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Artisan Vegan Cheese

Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner

4.21 · Rating details · 761 ratings · 44 reviews

Gourmet restaurateur and vegan food expert Miyoko Schinner shares her secrets for making homemade nondairy cheeses that retain all the complexity and sharpness of their dairy counterparts while incorporating nutritious nuts and plant-based milks. Miyoko shows how to tease artisan flavors out of unique combinations of ingredients, such as rejuvelac and nondairy yogurt, with ...more

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Paperback, 192 pages

Published August 8th 2012 by Book Publishing Co. (first published January 1st 2012)

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· 761 ratings · 44 reviews

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Oct 17, 2012 Cydni Perkins rated it it was amazing

So, I got my cookbook and took it home, and started to make the rejuvelac that night. The steps were very simple and each thing only takes a few minutes to do, but the whole process takes several days to complete. No matter. I got the fermented rejuvelac, and at first I was scared because it smelled like something rotten, even though it looked exactly like what the author described. My husband said it smelled exactly like something you would use to make cheese, but I was frightened I had gotten So, I got my cookbook and took it home, and started to make the rejuvelac that night. The steps were very simple and each thing only takes a few minutes to do, but the whole process takes several days to complete. No matter. I got the fermented rejuvelac, and at first I was scared because it smelled like something rotten, even though it looked exactly like what the author described. My husband said it smelled exactly like something you would use to make cheese, but I was frightened I had gotten an invasive bacteria in my rejuvelac and it was ruined. But despite my doubt I decided to make the cheese and just...see. I forgot to soak the cashews and I had to add some of the drinkable variety of coconut milk (it's what I had on hand) to make the mixture blend, and I also forgot salt. first-time jitters. It smelled horrible when I poured it into the bowl, and I had mostly decided I wasn't going to try it, but I left it in the fridge for a couple days cause it was such a tragedy to waste the cashews. Maybe my husband would eat it. He good-naturedly picked up some wheat crackers to eat with our cheese, and when he took the cheese out of the fridge and I smelled it, it smelled exactly like cheese! I was astonished. It smelled just like I would expect cheese to smell. I was still reluctant to try it, but my husband got me a cracker with cheese -- the cheese mixture was a spreadable consistency like cream cheese -- and handed it to me. I sprinkled on some salt and put it in my mouth, still feeling positive that I probably ruined everything and now we would both die. It was so much like chevre. In fact, I think it makes a very satisfying substitute for chevre, and I can totally imagine baking up a loaf of french bread and sitting down with this cheese and sharing it with someone wonderful. So, I left out a couple of ingredients but it still came out tasting tart, a little lemony, with a creamy, creamy texture from the cashews.

The yogurt was much easier to make, but I filled up the jar almost to the top and screwed the lid on when I set it on the counter, and the mixture pressurized the jar. I noticed that there was yogurt dripping down the side of the jar and I opened it over the sink, and the yogurt came burbling out. I think I lost about a fourth cup, so be smart and use two of the one quart size jars, and don't fill them up all the way.

OK, now I'm off to make more cheese! Hooray! ...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Lisa Vegan rated it liked it

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

Shelves: cookbook, vegetarian, 1-also-at-librarything, z2012, readbooks-female-author-or-illust, zz-3star, non-fiction, reviewed, vegan

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 ...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Lee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: veg-n, 2012, own, cookbooks

I'm tempted to give this book five stars just from my first quick read through but will wait and try a few recipes first. I think this book is an excellent resource for those who want to try their hand at non-dairy recipes for cheese.

Most of the recipes in the first part of the book, featuring artisan cheeses, will take a few days to make because of the culturing process. And as the author states in her introduction, "If you like instant gratification, you've picked up the wrong book." That bei ...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Melissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: cookbooks

I wasn't really looking for a way to make better vegan cheeses, as I'm very used to cooking without cheese and I find the smell of dairy cheese revolting, despite the fact that in the past I loved it. Still, just because I don't really want any cheese, I like creamy things. I keep a giant bag of raw cashews on hand. I'm for anything plant-based that's tasty.

