Vegan Cheeses and other Vegan Dairy products. I’m also dairy allergic and lactose intolerant, and have not eaten dairy products for over 30 years. There are a few better than average vegan cheese products, but if you’re looking for a gooey, stretchy cheese for pizza, unless you can eat casein, I haven’t found one yet. The few products I buy are Violife parmesan wedges- good on a salad but not heated; Violife and most other brands of Feta cheese, packed in brine, Kite Hill Cream Cheese, especially for cream cheese frostings, Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella- nothing like mozzarella but does hold the pizza toppings on my pizza. Miyoko’s Vegan Butter is an excellent butter substitute for baking and cooking. Kite Hill Greek Yogurt to use as a substitute for both yogurt and sour cream. Oat Milk has been my go-to substitute for all baking and cooking. Unsweetened always. It’s excellent in cakes, breads and biscuits. Add vinegar to sour it as a replacement for buttermilk. Everyone’s tastes are different and product formulations change so keep trying different products. There are small batch artisan vegan cheeses that can be mail ordered or purchased from shops such as The Vremery in Paso Robles, CA. They are worth searching out if you’re looking for specialty flavors.
Your final question in the AMA brought to mind a phrase I learned back in the 70's.
Don't let the bastards get you down!
I know, you don't want to be that person in '23 so I would like to add that there will ALWAYS be "bastards", but thank heavens we don't have to BE them!
Ok, that’s some tough AMA! Vegan cheese…I experimented with making cashew cheese once, it was fine in some baked things, but certainly not cost effective. I’d rather skip the cheese at that point & eat the cashews. So it was a no for me. That’s a tough shoe to fill.
I think that comment you referenced was pretty typical of a lot of people’s expectations lately. There is such a lack of respect for a person’s talent, craftsmanship, or a certain skill they have developed over time because others do not view it as “valuable” or marketable. When a person’s talent is more on the creative side, those same people do not appreciate the time or skill, or financial investment that goes into the process.
Sadly, to me, in the case of the comment you mentioned… where it’s “ just a recipe” she sounds like she’s comparing what you’re sharing to the hundreds of others folks sharing their content for free on Tic Tok. To them it’s just entertainment. You know what I’m talking about… the whacky recipes with folks just trying to get noticed.
I read Holly’s comment about the time & effort that goes into 1 pic. I used to be in the wedding biz. And for a time made wedding gowns. (Trust me, I get it. )
Bottom line….I appreciate the various content you share…the serious, the funny, the lessons, recipes and the occasional guest appearance of the adorable furry babies . More importantly, your past, your travels, your incredible culinary talent ….this substack is like an interactive magazine of all the things I’m interested in….neatly packaged by a wonderful team, and curated by you. Well worth the price of admission.
Jan 7, 2023·edited Jan 9, 2023Liked by Andrew Zimmern
First, Happy Newest Year Andrew & Crew/Staff... A looooonng sigh, as fellow foodaficionotos, and I as a huge fan, boy-o-boy the post of, "I have to subscribe and pay for your recipes"' was an eye-roller... She really has no real clue or concept to what your Spilled Milk is all about. It's sooooo way-way more than recipes... if that's all she wants, fine, there are only 30+ million online dear, and to make you jump-up and down, they're FREE!!! She'll never understand the depths and vastness of your culinary & industry's endless knowledge... she's missing-out big time...
That's why I subscribe... to hear, read and/or watch all of your wonderful experiences from around the world, nationally, and the stories that trigger your numerous memories... my favorite parts of Bazaar Foods, regardless of which series, is your opening & closing narrations, they're stellar without a doubt!!! They trigger my memories when I traveled to those destinations, so thanks for that dimension of pricelessness...
I could say, I follow in your footsteps about treating people and the planet with respect, thoughtfulness, kindness, etc., etc... yet I won't... primarily because I'm 3+ years older than you, so I was here first!! I think we have very similar parallels; we are the products of fabulous & terrific parents!! They shape your perspectives about how to treat others, to care for the environment that surround us, along with the importance of kindness to others and giving of ourselves and back to the communities we live in... thanks to my parents, I don't know how to be any other way... (I admit, I DO know how to be the grandest of assholes), but WHY would I want to be?!! So unproductive, so worthless...
