I posted a comment/query on the “healthy pizza” page, but I don’t think it’s going to get much viewing over there so please humor my redo…
I’ve read the articles by PMQ and others on the use of soy cheeses on pizza. I understand there are some that work, and many others than flat do not in any way shape or form make a usable substitute. I’m interested in hearing from folks that have, or are currently offering a soy cheese, or non-milk cheese alternative. Not so much for some false notion of added “health” benefits, though those may be there, but mostly because I have a very good buddy that has recently found out he has developed a severe lactose intolerance. I would love to be able to offer an alternative to him and others that I’m running in to that are in the same boat. I’m also considering the viability of having a small amount of “gluten free” dough balls on hand for those folks too, but understand from hearing from some folks that suffer that issue, that even the flour in the air or on the peel or bench can trigger an unwelcome response. I know any of these “alternatives” will be no where close to profit makers, but if lactose free Dad has a spot to join his flock of pizzz munchers…then hey, who knows.
I have a seventh day adventist college in town and they sometimes want a vegan pizza so I will order in a soy cheese for them. I have also got hit with a huge order and have been low on cheese and had some of the soy cheese left over from the day before and blended it with my regular cheese and you couldnt tell the difference. With the pizzas for the college that we only used the soy cheese on It is very noticable I dont find it unpleasent to eat but it doesnt have a lot of flavor and is bland but its what they want and they seem to like it
There is a vegan restaurant in town that sells all kinds of “meatless” burgers, hot dogs, and other stuff. It is silly. If you are a vegan, you should not even be eating anything that tastes or looks like meat. I will not offer pseudo-cheese for vegans. Maybe for lactose intolerant folks. But if you like meat and cheese but have a PETA lifetime membership, then forget it. lol
I checked the Vegan Boca burgers I bought at Sam’s Club this week and they have 100 calories with 5 calories from fat and 5 grams of fiber each. I promptly threw them out, took a Crestor, and drove to McDonald’s to get a $.99 double cheeseburger.
Whew, that was close!
Anyways, the thing to remember about soy cheese is that in order to make it “melt” it has to have casein added to it (and as such is not vegan) - this is the stuff you want to look at for your lactose intolerant friend. Truly vegan cheese is the stuff that just sits there and burns.
Being in a college town, we have many vegan customers that miss eating cheese and request the soy stuff. If I could find a true vegan cheese that could survive cooking in our oven, I would add it to my menu. I wonder if they would mind having it added after the pizza has cooked? I should ask…
I used to make vegan BBQ chicken pizza for one of my employees on special occasions. I would buy the ingredients at a local health food store so I knew they did not contain things she would not eat. The cheese tasted ok at best, texture was not that great and it looked like plastic. She appreciated it, and I always ate some with her, but would never mistake it for the real thing. If you have a demand for it, experiment with different brands. If you have a decent health food store around they would probably be willing to advise you.
As far as the ethics of simulated meat products for vegans, I’ve often wondered about that. If you believe it is immoral to eat the flesh of a cow, chicken or pig, why would you want to simulate the act?