Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Has anyone tried either of the all-nut ricottas? I usually make the tofu-cashew ricotta from vcon, but am trying to avoid soy, hoping to find a good alternative.

I've made the almond ricotta. I add a touch of miso to it, but otherwise, I think it like it even better than the kinds that include tofu, especially in things like shells.

I've made the macadamia one. On it's own, it just tasted like macadamias to me, but in stuff it was great. I used it for ravioli, and for another pasta dish (I just tossed it through shell pasta with some garlic, lemon zest, white wine, tarragon and sautéed zucchini) and it was delicious in both. I really loved the texture- it was a lot lighter than tofu ricotta, which made it much more realistic to me. The price and calories make it a definite 'sometimes food' though!

I tried only Mozzarella from Miyoko's blog. After 2 mushes I formed the rest in tiny bowls and they looked good.

How important d'u think is it to use filtered water in the Rejuvelac?

I never used filtered water, no problems.

Awesome, thanks!

My partner James has made the camembert and the monterey jack in the last couple of days - both have been INCREDIBLE. INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLE. Best cheeses, ever. Incredible depth of flavour, incredible texture, soft, melt in your mouth, unlike anything else I've ever had.

I made the almond ricotta to use in lasagne last night. It didn't have much flavor, added some garlic and herbs. Great texture though and it worked really well in the lasagne.
I have cashews soaking to try the cream cheese and wheat berries soaking to start rejuvelac!

Reading through this thread, it seems like people still struggle with the cheddars. That's disappointing. Having served a range of cheeses at multiple functions to hundreds of people (vegans and omnivores), the cheddars are always among the favorite. But I've discovered that it is the hardest ones for people to replicate successfully. Recently, I converted an old refrigerator so that it stays around 50 degrees F for aging the cheeses. They dry and age slower but more successfully. This provides a stable environment. I am wondering if the range of success/failure for some of the cheeses (cracks, molding, funny flavors) has to do with differences in ambient temperature, much more so than I had originally thought. Another thought is to get a large plastic container and put your cheese in there with a wet wad of paper towels next to it to provide a bit of humidity. Put a lid on it and put it in the warmest spot in your fridge. Age it there instead of on your counter -- it will take twice as long due to the lower temperature. But it will possibly ward off mold, cracking, and other issues. AI need to write a sequel!

Thanks for this- I'll give that a try. Do you think the air dried is the one to try then..?

I was having trouble finding a soy-free miso and couldn't make so many of the recipes, but then found a chickpea miso by Miso Master Organics. It's a sweet miso, so it's very mild and has worked really well in my cheeses. I've also not had much success with rejuvelac, so I've just substituted home-made cashew yogurt and that's worked really well too. I'm sure the taste is different than the original, but still delicious. This week I made the air-dried cheddar and air-dried gouda. I was aging them in my fridge, but it was so cold out last night that I just I left them out overnight. This morning there were puddles of oil on my table. It was 65 degrees, so I know it wasn't too warm for the cheeses. Is is normal for the cheeses to drip oil as they age and dry? They also cracked quite a bit, but seems like everyone has had this issue.

I wish I were a chemist! The cheeses have never dripped oil for me even as they age and dry. Oil separation occurs when the cheeses are cooked too long. Carrageenan sets at around 140 degrees, so the cheeses need to be cooked only long enough for them to get shiny (to make sure the tapioca has cooked). If it's overcooked, it can leak oil.

Hi Miyoko - we've never had issues with mold, cracking, etc, but we've had issues with the oil dripping - it's tough to cook it long enough to cook the starch out, but not to make it separate it. But that will come with techniques and time.

the meltable mozzarella i made with my home-made coconut yogurt was a success! i didn't like the one the taste of the one i made out of the soy yogurt, though the texture and meltableness was good. but this - this is divine! the taste! the texture! i'm going to make pizza!

Oh wow! exciting, i think i will have to give that a go!

Has anyone made the brie and the camembert yet?? If so, would you say that the cam is more or less buttery than the brie? I made the brie from the VegNews issue and loved it. I am wanting to make the camembert too, but was wondering if its as rich as the brie.

Im working on a vegan version of La Tur (a triple cream w/ a mousse like texture) as well as a white stilton w/candied lemon or ginger...I need a really buttery tasting cheese as a base. Any info?


Thanks!

D.

We have made the cam, Daphne, and it is incredibly buttery, rich, melt-in-your mouth, soft, amazing. It's very, very rich.

very nice. Thanks!!

My cream cheese has been culturing for 24 hours now and I don't detect anything different in the way it tasted yesterday. Hopefully tomorrow.
Has anyone made the cream cheese? I used storebought coconut yogurt as I haven't yet made any.

I am prepping. I ordered kappa carrageenan, the book, and powdered agar agar. Anyone want to tip me off if there are any other unusual ingredients I am going to need for the pub cheese? I think I am going to start with that one.

There are a number of bloggers who have made it. Here's an interesting one you might want to check out. http://www.yourveganmom.com/your_vegan_ ... heese.html
You are having the same experience as her - not much change in the first 24 hours. At this time of year, it might take 48 -72 hours before you experience that change. And then all of a sudden, it's cream cheese. Patience, my dear.

I've recently learned something that could be very significant for people who have had issues with mold. This tip will be included in the 3rd printing, which is happening now. In doing more research on cheese (of the dairy kind), I have learned that IODIZED SALT can kill lactic acid and destroy the culturing process, leading to mold and unwanted bacteria. Therefore, do not use iodized salt, either for the cheese itself or for salting. I use Celtic sea salt, but Kosher salt, or plain table salt without iodine is fine. I have also been having great success using an old refrigerator that maintains a temperature of 50 degrees. I think this is the main issue - my kitchen in NorCal is very cool, and thus the air-dried cheeses have time to mature, ripen, and dry out. Try to find the coolest place possible in air-drying, and your air-dried cheeses will be great (especially as the weeks go by).

Miyoko,

Thank you for all your information and continued watching of this thread. I am very excited to finally have my first batch of rejuvelac going right now....I was looking through the recipes and noticed that the brie calls for one pound of cashew cheese. Does the recipe of cashew cheese make one pound or do I need to make more than one batch of the cashew cheese to equal a pound?

thanks!

It makes 1 pound.

BTW, I check the thread every couple of weeks when I get a notification of a post (not sure why I only get them every once in awhile). Actually, the thread has been very helpful for me in pinpointing what areas people are struggling with. Each reprint of the book will have some simple updates that will make the cheesemaking process easier for folks.