2 Phrases characterized my upbringing:
> "Always treat people as you would like them to treat you, if not better".... my Mom...
> "Be the situation reversed, how would you like to be treated"... my Dad...
Truly empathic words to live by..............
So when I listen, read and watch, I know your parents instilled those very same qualities in you, no questions on that forefront... as a paid subscriber, you're one of the best bargains out there, and worth every penny, yen, lira, pecso, rupee and dirham...
As for the "Alternative" cheese prospects, hate to break the news, but 2023 will not be the year you'll find a worthwhile substitute, sorry... it may take until the end of this decade, and even then....???????
Best regards for all of 2023, Cheers & Be Kind to all....
Oh boy. Andrew. Of course you and your staff should work for free. What's wrong with you?
My last job was the first in my life where I was a creative person in a place where the main product was NOT creative - I was a writer/photog/videographer among biologists, educators and fundraisers. That meant I was surrounded by people who didn't understand how much work goes into writing, photography and video. So they often leapt to the conclusion that the amount of time it takes to consume a creative product is the amount of time that went into making it. Because, how hard could it be?
When I do a food photo shoot - taking photos that our readers will scroll through in SECONDS - I typically spend 2-4 hours on it from top to bottom - planning, set design, the shoot, processing. The amount of time Hank spends cooking the food can be way more than that, and of course there's also the research time that precedes the cooking, and in the case of wild game, which is most of what we do, the time (and money) spent afield procuring it.
Our site isn't paywalled, but you bet your ass it has ads on it, because it's what we do for a living. If people want quality content, they can either look at a bunch of ads ads, or they can subscribe, but this gimme-gimme-gimme mentality has got to go. Could you imagine going into a supermarket and saying, "How dare you charge me for these groceries! They grow by themselves out of the dirt, and you wouldn't even have a supermarket without shoppers like me!" FFS.
Also, that's very generous of you to give your fans credit for where you are today. Yes, if fans didn't watch/read, you couldn't do this for a living. But the reality is YOU bring something to the table that people love. The people did not turn you into you. At most, the people's reaction helped you hone what you already were into the more polished version of yourself that we enjoy so much. But you're the one doing the work.
I think you gave a lot of value to Lynn by replying to her. The cost os the subscription to spilled Milk compared to the value we get is unbelievably small. Keep doing it for all the rest of us who respect you , admire you and love you. Happy 2023 !!!
The poor quality of dairy free cheese (and milk) is why I could possibly someday become a vegetarian, but never a vegan. I’ve used dairy free cheese occasionally to make dishes for potlucks (when I know vegan friends will be there) but would never use it to cook for my husband and me. It’s just not that good. The Daiya brand shredded “mozz” and Miyoko brick-style “feta” are okay if covered up by lots of other things. One of my vegan friends makes a kinda-okay-but-mostly-meh mac and “cheese” at home using cashews and nutritional yeast.
Oddly, I think some of the plant based butter substitutes (not traditional margarines) are very rich and tasty, the ones by Miyoko in particular. The mass market brand Country Crock makes spreadable plant “butters” that are quite good, too. But (unlike most traditional margarines) they have just as much fat and just as many calories as real butter.
Jan 7, 2023·edited Jan 7, 2023Liked by Andrew Zimmern
Btw: I thought the addition of a Culinary Comedy Corner, where subscribers could post humor, jokes, wit and funny quotes would be a great... ya'know, a few jokes daily to make food lovers laugh... to make people laugh is just as delightful as great meal or snack... they both feed the soul... and I have an arsenal of them...
People submit, you, Molly & crew, choose the one's tp post, thus no distasteful humor sneaks by you...
I have been grateful for all the years you shared on TV shows and learned a huge knowledge to start on my culinary journey. Then came pandemic and spent hours watching social media. I am grateful you are now continuing using and I am happy to share such a small cost. I know you will disregard those negative and unnecessary comments.
