Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner

I was excited to discover this book since my daughter is gluten- and dairy-free, and I am always looking for food that replaces what she can't eat - but is also tasty, not full of chemicals, and that we will all enjoy. Many of the recipes in this book look easy enough to actually make, and as the subtitle says "From everyday to gourmet" so there are plenty of options and ideas. The book's recipes are divided by the types of cheeses (artisan and aged, air-dried, meltable, etc.) and the author figuratively holds your hand as she explains the process, tips, how long the cheeses will last in both the fridge and freezer, as well as nutritional facts. Miyoko also includes three chapters of recipes for using the non-dairy cheeses you make - so you can create appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

A disclaimer, I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but can't wait to try several.… (mere)

recommended for: all who enjoy cheese but who are vegan; allergic to dairy; lactose intolerant; enjoy making cheeses

This is one of the hardest ratings I’ve ever assigned. I could have rated this from 5 to 2 stars. For me, for using it, I suspect 2 or 3 stars, for most people who have even the remotest interest in vegan cheese, I’d say 5 stars. Vegan cheeses are definitely improving, at least according to most palates. The cheeses created by this author, after a tremendous amount of work and experimentation, and passion and love, are probably amazing. I’ve never tasted any. I doubt that I’ll make many, though I’d love to try some. The author is local and does sometimes have events. I’d like to try some, though not all, of these cheeses. I like this author, a lot, as a person and as a chef. Her old vegan restaurant in my city, Now and Zen, was one of my very favorite restaurants, and I still mourn its loss, as do many of my friends, some of them omnivores.

Anyway, this is an amazing book; it’s just not one that personally thrills me. I had to try for 6 ½ years to go fully vegan, and my difficulty was mostly because of craving cheese, most specifically sharp cheddar, and to a lesser extent, guyere, etc. cheeses. But after many years, I finally got over my need for any cheese. I’ve found a couple vegan cheeses I like, and occasionally eat, and I suspect the ones in this book are superior in every way to those. But, I’m not THAT interested anymore. I was intrigued by this book though, especially because of its author, and I can heartily recommend it to those interested.

To see some photos of readers’ versions of these recipes, and to read some mini reviews and experiences with them, you can go to this thread http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1... in the Goodreads group Vegan Cooking & Cookbooks group. I’ve gotten hungry for some of these cheeses just by reading and viewing the thread and its links.

The author is very personable and I love her little stories about her children and life and her year of experimenting with vegan cheeses. She really, really worked at it, and from all reports I’ve heard, she succeeded.

There is a short text blurb about the recipe on the top of every recipe page. Each of the full recipes (vs. just the ones for the basic cheeses) have nutritional information showing the numbers for calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sodium, calcium. Most of the recipes do look delicious, and I know this author is a fabulous cook; I’ve eaten many of her pre-vegan cheese recipes.

There are some mouthwatering photos of some of the recipes and of the cheeses themselves.

Some of the ingredients I find unappealing. I’m talking vegan yogurt and coconut oil, etc. ingredients that most will probably enjoy. I’m a picky eater and have a fairly long list of vegan foods I don’t like. That includes one in the cheddar cheese, the cheese I’d be most interested in trying. Ditto the guyere.

One huge positive of this book is that while making many of these cheeses takes some time, most of them seem reasonably easy to make, a few really easy to make. I was surprised that most of the cheese recipes seemed doable. The full recipes, most it would help to have some experience in the kitchen.

I can recommend this book to anyone who loves cheeses, especially vegans, anyone allergic to dairy, those who are lactose intolerant, and anyone avoiding animal based cheeses for any reason, and cookbook readers, especially those interested in making their own cheese.

Contents:

Foreword by Dixy Mahy
Preface: My Year of Vegan Cheeses
Acknowledgements
Introduction

Chapter 1: Artisan and Aged Cheeses
Chapter 2: Air-Dried Cheeses
Chapter 3: Meltable Cheeses
Chapter 4: Almost-Instant Cheeses
Chapter 5: Other Dairy Alternatives
Chapter 6: Cheese Sauces and Fondue
Chapter 7: First Courses and Small Plates
Chapter 8: Entrées and Accompaniments
Chapter 9: Sweet Cheese Dishes and Desserts

Glossary
Suppliers
Index
About the Author

I feel really, really guilty giving this book only 3 stars, even though I could have also given it 2, instead of 5 or at least 4 stars. Just FYI.… (mere)