I like those too Barry - they are about the only ones I would consider eating on their own rather than hidden among other stuff
I like those too Barry - they are about the only ones I would consider eating on their own rather than hidden among other stuff
I end up having a sneaky slice anytime I find myself near the fridge!
Todays empires, tomorrows ashes...
It's the thin end of the wedge. Or rectangle, actually
I agree, love Vegusto but I have to say that Tesco's/Sheese is growing on me (I did read yesterday that the owners of Sheese eat fish, for some reason I feel a bit weird about this although considering I buy products from other non-vegan companies it really shouldn't).
Yes, I've seen that now, Andy :/
Hmm, which is more objectionable, a vegan owning a shop that sells meat (like the Whole Foods guy) or a vegan product made by non-vegans? Of course, 95% of the time you don't really know about the personal ethics of the manufacturers so am not sure why they felt obliged to stick that on their website anyway!
While it is certainly objectionable, I think every step towards veganism is a positive one. So I will still buy a vegan product that is made by non-vegans, in order to encourage vegan products on the market. And I will still buy vegan items at a non-vegan store for the same reason. All while longing to live in an all-vegan world!
Live and let live
I'm afraid if I limit myself to only eating vegan food prepared by vegans, I'll stay hungry more often than not :-(
Best regards,
Andy
Quite, yes I buy things from non-vegan establishments all the time as well, though I do try to support vegan ones. I still think this lot might be better advised to pipe down about their theory that fish don't breathe though
I finally justified paying €6,95 for Vegusto piquant (in Ireland I saw it for €7,70!). When I opened it I thought it smelt very strong but it tastes lovely, like an really mature cheddar. This is the second new vegan cheese I've tried this week but I do actually eat beans and rice most of the time I swear!
Houmous atá ann!
The Vegusto cheese is pretty good: I've found other vegan cheeses a bit unpleasant, but this was OK, and certainly makes a reasonable cheese sandwich. I've mixed it with mayo and spring onions to make a sandwich filler-style thing. Nom!
Got the Vegusto cheese with herbs today - pretty tasty. The texture is a little odd, but certainly not offputting. Also got the smoked Sheese - also not bad (better texture). Anyway, cheese on toast for me!
On my quest to try every vegan cheese I can get my hands on I tried Teese mozzerella today. It melts but it also hasn't got very much taste. I know mozzerella isn't meant to be sharp but it was just tasteless (& I am not fussy, I like most vegan cheeses). I didn't hate it but I wouldn't buy it again (it was €5.90) I think Cheezly is much much better and is cheaper too (where I am anyway). Even though I wish I had the money back I'm glad I've tried it. You win some you lose some!
Houmous atá ann!
I wish someone would make a vegan cheese that offered at least a little bit of nutritional value. They all tend to be high fat, low protein and no other nutrients. If anyone could make a high protein, calcium enriched vegan cheese, I would be in there like a shot. But the current offerings just tend to be empty calories, which I can't afford right now.
Live and let live
I'm sure that it's not beyond the realms of possibility, Rainbow. We should write to companies and see if they would consider producing one. I know you probably don't really have the time now, busy being preggers and all, but you could get a copy of that new vegan cheese book and make your own cheeses with calcium fortified soya milk or tofu.
Houmous atá ann!
Thanks Blueberries. I don't have the time to be making my own, alas, but I should try and find a few minutes to write to companies and encourage them to up the nutritional content of their current offerings. With the exception of yeast flakes (which are nutrients a-go-go), vegan cheese is a bit of a junk food, and I'm sure it doesn't have to be that way.
Live and let live
I'm like you Rainbow and wouldn't have the time to make my own cheese but I'd really love to give it a go just to see what it would be like!
I'd also love to try Daiya cheese but so far I can't find it anywhere over here.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
I suspect they are focusing on trying to make it like dairy cheese at the moment and that seems to be quite hard given what vegan cheese used to be like
Not sure I would ever see it as a proper food even if they added calcium and stuff; to me it's more of a treat/condiment (especially at those prices!)
Sandra: Daiya is only available in the US I think. I had some when I there during the summer and quite enjoyed it. It melts really well.
Harpy: That's how I view vegan cheese too - it's expensive, processed junk food. I do enjoy it though!
