vintagenarcissa
Can you all help me weigh in on vegan cheeses?
As a fellow convert to the vegan lifestyle, and a former lover of cheeses and butter, I too struggled with giving up these dairy products, but I agree that commercially available vegan cheeses just don't taste right. The point of going vegan to me was to avoid artificial and artificial-tasting food, and all of these products I've tried still taste fake to me. As a former chef, I took a different approach. I researched substitutes from other vegan cooks, and tinkered in my kitchen to make substitutes I could enjoy.
Firstly, when replacing a food, you have to approach the process like wine and coffee taste testers. Don't search for the total flavor, but the notes of flavor that appeal to your use. Cheese and butter get their unique flavor from milk fat. Coconut oil is a very similar fat, but lacks the depth. Nut butters, such as cashew and almond butter [I always make my own, no preservatives or sweeteners] have nice deep notes. Other seed oils, such as grape seed, flax seed, and sesame oils provide another degree of depth, so when I want to add a cheese or butter-like flavor to a dish, I combine a bit of all three. You'll find that changing the proportions can change the ending result.
Don't forget the salt. Cheese actually derives a lot of flavor from salt. I use natural sea salt, only. It most similarly matches the chemistry of our blood and has far fewer ill affects than other salts, so long as it is dissolved when used. Eating salt that is still crystallized damages blood vessels, so don't do it. Also, cheese and yogurt are cultured milk products, so tofu or miso can add that culture flavor without adding lactose. Just like the aforementioned fats, proportion affects the resulting flavor. Too much tofu to fat and your flavor will be bland. Too much fat to tofu, and you'll have something that just looks and tastes greasy. Likewise, too much salt and the resulting product will tasty briny, whereas if you use too little, the flavors will not develop and combine. If you're cooking for men, by the way, you will want to cut down your soy-product and substitute another bean puree, such as hummus. Soy products increase estrogen production, which can contribute to low testosterone issues in men. By the way, if you're like me and prefer to cook from scratch, take the time to cook your own beans in a slow-cooker, rather than using canned beans. Canned beans often contain preservatives and salts that make adjusting seasoning difficult.
The last consideration of making a cheese substitute is moisture. If you combine the ingredients I just mentioned without reducing the moisture, you'll have a product similar to processed cheese spread or butter in texture and flavor. Which if that's your goal, you're there, and enjoy, but if your passion was for those hard cheeses like cheddar [mine was] you'll need to cut the moisture through dehydration. Many affordable counter-top dehydrators are on the market and work great for this. The more you dehydrate, the firmer your resulting product will be, but the less it will want to melt, so unless you want something with a parmesian-like result, you'll want to be careful not to over dry.
You'll need to play with proportions to derive a flavor that suits your own taste, but I hope these tips will help. On a final note, I offer you my recipe for a cheese substitute I use myself.
Vegan Cheese
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup soft tofu
1/2 cup pureed chickpeas
1/2 cup pureed navy beans
1 Tablespoon walnut oil
1 Tablespoon grape seed oil
1/4 cup natural sea salt
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup
1/4 cup water
In a small sauce pan, combine salt and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to ensure that all the salt is dissolved. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy and all ingredients are fully incorporated. Turn out onto a solid silicon dehydrator rack [a standard dehydrator rack, covered with plastic wrap or parchment paper will also work]. Spread the mixture to approximately 1/4" to 1/2" thickness, and dehydrate to desired consistency. Remove from dehydrator rack and cut to desired size for a substitute cheese slice.
Changing and exchanging ingredients will give you different results, so don't be afraid to experiment. Just remember, you have got to include fats for flavor, legumes for texture, and salt to bring out the flavors of the fats. And always dissolve your salt! Crystals are pretty, but not healthy to eat in that form. You can also add flavors from herbs and garlic, if you like. In one of my variations, I add roasted garlic and cilantro, which makes a truly enchanting topper for sandwiches and vegan hashes.
Bon Appetite!