest I've come. Maybe a homemade one would be better!

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  10. I am positively in love with my new 'bacon' mac-n-cheese recipe, but I also love good ol' fashioned nachos!

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  11. I've heard nothing but praise for this book and I will definitely buy it.
    Cheesy noodle dishes are the best, especially lasagna and mac-n-cheese with peas. Cashew and nooch based cheeses work wonderfully for that. I've not yet encountered a vegan mozarella I was completely satisfied with and can't wait to try her recipe.

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  12. Great review! I was curious about this book, but went back and forth on whether I wanted to try it. Since reading a handful of mofo reviews, I put it on my wish list.

    I do sometimes think of diner-made grilled cheese sandwiches fondly. Sophisticated!

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  13. My husband makes a mean mac & cheese. It's super-creamy, with both Daiya and Follow Your Heart cheeses for maximum meltiness-to-flavor ratios. I could seriously drink the cheese sauce straight from a mug, like hot chocolate!

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  14. I have such fond memories of eating brie on french bread with friends while sitting on blankets at outdoor music fesitvals. I really want to experience that again!

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  15. We used to have a neighborhood cheese shop where I was growing up...it always smelled so incredible because they baked bread and breadsticks every morning, then put them out with cheese samples for the day. The place was amazing, a long skinny old fashioned store with hardwood floors, giant barrels, rustic wooden counters and the rest was all coolers from floor to ceiling packed with every cheese on the planet. We'd go there before "fancy dinners" to get appetizer cheeses, and I do remember they also had a yumful chocolate cheese too. So weird but really, it was so good!

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  16. I love pizza, and tacos, and enchiladas. But my favorite would be a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

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  17. I distinctly remember RUINING a pot of Kraft Mac n Cheese when I was like 15. I was so embarrassed.... who messes that up? haha!

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  18. Even though I enjoy the quick cheesy sauces, I am not a fan of Daiya- so I would love to try some of the cheeses in this book. And then make a baked mac and cheese casserole with breadcrumbs on top!

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  19. I as a kid remember fondly eating any kind of sharp cheese with crackers. Simple but delicious.

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  20. I remember the first time I ever had boursin cheese - on my honeymoon. It was like a revelation at the time .. I don't have the husband anymore, but I still have the memories.

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  21. Tough call between queso and pizza, but I think have to go with queso!

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  22. So so excited by all the talk about this book!
    I think I'm more of a fan of nooch than I ever was of cheese, but would love to be able to make an awesome sliceable cheese that my husband approved of, as cheese is the only non-vegan food left in his regular diet these days.

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  23. Cheese and crackers on New Year's eve was always a fun food time growing up for me.

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  24. Mac and cheese! I am late but I am here.

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