Hey Vegan, Eat Me!

My name is Tofu. I live on the second floor. I live upstairs from you. Yes, I think you've seen me before... Tofu has been abused, misused, confused and otherwise been refused. I get it. Tofu is weird. It's the golden palace of pleasure for vegetarians, blah, blah, blah. I have a terrific question from a good nonvegetarian friend, Jay and his wife, Stacey that will lend itself to mellowing any trash-talk about bean curd:

What are some great, flavorful ways to prepare tofu? Jay and I have tried recently (in our quest to eat more healthful dinners) but everything has turned out bland.

Tofu gets a bad rap. First, I must admit, there are foods that I do not like: mushrooms, cucumbers, corn, to name three all-stars. Wait! Before you start to hurl burning hot recipes at me with mushrooms, cucumbers and corn - I'm simply making the point that sometimes, people just don't like stuff. That's OK. It's natural. That said, however, if you can do to my least favorites what I am about to do to tofu, I'm all ears.

The Chinese (oh, here he goes, again). Stop it, internal dialogue! The Chinese invented tofu and truly exploit all of its attributes, but more on that down the page. Tofu is soy bean curd, essentially coagulated soy milk. Though the term coagulated has you pondering running away, never to read HowieCOOK again, hold up! Cheese is also coagulated milk, albeit the kind from cows, sheep or goats. We love cheese, so get over it and let the soothing words of HowiCOOK lull you into a comforting tofu haze.

Though you will mainly find a block of silken tofu or firm tofu in your local grocery store, there are a number of interesting commercial processes that tofu may go through which changes its character completely. It's worth some exploration on your own. If you have an international foods market in your 'hood, you may find two of my favorites, smoked tofu or pressed tofu.

Smoked tofu loses almost all of it moisture while smoking and, not unlike meat or fish, will smack of the flavor of the chosen smoking wood. Sliced in green salads, it adds a unique texture component. Most Chinese smoking processes use rice, tea, and peach or apple wood. Pressed tofu also has almost all of the moisture removed. The result is similar to and can easily sub-in for pasta.

For the moment, let's assume that you either do not have a local international market or do not have access to vast global market called the internet (I love writing things like that in a blog). You're happily stuck with the brick of silken or firm tofu. Silken is the softest type of fully formed tofu and has a texture reminiscent of quiche. Firm tofu has been further dried. It's a more crumbly form, which can be a drawback for some preparations.

When one is using tofu in this most commonly found brick form, it holds three characteristics that make it not a replacement for meat, but an ingredient with its own value! I'll just become a vegetarian and grill this here tofu brick instead of a steak tonight. N.O.

Brick tofu is a tremendous vehicle for flavor. It is bland on its own. Strong dressings, sauces, marinades all play well with the flat tofu taste. Again, do not think of cooking with it as using tofu instead of meat to be more healthy. There is a better reason. Since tofu is a reliable vehicle, make it a great flavor counterpoint! Go bold with seasoning, up the spicy, up the sweet, up the sour. In this way, one bite of a sauced-up tofu may result in a phenomenal punch, then a smooth, creamy middle, then a spicy back-end.

Tofu is about texture, not taste. Mouthfeel is its strength. Yes, mouthfeel is a technical term, and no, I did not just make up for you. What does it feel like to chew? Does it fill your mouth? Where does it meet up with your tongue? Is it creamy and smooth or gritty and sharp? Is there an aftertaste? Mouthfeel is often talked about in wine and cheese circles, but I believe it answers for alot of tofu's appeal. In essence, try to see tofu as a texture component in the larger dish.

One really cool thing that can be done with brick tofu (here, I prefer to use firm) is freezing it. Frozen tofu? Now tofu is for dessert? Well, it could be, but that's another entry for another day! Freezing and then thawing a brick of tofu enables it to absorb flavors much more readily. Off the grocery store shelf, there are bits of moisture (almost 100% water) dispersed throughout a brick of tofu. When tofu freezes, the moisture pockets expand.

When you then allow the tofu to thaw slightly and slice it, you will notice that the inside becomes sponge-like. Yes, like a kitchen sponge. It can then pick up big flavors in soups, sauces, dressings, etc. One thing to remain aware of, however, is that by expanding the tofu you are also lessening its structural integrity. Picture yourself getting tackeld with your arms and legs spread wide. It gets more pliable and therefore more fragile.

My advice is this: Take your tofu out of the liquid-filled, ubiquitous plastic tub with plastic seal on top. Drain the brick on top of some paper towels. Put some paper towels on top as well. If you feel like you can gently press it without breaking it up, do so. If not, just let the tofu sit and drain for a half hour. Once it is relatively dry, place the brick alone in a zip-top freezer bag. Do not try to get the air out of the bag, as the tofu needs room to expand a slight bit.

Freeze it for 4 hours or all night. When you take it out of the freezer, the tofu will have gotten darker in color. It's OK! This is natural and does not mean it went bad! Let the tofu sit in its bag for 15-20 minutes to thaw slightly. Slice or dice for use.

Below is a very, very simple recipe for Frozen Tofu with Spicy Sesame Dressing. For those of you who "do not like tofu," this dish presents tofu in a way that most of you have never seen and completely changes its texture - the main culprit in most of our food aversions! Ironically, it fits as a nice side dish to grilled steak...

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Frozen Tofu with Spicy Sesame Dressing

1 - brick of firm tofu, frozen, thawed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
5 C - vegetable or chicken stock

dressing
6 Tb - sesame paste or tahini
6 Tb - soy sauce
3Tb - water
2 Tb - sesame oil
1 tsp - rice vinegar
1 tsp - sugar
1 or 2 tsp - red chili pepper flakes (depends on how hot you want)]

(Assuming you have already frozen your tofu for at least four hours, thawed for a 15 min. and sliced) Start this recipe 20 minutes before meal or snack time. Heat up the veg or chicken stock over high heat in a medium sauce pan. Once the liquid begins to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. add your frozen tofu slices.

Do not move the tofu around in the stock! Resist the mighty pasta urge to swirl the whole thing up. Remember that by freezing then simmering, you are causing the tofu to go fragile. Simmer without touching for 8-10 minutes over low heat. While the tofu is simmering, whisk together all dressing ingredients. If the mixture is too thick, do not hesitate to add a bit more (equal parts) water and soy sauce. You're seeking the thickness of ranch dressing.

Set up a large plate or cookie sheet covered in paper towels. With a slotted spoon or a slotted spatula, gently gently gently remove the tofu slices, one by one, placing them in one layer onto the plate or cookie sheet.

Once you have them all removed from the pot and drained, plate up and drizzle or pour the sesame sauce over to coat and serve. Done.

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Jay and Stacey, I hope you enjoy. The rest of you vegetarians and vegans out there, you're welcome, and all of you tofu-hating confused people, let me know how this changed your life.

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