When this book started taking vegan blogs by storm, I had to have it. Even though I have agar on hand, I haven't yet made any of the meltabl I wasn't really looking for a way to make better vegan cheeses, as I'm very used to cooking without cheese and I find the smell of dairy cheese revolting, despite the fact that in the past I loved it. Still, just because I don't really want any cheese, I like creamy things. I keep a giant bag of raw cashews on hand. I'm for anything plant-based that's tasty.

When this book started taking vegan blogs by storm, I had to have it. Even though I have agar on hand, I haven't yet made any of the meltable cheese, or any of the harder, air-dried cheeses. So far, I made cream cheese, Gruyere, and brie. Each were soft and spreadable and delicious. These recipes are not difficult, but they are a little different from what most people are used to. I mean, OK, I certainly never made rejuvalac before I got this book. It never occurred to me to soak grains in water until they sprout, then rinse and add more water and let it get cloudy, then use this friendly bacteria-filled cloudy water to culture cashews and give it sharpness. Novel! And brilliant, in my opinion.

Although those are the only ones I've made, I ate a lot more of them at an event I went to in San Francisco with the author. So, ummm, check this out:

That picture shows just a small portion of the cheeses she'd made for the event. She also served recipes using the cheeses, which were all so great that I just knew I had to try some of her full recipes toward the end of the book for stuff that uses the cheese. That's how I ended up making this outrageously amazing Fluffy No-Bake Cheesecake.

Shut UP! Did you ever see anything that looked so great? It tastes just as great as it looks.

So, why not 5 stars? I guess just because I'm usually too lazy to make the cheeses. Not that it's hard to do, just that you have to start it in advance and go through a bunch of various steps over time for it. I don't hate that, it's really OK, and it makes me feel super-accomplished. But as a person who just is not sitting around wanting cheese, I kind of have to go out of my way to find uses for the stuff. Nevertheless, if you want to impress people, cook from Artisan Vegan Cheese.
...more

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Sep 07, 2017 Chanele rated it liked it

Shelves: cookbooks

During my transition from vegetarian to vegan, I got really involved in "veganizing" things. I love the appeal of taking something that normally requires dairy or eggs or meat and making a delicious vegan version. Cheesemaking was something that I had never tried when I did eat dairy, but I liked the challenge of making my own nut-based cheese.

It all starts with rejuvelac, and I feel that this book misses the boat slightly on that. Yes, there is a recipe, but there is little guidance about it. ...more

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Jun 20, 2013 Kellie rated it really liked it

Artisan Vegan Cheese takes a really revolutionary approach to vegan cheeses. Most of the recipes start with a culture and you actually ferment your cashew/ soy yogurt to produce a cheese.
4 stars for the idea of the book and interesting reading.
3 stars for how my cheeses came out.

I made 4 different cheeses from the book using quinoa rejuvelac (easy!), a normal blender and agar powder:

-Basic Cashew Cheese
Not impressed. A fine spread but not worth the effort.

-Smoked Provolone
This had a wonderful t ...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Ida rated it really liked it

Shelves: cookbooks-vegan

A bit of effort but the results are worth it -- delicious cheeses that are platter-worthy.

Recommended:

- Smoked provolone (air-dried)
- Basic cashew
- Meltable muenster (don't forget to dust with paprika)
- Alfredo sauce

Warning about the sharp and air-dried cheddar. Many people have had issues with these including myself. Not sure why these are so iffy, but they are.

I've also tried the air-dried emmentaler but was disappointed by the taste. ...more

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Apr 18, 2016 Monica rated it liked it

Well, I made a few of the recipes. Being gluten free, I made rejuvelac from rice. It never got "lemony" (tried it twice). I used it anyway to make a few cheese recipes. I had high hopes after reading reviews. Yeah, no. The sour cream from cashews, however, works well to make veggie dip. ...more

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Oct 25, 2020 Andrew rated it really liked it

Shelves: food

What an incredible adventure this book has been. For those who don't know, Miyoko is creator of Miyoko's Creamy - which is pretty much the gold standard in vegan cheese. That should be reason alone to check this out - and there's a lot to be learned here.

