First Online Article

I have recently started writing articles for an online blog called This Dish is Veg (TDIV). I am super excited for the opportunity to write and be seen through a company I feel strongly about and they also allow me to publish my articles in my blog which is a great perk too! Here is my first article in all its newborn glory:

Guide to Vegan Cheese Substitutes

There are many vegan cheeses out there that can be a tasty contribution to any dish. The type you use will depend on the following situations:

Complement Your Wine I was one of those crazy people who would spend $10-20 on a small wedge of gourmet cheese. Why? Because it was unique and specialized, and above all else it went great with wine. Dr-Cow makes semi-soft nut cheeses that are said to compliment your glass of wine perfectly. I just discovered this brand while browsing for any cheese brands I might not know of for this article. The only downside is ordering the cheese only can be expensive if you don't live close to a Wholefoods Market or one of the few specialty stores. My suggestion: search it out locally first and try the different flavors with some local wines.

The Easiest to Find The blocks of Vegan Gourmet cheese by Follow Your Heart (FYH) is the most common vegan cheese to my knowledge. Wholefoods, local grocery stores and small specialty nutrition stores carry this brand of vegan cheese (at least in Utah). However, the convenience comes at a price. This cheese doesn't melt very well and it leaves a weird aftertaste. I tried doing nachos, casseroles and cheese sticks with the cheddar and mozzarella flavors and none of them turned out satisfactory. There is a nacho flavor that I haven't tried which might work better but so far this isn't my cheese of choice. On a side note, FYH makes yummy sour cream and cream cheese that I just adore!

A Slice for Your Burger Galaxy NutritionalFoods makes the best sliced cheese I know of currently. The vegan American and Mozzarella flavors are a great adornment to your vegan patty over the grill, in the oven or on a skillet. They don't melt per se but they get soft and have a flavorful taste. I found they work best on a skillet or over the grill because the oven tends to dry the slice out before softening it. The burger still tasted good but the look of the cheese was less natural. Galaxy also carries block cheese but I haven't tried yet. Their brand is pretty common at Wholefoods and local grocery stores in Utah but I suggest searching your location on their site first before starting your cheese quest.

Spread it on Thick Vegan spreads and dips are areas I haven't experimented with a lot. However, a brand called Wayfare seems to be the place to go with their hickory-smoked cheddar spread and mexi-cheddar dip. This is a harder-to-find brand so search your location before questing or order online at their website.

On Top of Mt. Cheesy Lasagna never looked the same without parmesan so I discovered Galaxy Foods vegan parmesan topping. It is a good topping for pasta, salads etc but the flavor lacks anything special. Then I discovered nutritional yeast and that bottle of parmesan hasn't been touched. Nutritional yeast is a yellow powder of goodness that has a unique smell and a cheesy flavor. It is a great topping on practically everything and is healthy for you too! I think every wholefoods market carries it in their bulk section and in prepackaged containers.

Melt in Your Mouth This is my absolute favorite thing about cheese: gooey, stringy, and melty! There is only one cheese I know that shows these crucial elements with flare: Daiya. This brand has won numerous awards including 2010 Best Vegan Cheese Award by VegNews magazine. They are based out of Vancouver, B.C. (darn those amazing Canadians!) and their product comes in shreds: cheddar, mozzarella, and pepperjack, and newly introduced wedges: cheddar, jack, and jalapeño garlic havarti. The shreds are amazing on everything period. I had them on nachos, burgers, burritos, tacos and pretty much anything else you can put cheese on. The wedges are fairly new so I haven't had a chance to try them out but the flavors sound great and the company hasn't let me down yet! My mom directed me to a site called The Vegan Zombie where this hilarious man makes amazing recipes (with videos to boot!) and he uses a lot of different cheeses. I suggest the cheese sticks if you want a taste of Daiya awesomeness with some marinara!