On Culinary Activism: Miyoko Schinner & Alicia Kennedy in conversation

On Culinary Activism: Miyoko Schinner & Alicia Kennedy in conversation

Saturday, September 13th 2025
11:00 am
Baltimore Book Festival 2025: 32nd St. Stage
A radical reimagining of our food system that’s grounded in sustainability, equity, and compassion for animals, with two of the leading voices in the food space: Miyoko Schinner—founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, and author of the forthcoming The Vegan Creamery, and Alicia Kennedy, food journalist and author of No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating.

About The Vegan Creamery: Plant-Based Cheese, Milk, Ice Cream, and More (A Cookbook)

A delectable collection of over 75 plant-based recipes for vegan butters, creams, cheeses, desserts, and more, from the award-winning chef and bestselling author of Artisan Vegan Cheese.

Imagine enjoying a batch of fresh strawberry ice cream on a hot summer day. It tastes just as delicious as the beloved classic, but at its creamy core it’s actually plant-based. Now you can make all the dairy products you love—milks, creams, cheeses, savory spreads, and rich desserts—with nuts, seeds, and other plant-based ingredients instead of animal products.

Miyoko Schinner, a vegan dairy expert, has figured out the best way to make these plant-based milk products mimic real dairy over the past three decades and is ready to share these meticulously curated recipes in The Vegan Creamery. This book encourages people to dig deeper into what various plant milks can do. You’ll learn to use the age-old concepts of culturing to make French-Style Soft Truffle Cheese, perfect on a charcuterie board, and fermenting plant-based milk to create Reggie Goat Cheese, a tangy spread that is delicious atop a pizza. You’ll use atypical plant-based ingredients like watermelon seed milk to make Mozzarella and mung beans to make Halloumi. Alongside these delectable dairy-free cheese creations, you’ll learn to make Pumpkin Seed-Oat Yogurt to serve with a bowl of fresh fruit or Salted Maple Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream to satisfy your cravings for a rich dessert.

Miyoko has become a leader in the evolution of plant-based dairy, and through her recipes and stunning photography you can learn how to craft beautiful vegan food for everyday life that will expand your palate and help save the planet. _The Vegan Creamery _is just the cookbook to guide you on your plant-based journey.

About No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating

A culinary and cultural history of plant-based eating in the United States that delves into the subcultures and politics that have defined alternative food—Diet for a Small Planet for a new generation

The vegan diet used to be associated only with eccentric hippies and tofu-loving activists who shop at co-ops and live on compounds. We’ve come a long way since then. Now, fine-dining restaurants like Eleven Madison Park cater to chic upscale clientele with a plant-based menu, and Impossible Whoppers are available at Burger King. But can plant-based food keep its historical anti-capitalist energies if it goes mainstream? And does it need to?

In No Meat Required, author Alicia Kennedy chronicles the fascinating history of plant-based eating in the United States, from the early experiments in tempeh production undertaken by the Farm commune in the 70s to the vegan punk cafes and anarchist zines of the 90s to the chefs and food writers seeking to decolonize vegetarian food today.

Many people become vegans because they are concerned about the role capitalist food systems play in climate change, inequality, white supremacy, and environmental and cultural degradation. But a world where Walmart sells frozen vegan pizzas and non-dairy pints of ice cream are available at gas stations – raises distinct questions about the meanings and goals of plant-based eating.

Kennedy—a vegetarian, former vegan, and once-proprietor of a vegan bakery—understands how to present this history with sympathy, knowledge, and humor. No Meat Required brings much-needed depth and context to our understanding of vegan and vegetarian cuisine, and makes a passionate argument for retaining its radical heart.

Miyoko Schinner is an award-winning chef, author, entrepreneur, and activist for animals and food systems. Named a “Gamechanger” by Food & Wine and featured on the Forbes 50 over 50 list, she is the founder and former CEO of Miyoko’s Creamery, a company with products distributed in more than 20,000 stores in North America, and is often credited with having helped to create a new category of food. Miyoko is also the founder of Rancho Compasión, a non-profit farmed-animal sanctuary located in Northern California that is home to more than 100 animals.

Alicia Kennedy is a food and culture writer. She is the author of No Meat Required: The Cultural History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating _and the forthcoming _On Eating: The Making and Unmaking of My Appetites. Her weekly newsletter, From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy, is read by over 30,000 people.

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