Prior to diving into this cookbook, I'd never sprouted anything, never cultured anything, and definitely never made cheese - vegan or otherwise. It really opened my eyes to so many new culinary techniques and possibilities. If you do some google What an incredible adventure this book has been. For those who don't know, Miyoko is creator of Miyoko's Creamy - which is pretty much the gold standard in vegan cheese. That should be reason alone to check this out - and there's a lot to be learned here.

Prior to diving into this cookbook, I'd never sprouted anything, never cultured anything, and definitely never made cheese - vegan or otherwise. It really opened my eyes to so many new culinary techniques and possibilities. If you do some google searching, you'll see there are plenty of recipes out there that seek to approximate cheese using a variety of thickeners, binders, flavorings, etc. And then there is another category that are actually cultured much like traditional cheese would be. Miyoko offers a little of both in her cookbook, but in my opinion - the real standouts are of the cultured variety.

She's a big proponent of using something called Rejuvelac as the primary culturing agent. It's a liquid that you make from sprouted grains - which was a new experience from me. She says that you can use any grain to make the Rejuvelac, but I'd highly recommend wheat berries. I tried it with rice the first time and it didn't go so well. I'd also recommend a sprouting lid for a mason jar.

My favorite cheeses from this book were the softer, spreadable ones - such as her Sharp Cheddar (pg 14). They're similar to the amazing Miyokos cheeses you might find at Whole Foods. I found the hard cheese recipes just weren't setting all that well for me. But as part of my vegan cheese exploration - I came across the incredible resources they have available at Cashewbert. And I did actually make some vegan Camembert - following a process very similar to traditional cheese making. It produces a vegan cheese with a true rind, and tastes very reminiscent of Brie or Camembert. Admittedly, I had some cheese connoisseur friends from Wisconsin try it, and it wasn't enough to make them converts. So maybe it's not fair to compare apples to apples, but as a vegan, I feel like this is about as close as you can get to the flavor complexity of traditional cheese. The Cashewbert is amazing with some jam and sourdough crackers.

Bottom line - this book definitely requires an open mind and a sense of adventure. But if you have that, you'll amazed at all you can discover. And next thing you know, you have a whole new set of tricks in the kitchen. You won't just be making cheese - you'll be sprouting greens, making your own sauerkraut and culturing your own yogurt! ...more

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Jan 05, 2013 Jenny rated it liked it

Many vegan cheese recipes I've made in the past have involved soaking and pureeing nuts which have resulted in a ricotta-like taste and consistency but the recipes in this book involve fermentation and aging which result in more complex flavors and textures. Upon eating the one-month aged gruyere, sps said, "Whoa, I haven't had that flavor in 8 years!" because it really did have the slightly sharp/sour taste of animal milk cheese.

Though the whole process takes a few days, the instructions are e ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Sps rated it liked it

Shelves: 600s, cookbooks

Quick work but in multiple steps spread out over several days: sprouting grains, making rejuvelac, soaking nuts, culturing and aging cheese. The sharp cheddar tasted of nooch, not cheddar, though it was nice enough. The soft gruyere at first tasted weirdly sour but after several weeks in the fridge had a flavor remarkably like those mild Bonnebell cheeses. (And made me think of Ivy and Bean No News is Good News!) Good with pears and crackers.

More to try: air-dried gouda, smoked provolone, brie. ...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Jesse rated it really liked it

I've made a couple recipes now. The rejuvelac that some of the recipes was difficult to get going, but was super easy once I caved and kept the heat a bit higher than I normally would in winter, will probably be real easy to make in the summer. The biggest downside is the cost of ingredients. Most of the cheeses are cashew based, which is expensive per pound, and to improve mouth feel, coconut oil is used, and that is pricey too. I think in the future I will attempt to order some of the more exp ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Danielle rated it it was amazing

Have yet to find a store bought vegan cheese I liked, so after listening to a Myoko's interview with Nil Zacharias—onegreenplanet.org/eatfortheplanet, I tried several recipes, with varying success. Most are good if not great. The stuffed shells are wonderful and the fresh mozz is delicious when sprinkled with onion powder and in a Caprese salad. Inspired to continue 'til I get through them all. Thank you Myoko!
...more

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Dec 14, 2012 Christina rated it liked it

It has some good ideas, but also some ingredients that I would not want to make a staple in my diet. I'd rather go with raw food cheese substitutes for vegan options. Over all, it is definitely worth the read. ...more

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Oct 13, 2018 Phyllis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: food-cooking, recipes

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 fig ...more

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Feb 03, 2020 Renée Roehl rated it liked it

3.5

This is a great book with thorough information and good recipes. However the design choice to make the text this baby-poop-yellow-brown made it difficult for me to use the book.

