Make your own real, non-dairy cheese at home — traditional methods for making plant-based cheese

As plant-based, dairy-free diets continue to expand in popularity for health and ethical reasons, cheese often becomes the "last hurdle."

Much of what passes for non-dairy "cheese" lacks the quality and depth of authentic, cultured cheese. Yet for aspiring DIY plant-based cheesemakers, much of the knowledge of this new craft is scattered in isolated kitchens, and there's no real reliable guidance to what works, what doesn't, and why, when making real, cultured plant-based cheese. This book aims to change all that and bring this new craft into the kitchens of the world.

Written by a pioneering plant-based cheesemaker who draws deep from the well of experience, The Art of Plant-based Cheesemaking is a clear, highly practical guide that extends traditional cheesemaking methods into the realm of plant-based media as a substitute for dairy.

Coverage includes:

• Understanding culturing and fermentation
• Essential ingredients and equipment for crafting plant-based cheese
• Plant and nut-based media and how to make them
• How to create and train plant-based cultures
• Delicious recipes for quick cheeses
• Advanced recipes for cultured and aged cheeses
• Resources for sourcing equipment and cultures.

Packed with step-by-step recipes, straightforward processes, and encouraging experimentation, this book makes plant-based cheesemaking accessible for beginners and serious foodies alike.

Simply everything you need to make delicious non-dairy cheese right at home.

Karen McAthy is Executive Chef of Zend Conscious Lounge and Chef and Founder of Blue Heron Creamery in Vancouver, BC, which creates and supplies authentic cultured plant-based cheeses to restaurants, retail outlets, and private customers.

Karen McAthy is founder and head cheesemaker at Blue Heron Creamery, which makes cultured, plant-based cheeses for restaurants, retail outlets, and private customers. A born and bred West Coaster who has worked in and around kitchens since 2000, she has a passion for local food systems, experimentation, the blending of art and science in cooking, and animal ethics. Hailing from an agricultural background, Karen grew up learning how to grow food, and a deep desire to learn and understand how nature works drives her pursuit of cultured and aged nut and plant-based cheeses. Karen also teaches classes on plant-based cheesemaking and hosts regular creative dining events. She is the former Executive Chef of Graze Vegetarian and current Executive Chef of Zend Conscious Lounge in Vancouver, BC.

Karen McAthy's profile page

• Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards
• Winner, International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards
• Winner, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards