By Laura Hunter

It all got real when our Really Beneficial Sangha in Escondido, California, decided to have more fun. We settled on movie night—wouldn’t that be great! Our Sangha brother Herb Zapata (our spirit guide of compassionate eating) suggested Cowspiracy for our first event. 

The film is quite educational and does a good job of raising awareness about the many terrible impacts of eating meat. We were also surprised to learn that in some ways, the impacts of the dairy and egg industries are worse. The film exposed the cruelty, pain, and suffering of the animals, as well as the negative effects on human health and the environment. We were horrified.

My Sangha sister Cheryl and I are both active cooks and decided we wanted to try to go deeper into our plant-based eating. “But what about cheese!” We cried. We love cheese but knew, with deep looking and eyes of compassion, we had to take a different path. Thus, the RB Sangha Cheeze Sisters were born. 

We focused on nut cheeze because it is a healthier choice. Nut fat is a monounsaturated fat, rather than a saturated fat from cow’s milk. It can also be “cultured” so it fits the uses and tastes of cheese more elegantly. 

Our process was simple. We both got copies of The Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples by Miyoko Schinner and dove in. We probably made thirty rounds of various types of cheeze in four months. With just a little preplanning, the recipes were easy to make. 

We made cheddar that melted easily, yummy lemon-peppercorn goat, smoked mozzarella, pecan parmesan, delicious red pepper olive, oddly satisfying pepperoncini cheddar, and the runaway favorite—pepper jack. Coming up with all the different combinations was a lot of fun. 

We added our homemade cheezes to garlic and tomato flatbreads, cheezy nachos, and Mediterranean sandwiches with basil and tomato. We created beautiful presentations with our cheezes, pairing them with olives and grapes. The cheezes were delicious, even compared with store-bought cheeses.  

Our Sangha members served as enthusiastic cheeze tasters. Not everything worked perfectly the first time, but together, as cheeze sisters, we collaborated and perfected our recipes. 

Cheeze has helped me live in alignment with my values. Making and eating plant-based cheeze brings me a lot of joy. Instead of looking deeply and seeing a little veal calf and his mother who suffered needlessly for my benefit, I see Grandfather Cashew Tree offering his fruits for the benefit of all beings.  

When I was young, a playmate lived on a dairy farm. I remember that the Holsteins had real personalities. One always chased us when we went in her field, bounding up and down with the bell on her neck ringing away. Another let us pet and fawn over and even sit on her…until the other saw us and chased us away. As sentient beings, we all knew who was who. 

When I eat cashew cheeze, I think of these sweet and quirky cows and I am so glad my life does not require the sacrifice of theirs. When I eat plants instead of animals and animal products, I know I am living the life I want to live. I feel happy knowing I am on the right path.

Our cheeze-making has slowed down as we have moved on to making homemade tofu, vegan butter, kombucha, and vegan desserts. Now, we each have our specialties and bring them to Sangha potlucks. But if you want to learn a new cooking skill, get a sister (or brother) to do it with you! 

You can get started with the Plant Powered Earthholder’s Cheeze Pleeze Fact Sheet: https://earthholder.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cheeze-pleeze.pdf 

Laura Hunter, True Ocean of Teachings, practices with the Really Beneficial Sangha in Escondido, California, and is active in the Plant-Powered Committee of the Earth Holder Sangha.