*You can find kappa carrageenan powder on Amazon. (A whole canister may seem expensive, but I've made dozens of batches of cheese with it and am still only about halfway through my first container.)
**If you find that you prefer a tangier cheese, you can culture it. Here's how: Blend all ingredients except for tapioca, carrageenan, and gum until smooth, then pour into a glass container, cover and let culture at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until it gets as tangy as you like it. Add the remaining ingredients and proceed with the recipe as directed.
VARIATIONS:
**Garlic Lover's Cheese:
Increase the granulated garlic to ½ teaspoon and add 1 clove of raw garlic.
**Onion & Chive Cheese:
Add two teaspoons of onion powder and 1 tablespoon of dried chives (or 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives). Reserve about half of the chives to whisk in after blending if you'd like to see chive pieces in the cheese.
**Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Cheese:
Add 1 clove of garlic, 1½ tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, and 1½ teaspoons of dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil).
**Pepper Jack Cheese:
Add 3-4 tablespoons of drained, minced, canned jalapenos, decrease the water to 3 tablespoons, increase the tapioca to ⅓ cup, and increase the carrageenan to 1 tablespoon.
**Tangy Cultured Miso Cheese (Cheddar-Style):
Double the nutritional yeast flakes to 3 teaspoons and add 1½ tablespoons of red miso (you can use chickpea miso if you want to keep it soy-free) and ⅛ teaspoon of turmeric (optional, for color). Blend all ingredients except for tapioca, carrageenan, and gum until smooth, then pour into a glass container, cover and let culture at room temperature for 12-24 hours or until it has thickened and tastes tangy. Add the remaining ingredients and proceed with the recipe as directed.