You mentioned developing recipes briefly. At culinary school it was always too fast and furious to explore this angle. Over the years, I’ve wondered if there is some sort of process you might share about developing a recipe, because, of the hundreds I’ve personally gone through I’ve never developed any process of my own. Any suggestions in this direction? By the way, over the years I’ve enjoyed your wild take on food ( some of it I have no idea how you stomached).
I am not a vegan (or vegetarian) but one of my favorite local pizza joints has a vegan pizza and I love it so much I've never tried any of their other pizzas. But that's the only time I'll eat vegan cheese.
Now about the nasty comment....it's just another example of how people are so quick to bitch about stuff (we covered that last week.) Personally, I'm grateful for all of the awesome stuff you provide in this forum. Great recipes, fun and informative videos, uplifting discussion, and lots more.
Lastly, it appears that someone got a smile makeover.....very nice! :)
Years ago, an old friend made an incredibly good omelet when I was visiting. I asked where he learned his technique and he said, "I ate a lot of bad eggs". Any R&D takes investment. If in any small way my contribution keeps these great recipes coming, I'm thrilled.
RE: Dairy-free cheese-I am lactose intolerant and have tried different cheeses. I have found, for myself, that I can have aged Parmesan, goat and sheep cheeses. Any aged (over a year if possible) cheese is ok, also, as long as you don't overdo it. Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar (aged over 2 yrs) and Belton Farm Red Fox Leicester Cheese (aged 16 mths) are 2 regular cheddars I use. Natural Valley goat cheese is a good dairy-free brand to have (tried colby-jack and mozzarella plus cheddar). I just found Emmi Switzerland Traditions Le Gruyere cheese that is lactose-free. Buffalo mozzarella (from water buffalo) is acceptable for me also. Manchego is a good sheep's cheese. Hope this helps!
PERHAPS it was just WHERE you placed the Teaser? did you call it? Should you place it in a place for Paying customers who are used to getting FREEsers where you now have a TEASER? They say ONE comment in a spot like this might be extrapolated out to THE SAME OPINION of SO MANY ###s MORE. ASK a question of the member next time ?
I’ve been dairy-free (with the occasional lasagna lapse!) for 20+ years. While the assortment of dairy free cheeses has skyrocketed, there isn’t one I’d fully recommend. Still searching!
Vegan Cheeses and other Vegan Dairy products. I’m also dairy allergic and lactose intolerant, and have not eaten dairy products for over 30 years. There are a few better than average vegan cheese products, but if you’re looking for a gooey, stretchy cheese for pizza, unless you can eat casein, I haven’t found one yet. The few products I buy are Violife parmesan wedges- good on a salad but not heated; Violife and most other brands of Feta cheese, packed in brine, Kite Hill Cream Cheese, especially for cream cheese frostings, Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella- nothing like mozzarella but does hold the pizza toppings on my pizza. Miyoko’s Vegan Butter is an excellent butter substitute for baking and cooking. Kite Hill Greek Yogurt to use as a substitute for both yogurt and sour cream. Oat Milk has been my go-to substitute for all baking and cooking. Unsweetened always. It’s excellent in cakes, breads and biscuits. Add vinegar to sour it as a replacement for buttermilk. Everyone’s tastes are different and product formulations change so keep trying different products. There are small batch artisan vegan cheeses that can be mail ordered or purchased from shops such as The Vremery in Paso Robles, CA. They are worth searching out if you’re looking for specialty flavors.
Your final question in the AMA brought to mind a phrase I learned back in the 70's.
Don't let the bastards get you down!
I know, you don't want to be that person in '23 so I would like to add that there will ALWAYS be "bastards", but thank heavens we don't have to BE them!
Ok, that’s some tough AMA! Vegan cheese…I experimented with making cashew cheese once, it was fine in some baked things, but certainly not cost effective. I’d rather skip the cheese at that point & eat the cashews. So it was a no for me. That’s a tough shoe to fill.
I think that comment you referenced was pretty typical of a lot of people’s expectations lately. There is such a lack of respect for a person’s talent, craftsmanship, or a certain skill they have developed over time because others do not view it as “valuable” or marketable. When a person’s talent is more on the creative side, those same people do not appreciate the time or skill, or financial investment that goes into the process.