Todays empires, tomorrows ashes...
Needs to be a bit junky IMHO. Whenever recipes are 'improved' to be more healthy it's usually to the detriment of taste/texture.
"I don't want to live on this planet any more" - Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth
Thanks Barry.........I hope we get it over here very soon.
I completely agree Risker, whenever I see the dreaded words, 'New and improved' on something I know for a fact it's not going to taste aswell.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
Heya Sandra, I got it here in Barcelona (i'm not living in Ireland at present) but you can get it shipped to Ireland from the vegan store website. I wouldn't recommend it personally, as I said it's not bad but it's not great. It's no Cheezly! I'm not sure if Teese has other varieties actually, I've only seen mozzarella.
Houmous atá ann!
Thanks Blueberries
I think I'll just stick to Cheezly super melting Edam for the minute then.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
I rather like the Edam, its very good in vegan quiche
It is lovely isn't it Firestorm? We grate it and our local pizza place (the owner is a friend of my hubby's) puts it on our pizzas for us.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
It is handy isn't it Blueberries?
Firstly, my husband asked if the bases were vegan and they are so all we do now is grate Cheezly and take it to the pizza place. It's really nice being able to have a margherita with onion made for you and the edam Cheezly tastes really nice on pizza.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
Last time I went to Vx in London I got a bag of Wilmersburger Pizzaschmelz. I don't care about any other vegan cheese on this planet. This is close to perfect. It melts perfectly, it tastes good, I will never have to miss cheese again. And even though it's been open for ages now, since I only eat it occasionally, it's still good. Not the healthiest kind of food but whatever! I'm not here to eat 100% healthy 100% of the time. This is definately my naughty treat!
That sounds good bunnyturtle. Is Vx the only place you can get it?
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
Good question. I've seen it only there so far. But Vx deliver worldwide anyway. Sadly Wilmersburger's own webpage only lists suppliers mostly in germany :/
Wilmersburger is great!
I am never able to try out whether it goes moldy because I eat it too fast. They are coming up with some new tastes for their slices, and they are now completely palm oil free (using palm oil was a criticism they were subjected to for a long time).
On top of that, I love the business model. The person behind the product is a very sympathetic young woman named Irina Itschert, who founded the German vegan recipe and ingredients website http://www.rezeptefuchs.de/ some years ago and was very active in vegan activism, then she decided to get even more active by getting a foods company to produce vegan cheese for her and start selling it to specialty shops and even supermarkets in Germany.
I am totally impressed that this is also available now in the UK and even in Spain.
Best regards,
Andy
I'm so annoyed I forgot to try this stuff when I was in Germany last week. I will have to try and get some from Vx
Ask them whether they also can get the new tastes.
There are now available - and I tried out all of them over the weekend.
I was really impressed, while the "classic" version might have been (for me) a bit too much on the not-spicy side, the new ones are really nice and very tasty.
Now the only thing I miss is a "spicy" or "cured" version, hope they might come out with that as well.
In my "order of liking": olives - tomato/basil - herbs - "sausage" (neither tastes of nor contains sausage, but they are searching for a better name) - and the "classic" version.
Best regards,
Andy
Last edited by Andy_T; Dec 3rd, 2012 at 01:43 PM.
Just seen this via the trusty M'Spice's blogoshere goodymabob:
(Home-made) Vegan unprocessed cheese slices
Let the music mend our minds. Let the music bend our minds.
[QUOTE=vintagenarcissa;624813]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!
Another vote for Daiya cheese. It tastes like mild cheese and melts & stretches. It comes in cheddar, mozzarella, jack & havarti flavors. The main ingredients are tapioca and/or arrowroot flours and [non GMO] canola or safflower oil and coconut oil
“ For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.” Pythagoras
I had the cheezley parmesan on some pasta last night and it was quite good. Much better than that powdery 'free from parmezano' nonsense anyway.
Todays empires, tomorrows ashes...
Personally I've been trying vegan cheeses, and so far have found them disgusting!!! I'd just rather not have any cheese like substance if I can't get anything decent... However, that recipe and one or two of the suggestions above, I haven't tried yet, so I'll try them out and see how it goes.
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