The Non-Dairy Evolutionk CookBook

[Owly055]

Here is a book with numerous cheese recipes based on soy or almond milk. I'm curious enough that I ordered the book in PDF format ($15.00). While I'm far from a vegetarian or vegan, I've found that the movement has resulted in a number of interesting products and recipes. A link to the book may be found at this site along with an article on the same.

Groundbreaking, Game Changing Vegan Cheese Is Here
https://freefromharm.org/health-nutrition/groundbreaking-game-changing-vegan-cheese-is-here/

I personally find the constant proseltyzing and specious arguments of the movement offensive and absurd. I've for example hears normal intelligent seeming people explain in all seriousness how humans were never meant to be meat eaters, and how bad an unhealthy it is for us. There agenda seems to be to establish a society where no animal is ever killed and eaten, or are eggs or milk or any other animal products used. A kind of disney movie la-la land. Given a free hand they would enforce this vision on everybody else. Personally I come from thousands of years of meat eaters, and I kill and eat things............ PETA stands for People who Eat Tasty Animals.............

Disclaimer: Your mileage may vary, but I make not the slightest apology for my expressions of contempt for the vegan movement, and never will.

H.W.

 

[bernardsmith]

I am sure that vegans have every right to hold human carnivores in the same contempt... I think though it might be more useful for those who choose to kill animals and those who choose not to to agree to disagree and leave contempt outside the kitchen. That said, the amount of land and the amount of energy needed to eat meat is far ,far greater than the amount of land and energy needed to eat a non animal diet, so the vegetarians and the vegans are certainly helping to create a sustainable future. It's unclear what meat eaters are doing to our planet... So your contempt may be very displaced...

 

[hethacker]

^^^ I agree. In fact, with current population trends, we are very likely to use insects as a main source of protein in the near future. Also, check out tempeh and sent an if you haven’t had them yet, they are fermented foods.

 

[Owly055]

The notion that we should accept an inferior diet and lifestyle so that humans can continue to reproduce like rabbits, cramming ever more people into the environment is absurd and offensive. The problems we are facing in this world are almost entirely due to overpopulation, either directly or indirectly. If we fail to address this problem as a species it will be handled by the forces of nature, and that is not a pretty thought. We are headed headlong to the abyss like the mythical march of the lemmings to the sea to hurl themselves from the cliffs. The agenda of the vegans , like that of many other groups, really has little if anything to do with the arguments they put out there.

H.W.

 

[Owly055]

I've scanned through the Ebook I mentioned above, and find it interesting. The author offers recipes for things like imitation brie or gorgonzola, that do not use mold at all. Instead the brie is rolled in tapioca flour to give it the appearance, and the gorgonzola has spirulina alge added to give the appearance of blue veins. The Swiss has holes punched in it. Imitation washed rind cheeses use paprika to give the desired surface appearance. He uses various things to achieve flavors and colors that resemble the dairy cheeses, and uses something called rejuvelac made from fermented sprouted wheat berries as a lacto starter. Soy milk and refined coconut oil... or almond milk, are the foundation of the cheeses, and various thickeners are used, and the mixture is cooked and then put into molds.

It's all rather interesting, and I've a mind to try a few. All the while I was wondering if geotrichum or P candidum, or roquferti could be introduced after the cheeses had cooled and set, and what the effect would be. P. Roquferti for example could be introduced by penetration, and would likely grow on almost anything. The others, would probably have an entirely different effect than on dairy cheese.... Likewise, B Linnens would probably grow on the outside of an imitation cheese like these.

My interest in these "cheeses" is pretty much academic........ but it would be fun to try a few just to see how close he came to the original. Holes punched in Swiss seems a bit silly, but the holes are not the issue........ flavor is, and that is the case with all of these. Of course, as in making beer, I never regarded achieving an exact duplicate of something else as a "high calling". If it tastes good, it IS good. That applies to these cheeses. If cheddar doesn't taste exactly the same as the cheddar made from dairy, does it matter, if it tastes good, and is satisfying.

H.W.

 

[hethacker]

So I saw this article, saw that the book had good reviews, and bought the book. It is very interesting, I have made normal cheeses and yoghurts, but I have always been interested in trying out a non dairy alternative to cheeses (SWMBO is vegan, so food options are limited). I will try out some of the basic recipes for cashew cheese and the mayo and let you guys know how it goes.

Also, does anyone have any experience fermenting tempeh or seitan?

 

[bernardsmith]

I regularly make seitan but this is not a fermented product. It simply uses the gluten from wheat to make a food that has a similar mouthfeel to animal based protein (chewy). It is incredibly easy to make but takes about 1 hour to cook and then can be added to any other dish (sautes, stir fries, roasting vegetables, pies, BBQs etc) and so is cooked a second time.

Happy to send you the basic recipe I use - but it's more a protocol than a receipe, after all seitan is basically 1 cup gluten, ~1 cup liquid (water or stock) , spices , herbs to flavor.
Mix, knead a few minutes, (it should form into a fairly firm ball) ,cover with cloth and allow to stand about 1 hour (helps gluten "form"), cut into pieces (about 1x2x1 - I get about 6-8 pieces), gently boil in water or stock 1 hour, drain.