Sadly, to me, in the case of the comment you mentioned… where it’s “ just a recipe” she sounds like she’s comparing what you’re sharing to the hundreds of others folks sharing their content for free on Tic Tok. To them it’s just entertainment. You know what I’m talking about… the whacky recipes with folks just trying to get noticed.
I read Holly’s comment about the time & effort that goes into 1 pic. I used to be in the wedding biz. And for a time made wedding gowns. (Trust me, I get it. )
Bottom line….I appreciate the various content you share…the serious, the funny, the lessons, recipes and the occasional guest appearance of the adorable furry babies . More importantly, your past, your travels, your incredible culinary talent ….this substack is like an interactive magazine of all the things I’m interested in….neatly packaged by a wonderful team, and curated by you. Well worth the price of admission.
First, Happy Newest Year Andrew & Crew/Staff... A looooonng sigh, as fellow foodaficionotos, and I as a huge fan, boy-o-boy the post of, "I have to subscribe and pay for your recipes"' was an eye-roller... She really has no real clue or concept to what your Spilled Milk is all about. It's sooooo way-way more than recipes... if that's all she wants, fine, there are only 30+ million online dear, and to make you jump-up and down, they're FREE!!! She'll never understand the depths and vastness of your culinary & industry's endless knowledge... she's missing-out big time...
That's why I subscribe... to hear, read and/or watch all of your wonderful experiences from around the world, nationally, and the stories that trigger your numerous memories... my favorite parts of Bazaar Foods, regardless of which series, is your opening & closing narrations, they're stellar without a doubt!!! They trigger my memories when I traveled to those destinations, so thanks for that dimension of pricelessness...
I could say, I follow in your footsteps about treating people and the planet with respect, thoughtfulness, kindness, etc., etc... yet I won't... primarily because I'm 3+ years older than you, so I was here first!! I think we have very similar parallels; we are the products of fabulous & terrific parents!! They shape your perspectives about how to treat others, to care for the environment that surround us, along with the importance of kindness to others and giving of ourselves and back to the communities we live in... thanks to my parents, I don't know how to be any other way... (I admit, I DO know how to be the grandest of assholes), but WHY would I want to be?!! So unproductive, so worthless...
2 Phrases characterized my upbringing:
> "Always treat people as you would like them to treat you, if not better".... my Mom...
> "Be the situation reversed, how would you like to be treated"... my Dad...
Truly empathic words to live by..............
So when I listen, read and watch, I know your parents instilled those very same qualities in you, no questions on that forefront... as a paid subscriber, you're one of the best bargains out there, and worth every penny, yen, lira, pecso, rupee and dirham...
As for the "Alternative" cheese prospects, hate to break the news, but 2023 will not be the year you'll find a worthwhile substitute, sorry... it may take until the end of this decade, and even then....???????
Best regards for all of 2023, Cheers & Be Kind to all....
Oh boy. Andrew. Of course you and your staff should work for free. What's wrong with you?
My last job was the first in my life where I was a creative person in a place where the main product was NOT creative - I was a writer/photog/videographer among biologists, educators and fundraisers. That meant I was surrounded by people who didn't understand how much work goes into writing, photography and video. So they often leapt to the conclusion that the amount of time it takes to consume a creative product is the amount of time that went into making it. Because, how hard could it be?
When I do a food photo shoot - taking photos that our readers will scroll through in SECONDS - I typically spend 2-4 hours on it from top to bottom - planning, set design, the shoot, processing. The amount of time Hank spends cooking the food can be way more than that, and of course there's also the research time that precedes the cooking, and in the case of wild game, which is most of what we do, the time (and money) spent afield procuring it.
Our site isn't paywalled, but you bet your ass it has ads on it, because it's what we do for a living. If people want quality content, they can either look at a bunch of ads ads, or they can subscribe, but this gimme-gimme-gimme mentality has got to go. Could you imagine going into a supermarket and saying, "How dare you charge me for these groceries! They grow by themselves out of the dirt, and you wouldn't even have a supermarket without shoppers like me!" FFS.
Also, that's very generous of you to give your fans credit for where you are today. Yes, if fans didn't watch/read, you couldn't do this for a living. But the reality is YOU bring something to the table that people love. The people did not turn you into you. At most, the people's reaction helped you hone what you already were into the more polished version of yourself that we enjoy so much. But you're the one doing the work.
