Learn To Make Cheese

In the Alchemical Kitchen, Catalyst Magazine writer discusses her first experiences with cheesemaking at home.  While initially, the idea of cheesemaking seemed daunting, Brenner now makes her own cheeses on a weekly basis.   We’re talking ricotta, mozzarella, cream cheese, kefir as well as some non-dairy cheeses.

Brenner’s cheesemaking began with the 30 minute mozzarella kit from the New England Cheese Supply Company.  In her article she provides a list of basic cheesemaking equipment as well as her recipes for ricotta, cream cheese, kefir cheese and more.

Following up on yesterday’s vegan cheese discussion, we’ll share with you her cashew cheese recipe, with more real cheese recipes and more after the link.

Cashew cheese
1¾ cup of raw cashews
2 tablespoons of tahini
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of salt

2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1. Place cashews in glass bowl, cover completely with water, and allow to soak overnight.
2. Drain cashews and rinse.
3. Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth – about 8 minutes (less in a Vita-Mix).
4. Return mixture to glass bowl, cover loosely with a towel, and let sit 12-24 hours. The texture of your cashew cheese will be very smooth and creamy. Great for spreads and dips.

Catalyst Magazine – The Alchemical Kitchen: Cheese-Making.

We’re not too hard core about the definition of cheese.  So we appreciate how vegans look for ways to emulate the rich creamy taste of cheese, without the dairy.

We’ve tried about every “cheez” we could get our hands on, but have never found the right flavor of orange rubber to satisfy us.  That said, we’ve never tried to make our own.

On the Vegan Reader, we came across this great recipe for vegan cheese, developed by a long time vegan with fond memories of real grilled cheese sandwiches.   It’s a thoughtful combination of flavors like tahini, vinegar, olive oil and herbs that results in a soft cheez that sounds flavorful and versatile.

Here’s a description.  Full recipe after the jump.

“What Does This Homemade Vegan Cheese Taste Like?
That’s what I’d want to know first, too. There is something about the combination of the nutty sesame that’s in tahini, the tang of the sharp rice vinegar and the cheesiness of the nutritional yeast, with the addition of salt, that tastes quite a bit like cheddar cheese, but I find it’s not quite ‘enough’ on its own. Frankly, tahini is so delicious, it’s good all on its own, but we’re striving for a real cheesiness here and I find that the addition of the olive oil is very important, as it mimics the high fat content in conventional cheese (without the cholesterol!) Finally, the inclusion of fresh herbs makes the finished vegan cheese most akin to those herbed gourmet soft cheeses that people pay big money for and serve at parties.”

» Vegan Cheese Recipe – Make Your Own Dairy Free Cheese Vegan Reader: Thoughtful Reading For A Compassionate Planet.