I realize this aesthetic particularity I have won't bother others but it stopped me from buying the book. Therefore I photocopied a few pages that I felt I'd need to develop recipes on my own because then they were in black and white. ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Stephanie rated it liked it

Shelves: food

Lots of different ways to make cheese. It's definitely not an easy process compared to other recipes online, but it might be a lot better. I'm not a cheese fanatic, but miss pizza a lot. I might give the mozzarella a go if I can get the dough right first. Surprisingly there aren't photos and the layout is a little dated.

3.5/5stars ...more

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Aug 20, 2020 Blake Lowry rated it liked it · review of another edition

I am lactose intolerant, and I've been buying miyokos cheese for awhile now. I rated this book 3 stars because, although it is helpful and easy to understand and prepare, the ingredients are very costly. I'd rather buy the cheese already made and save money. ...more

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Dec 28, 2018 Peachie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cookbooks, zzz-own

Received this for Christmas! The recipes seem very straightforward - can't wait to try them! ...more

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Mar 19, 2017 SunflowerJ added it

Love it. I'm going to make all the cheese. ...more

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Feb 15, 2017 Lauren Read rated it really liked it

Indispensable book if you want to DIY for cheese. There are some amazing artisan (v) cheeses on the market, but why not make them at home at a fraction of the price? This guide covers a slew of techniques and styles using simple ingredients. It's one of those things like breadmaking: so simple you just need to make a point to make it happen -- and a habit. ...more

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May 06, 2012 Autumn rated it liked it

Shelves: cook-books

After trying a few recipes in this book, I decided I'm just not into these cheeses. I didn't go in expecting them to taste like dairy cheese, but every recipe I've tried has basically tasted like tangy cashew cream. The flavor profile just isn't that developed and the effort having to make the rejuvelac and wait for it to ferment wasn't worth it for me :(

I haven't made the aged cheeses yet, so maybe I will like those better. ...more

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Jan 02, 2014 Renée rated it really liked it

Shelves: recipe-books

Great stuff, more attention than I'm inclined to give. Fermenting cheese is not a hobby I'm inclined to. I don't understand the obsession with cheeses. I can think of dozens of things I'd rather eat. It's great there are fantastic vegan cheeses around these days, cholesterol-free, suffering-free, better tasting in a lot of cases now, too. But eh. Pass on the salt and fat, would rather stuff sugar and carbs in my face and feel fantastic. ...more

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Dec 26, 2015 leoangulob rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Real vegan cheese

Vegan cheese-making based on "real" cheese-making using culturing and aging techniques. Some require time (up to months). I personally find this fun and challenging in a good way. Includes recipes such as cheddar, mozzarella, cream cheese, yogurt and Chèvre. There are also some easy and quick cheeses and many cheese dishes (cheesecake, dips, salads...). I definitely recommend it. ...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Katey rated it liked it

Shelves: cookbooks

Though my cooking style is rather utlitarian, this book does intrigue me and I even thought about perhaps trying my hand at making vegan cheese. But no. I was never super keen on cheese pre-vegan, except a few dishes that stupidly kept me from being one sooner, so I don't think I'll go through all the trouble to make any.

Still, I would definitely be up for eating any of these recipes! ...more

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May 26, 2014 Chiara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, cooking, veganism, ebook, 2014

Haven't tried any yet but I'm excited to get started, these cheeses seem amazing and the processes involved in making them very simple. Seems like the author really put time and effort into researching and creating these recipes and none of the recipes I have tried were as good as the ones in this book seem to be. ...more

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Jan 09, 2015 Janet rated it liked it

Shelves: cookbook

I highly doubt I will be making my own vegan cheese (I'm intimidated when each recipe calls for something called rejuvelac -- and she recommends you make your own!), but I loved some of the recipes using already made vegan cheese, including cheesecake and low-fat chipotle cheese sauce. ...more

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