The Vegan Meat Cookbook

Introduction

It may seem a bit strange that I would be writing a book on meat, even if made from plants. While I ve earned the moniker Queen of Vegan Cheese, my actual experience in eating meat is limited, having become a vegetarian at the age of twelve. Even before then, I had only eaten meat regularly for a few short years between the age of six, when I left Japan, and twelve, when I became a vegetarian. Prior to the year my mother and I emigrated from Japan to the United States, meat was an occasional treat. Here in the United States, however, my father made sure I got the best nutrition possible, which, to him, meant feeding me meat three times a day. I did get hooked on meat, and cheese as well although that addiction lasted into my twenties.

When I stopped eating meat after a camping trip in middle school, kids at school would taunt me by shoving burgers in my face. It didn t bother me nor did it tempt me. My desire for meat had disappeared overnight, and I no longer equated it with food. Meat was now recognized as an animal, someone who wanted to live as much as I did. No more would I want to eat a steak than I would want to eat a chair. I didn t struggle to stay vegetarian. It was easy.

However, my experience is unique. Most people don t make such transitions easily. We are all creatures of habit and culture, as we have been throughout history. We eat what everyone else eats, and that food helps to define our identity, who we are, to which community we belong. We want to eat familiar foods, go out for pizza with friends, or dig into a basket of fried chicken with our kids. So even if your vegan daughter or best friend tells you to go vegan to save the planet or animals, it s not often easy to do.

I was shocked to read that in 2018 meat consumption in the United States rose to an all-new high of 222 pounds per person. Americans have always eaten more meat than other populations, but the average person today consumes more than double what

Miyoko Schinner is the founder of Miyoko's, the fastest-growing plant-based cheese and butter company in the country, carried in more than 29,000 retailers nationwide, plus Canada and Australia. Schinner is the author of four cookbooks, including The Homemade Vegan Pantry; cohost of the national PBS cooking show Vegan Mashup; a sought-after speaker for events and conferences; and cofounder of Rancho Compasión, an animal sanctuary that is home to over a hundred farm animals. She has been featured in Bloomberg, the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, and Food & Wine, and was named to the Forbes 50 over 50 list in 2021 as one of the country's top women who are changing the world.

Explore how vegan dishes can get a similar meaty texture and hearty flavor without actually using any animal products. By re-examining vegetables roles in cooking and drawing from a selection of meat alternative companies . . . Schinner lays out accessible recipes for dishes including Spanish chorizo, bouillabaisse, and shiitake pot stickers. Thrillist

As if Miyoko hasn t given us all enough to last a lifetime with her line of gourmet cheeses and her incredible book, The Homemade Vegan Pantry, now she s coming in hot with The Vegan Meat Cookbook and I wholeheartedly approve! Miyoko is our vegan guru, guiding us through all the tricks for cooking with available products and demystifying how to make your own elevated homemade plant proteins. This book is a winner and needs to have a place on your bookshelf. Lauren Toyota, creator of hot for food and bestselling author of Hot for Food Vegan Comfort Classics
 
Miyoko s ability to innovate and lovingly craft such brilliant food has always been incredible, but to make it so accessible to the home cook is no less than miraculous. Using a palette of plant-based meat and cheese from across the globe, Miyoko has masterfully painted a symphony of flavors that will tantalize taste buds for years to come. Kale Walch, cofounder of The Herbivorous Butcher
 
At last a cookbook expressly for making vegan meat. I m drooling over these incredibly easy versions of all of our favorite all-time classic meals. Sit down and feast on buttermilk fried chicken, meatloaf, calamari, beef stroganoff, and so many more. And wait till you try her burgers! Bravo, Miyoko! Chloe Coscarelli, vegan chef and author of Chloe Flavor

Miyoko s recipes are fun and flavorful, we know you ll love them as much as we do! Coco & Lala, hosts of cooking show Keeping up with Coco & Lala

Chef Schinner (The Homemade Vegan Pantry), known as the Queen of Vegan Cheese,