I think you gave a lot of value to Lynn by replying to her. The cost os the subscription to spilled Milk compared to the value we get is unbelievably small. Keep doing it for all the rest of us who respect you , admire you and love you. Happy 2023 !!!
Also, don’t listen to the idiots. Good content is worth paying for.
The poor quality of dairy free cheese (and milk) is why I could possibly someday become a vegetarian, but never a vegan. I’ve used dairy free cheese occasionally to make dishes for potlucks (when I know vegan friends will be there) but would never use it to cook for my husband and me. It’s just not that good. The Daiya brand shredded “mozz” and Miyoko brick-style “feta” are okay if covered up by lots of other things. One of my vegan friends makes a kinda-okay-but-mostly-meh mac and “cheese” at home using cashews and nutritional yeast.
Oddly, I think some of the plant based butter substitutes (not traditional margarines) are very rich and tasty, the ones by Miyoko in particular. The mass market brand Country Crock makes spreadable plant “butters” that are quite good, too. But (unlike most traditional margarines) they have just as much fat and just as many calories as real butter.
Btw: I thought the addition of a Culinary Comedy Corner, where subscribers could post humor, jokes, wit and funny quotes would be a great... ya'know, a few jokes daily to make food lovers laugh... to make people laugh is just as delightful as great meal or snack... they both feed the soul... and I have an arsenal of them...
People submit, you, Molly & crew, choose the one's tp post, thus no distasteful humor sneaks by you...
I have been grateful for all the years you shared on TV shows and learned a huge knowledge to start on my culinary journey. Then came pandemic and spent hours watching social media. I am grateful you are now continuing using and I am happy to share such a small cost. I know you will disregard those negative and unnecessary comments.
You mentioned developing recipes briefly. At culinary school it was always too fast and furious to explore this angle. Over the years, I’ve wondered if there is some sort of process you might share about developing a recipe, because, of the hundreds I’ve personally gone through I’ve never developed any process of my own. Any suggestions in this direction? By the way, over the years I’ve enjoyed your wild take on food ( some of it I have no idea how you stomached).
I am not a vegan (or vegetarian) but one of my favorite local pizza joints has a vegan pizza and I love it so much I've never tried any of their other pizzas. But that's the only time I'll eat vegan cheese.
Now about the nasty comment....it's just another example of how people are so quick to bitch about stuff (we covered that last week.) Personally, I'm grateful for all of the awesome stuff you provide in this forum. Great recipes, fun and informative videos, uplifting discussion, and lots more.
Lastly, it appears that someone got a smile makeover.....very nice! :)
Years ago, an old friend made an incredibly good omelet when I was visiting. I asked where he learned his technique and he said, "I ate a lot of bad eggs". Any R&D takes investment. If in any small way my contribution keeps these great recipes coming, I'm thrilled.
RE: Dairy-free cheese-I am lactose intolerant and have tried different cheeses. I have found, for myself, that I can have aged Parmesan, goat and sheep cheeses. Any aged (over a year if possible) cheese is ok, also, as long as you don't overdo it. Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar (aged over 2 yrs) and Belton Farm Red Fox Leicester Cheese (aged 16 mths) are 2 regular cheddars I use. Natural Valley goat cheese is a good dairy-free brand to have (tried colby-jack and mozzarella plus cheddar). I just found Emmi Switzerland Traditions Le Gruyere cheese that is lactose-free. Buffalo mozzarella (from water buffalo) is acceptable for me also. Manchego is a good sheep's cheese. Hope this helps!
PERHAPS it was just WHERE you placed the Teaser? did you call it? Should you place it in a place for Paying customers who are used to getting FREEsers where you now have a TEASER? They say ONE comment in a spot like this might be extrapolated out to THE SAME OPINION of SO MANY ###s MORE. ASK a question of the member next time ?
I’ve been dairy-free (with the occasional lasagna lapse!) for 20+ years. While the assortment of dairy free cheeses has skyrocketed, there isn’t one I’d fully recommend. Still searching!
BTW - Cayman is ready for you to escape the snow!