What exactly can you do with Tofu???

[foodnfoto]

Darn Cape, you really had me going there.
Maybe we should devise a new "smilie"--one with egg on the face.

[isaac]

i bought tofu the other day... firm and extra firm.. ummm.. i havent done anything with them yet. lol

[Shimmer]

Vegan Scones

1 lb margarine ( ½ lb)
8 oz tofu (xtra firm) (4 oz)
12 cups flour (6 cups)
6 tbsp baking powder (3 tbsp)
3 cups sugar (1 ½ cups)
1 tsp salt ( ½ tsp)
3 cups water (1 ½ cups)

1. Cut up margarine and tofu, put in mixing bowl.
2. Add dry ingredients, and mix
3. Slowly add water.
4. Divide dough into 5 oz portions, about the size of a small fist. Mix with frozen berries, apples and cinnamon, vegan flavored chips, or whatever sounds good to you. (Frozen berries are easier to work with, and you end up with beautifully colored scones. Use about 2-3 tbsp berries, or more if you can mix it in without the dough getting to soggy).
4. Bake at 325 for 12 minutes, rotate pan and bake for 9.
5. If toothpick does not come out clean, cook for 2-3 more minutes. Make sure they are fully cooked. The tofu causes it to take a little longer than it seems it should, because of the moisture.

Compared to regular scones using a similar technique, the colors are more vibrant, and I think the taste of the berries is stronger too.

I would eat these every day of the week. I love them. I used to work at a bakery, and the university swim team coach bought them for her team every single day.

Try it, you won't be disappointed! I am making them this weekend for my in-laws!

~~Shimmer~~

[Suzanne]

Dear FnF: No, it was a bunch of drug dealers who got it in an apartment upstairs from the Carnegie Deli; gangland-type slaying. But all the tourists inside got to watch the police storming in and the EMTs carrying the bodies out. Yuck.

Gee, I haven't eaten there in years. They used to have the best pastrami. Maybe I could try coating tofu with coriander seed and garlic and other stuff that goes on pastrami? Hey, I'm SERIOUS!!!

[foodnfoto]

I think that would be great Suzanne. I'll try it too. Just don't forget the Bragg's.

[Jock]

Time was when US soy growers sold the stuff to pig farmers to feed the pigs. What a waste!
There are umpteen things to do with tofu. Many great suggestions in these posts.
A word of caution though, particularly to those trying it for the first time. When it goes "off" it smells and tastes sour. Eating bad tofu is an unpleasant experience. It would be a shame to miss out on such a versatile food product because your first experience was a bad one. Smell it and nibble a piece if in doubt. If it's off you will know it.

Jock

[DaveB]

If you have access to a Chinatown neighborhood, Chinese tofu is somewhat different from the stuff you normally see, which is Japanese style.

Chinese tofu comes as pillow-shaped cakes around 3 inches square. They appear to have been formed in a cloth bag of some sort. The tofu is firmer than Japanese firm tofu, and can be sliced and stir-fried if you're careful.

There is also 5-spice tofu, which is partially dried and covered in 5-spice powder.

[Dear Abby]

Bonjour! Dear Abby has missed you while she has been away! What clever and creative people she finds at Chef Talk!

Dear Abby believes that tofu makes an excellent toy for small children. It squishes very nicely and is not toxic to their little bodies.

As for eating it, however, Dear Abby must decline.

Abby

[Athenaeus]

Dear Abby might be interested in Athenaeus' virtual community under the title : " I 'd rather die than Cook/Eat Tofu "

[foodnfoto]

To Abby and Athy---

Fine......more for us!

Watch out for that chinese tofu that you describe, Dave B. those buckets in the asian markets are full of bacteria and the tofu is usually made with cheap beans---lots of GMOs, residual pesticides. fungicides, fertilizers, etc. Always buy organic!

[Suzanne]

There's a Koren restaurant in NYC that I absolutely love -- Cho Dang Gol -- that is famous for making its own dubu (Korean for tofu). They serve things like a soup with the softest "dregs" mixed in, and all sorts of interestingly sauced versions. Some bland, some HOT -- all that we've had were delicious.

FnF -- you are so right about being careful of the stuff floating at the markets! It's actually one item that I'd rather buy in a tetrapak than "fresh."

[phatch]

Hey, thanks Foodnfoto for the tip on Bragg Liquid Aminos. That stuff is great with tofu, and all around handy for me on a limited sodium diet. Not that it's a low sodium product but the punch it packs in the small amount of sodium is excellent.

Phil

[alexia]

I will share my favorite tofu recipe -- ONLY for you! Unfortunately I don't remember where it came from, apologies to whoever.

SPICY BRAISED BEAN CURD
wok or frying pan
glass or stainless jar or bowl
grater

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb tofu
2 Tbs sesame oil

SAUCE:
1/4 cup natural soy sauce
3 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs vinegar
1 clove crushed or minced garlic (3/4 tsp garlic powder can substitute)
1/4 cup tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup water (less water makes tastier sauce, but less volume)
1/3 cup chopped scallions for garnish
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger root (opt)

Press tofu between two inverted plates with a weight on top. (Put something under it to catch water squeezed out of tofu.) Do this at least an hour, preferably more -- in refrigerator if more than 1 hour. (I like to do it much longer, the dryer the tofu the better the texture of the final dish). Make sauce during this time, rice, etc.

Cut the tofu into 1" cubes, 1/2 inch thick. Saute them in the sesame oil until a golden crust forms on all sides and set aside.

Sauce: combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, mustard, and water. Heat to simmer. Meanwhile, dissolve arrowroot in water. Add to simmering sauce, whisk thoroughly and cook until thick.

Add thickened sauce to the sauteed tofu in frying pan, and simmer gently 8-10 minutes. (If you use less water in the sauce, simmer more briefly.

Serve hot, garnished with scallions and grated ginger root.