“Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook”: Innovative, Healthy and Delicious Recipes with Plant-Based Ingredients

Joe Stepaniak’s “Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook” was one of the first cookbooks I bought after deciding to go vegan 3 years ago. For those unfamiliar with the term “cheeseless,” Stepaniak uses it to describe spreads, dressings, sauces, and blocks of rich flavor made with dairy-free, whole foods (primarily beans, nuts, or grains).

Cheese lovers be warned: You may be disappointed if you expect tofu to taste like Feta or chickpeas like Havarti. The book’s introduction even acknowledges that “cheeseless are not going to be like dairy cheeses, so adjust your expectations accordingly.”

Unfortunately, I skipped Stepaniak’s well-intentioned introduction and delved into recipes, trying Tofu Ricotta, Chick Cheez, Swizz Cheez, Buffalo Mostarella, Brie, Betta Feta, White Bean Boursin, Monterey Jack, and Cheeseless Port. And while they were all tasty (my favorite is the spicy Chick Cheez spread, made with chickpeas), they left me a little underwhelmed and wondering if I could really live without real cheese.

As a result of not finding perfect non-dairy replacements for my most beloved cheeses, “The Uncheese Cookbook” sat dormant on my shelf for some time. Little did I realize that I would return to Stepaniak’s book later (many times), and find that it had improved over time. The most valuable lesson from it is that it introduces unknown ingredients and uses them, as well as more common elements, including raw nuts, in an innovative way.

For example, I had never heard of nutritional yeast, an ingredient used in many of the recipes in the book. Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamins and minerals that also has a tangy, cheesy flavor. I later found out that Stepaniak is a bit of a fan of nutritional yeast, as he is the author of “The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook.”

Other new (and somewhat difficult to obtain) ingredients included agar and kuzu (both plant-based thickening agents used in place of gelatin) and umeboshi plum paste, used to add salt. Chickpea flour (also known as Chana Besan), although common in Indian cuisine, is also used in many non-cheese dishes.

The introduction to the Uncheese Cookbook provides a detailed and helpful reference to all of the ingredients listed above, as well as others. It also contains a well-researched background on how the dairy industry has influenced the evolution of the American diet (echoing T. Scott Campbell’s “China Study”), and provides detailed nutritional data on the benefits of non-dairy sources of calcium. , Proteins, fats and carbohydrates vs. dairy products.

Moving on to the recipes, I found many of the “cheeseless dishes” to be excellent. Among my favorites are:

• Chocolate Almond Cheesecake (p170*) with Granola Walnut Crust – Everyone who’s tried it is amazed that it tastes better than real cheesecake, without using eggs or dairy (maple syrup is the secret).
• “Besto Pesto” (which imperceptibly substitutes miso for cheese): How can a vegan diet be considered sacrificial when you can still enjoy a plate of linguine with Genevose pesto sauce?
• Chickpea flour pizza (p. 128), eaten together with vegetable curries. It takes about 5 minutes to prepare, so it’s super convenient too!
• Beannaise (p150)–Used as a substitute for mayonnaise in other recipes, and also on its own, as a dressing for vegetables or salads.

*Note: Page numbers refer to the tenth edition of the book.

Other recipes I would recommend include: Parmesan Cheese Chips (pg. 50), Eggplant Parmagiano Stew (pg. 80), Spinach and Tofu Manicotti (pg. 117), Zucchini Chedda Soup (pg. 77).

After reusing “The Cheeseless Cookbook,” there are still many dishes I plan to try, including: Classic Quiche (p102), Lemon Teasecake (p169), “Key Lime” variation, Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (p63), Spicy Spinach Artichoke Dip (p49) and Curried Cauliflower Cheese Soup (p76).

Other features of the book that you will appreciate are the tables of nutritional values ​​for each of the recipes and the lists of food allergens (gluten, soy, nuts, corn). On the other hand, the book contains only 4 pages of photography, and could certainly use more.

If you already have “The Cheeseless Cookbook” but haven’t picked it up in a while, I suggest it’s worth another look. If not, grab a copy and try their innovative and healthy recipes based on plant-based ingredients. Just remember to set your dairy cheese flavor expectations aside, and you won’t be disappointed!