TOFU Is it Really That Tough To Work With?

TOFU Is It Really That Tough To Work With?

Tofu! It conjures up your worst nightmare: the vegetarian dinner with no taste. At least that is what some would like you to believe.

Tofu, also known as soybean curd, is a soft, cheese-like food made by curdling fresh hot soy milk with a coagulant. The curdling agent used to make tofu is nigari, a compound found in natural ocean water, or calcium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral. Curds also can be produced by acidic foods like lemon juice or vinegar. The curds then are generally pressed into a solid block.

There are 3 main types of tofu: Firm, Soft, and Silken. The softer the tofu, the lower the fat content.

In recipes, tofu acts like a sponge and has the miraculous ability to soak up any flavor that is added to it. Crumble it into a pot of spicy chili sauce and it tastes like chili. Blend it with cocoa and sweetener and it becomes a double for chocolate cream pie filling. Cubes of firm tofu can be added to any casserole or soup.

The texture of tofu and its mild taste make it a nearly perfect food. It's a good source of protein for elderly people who prefer dishes that are easy to chew and digest, and it also provides calcium. Tofu is also very low in sodium, making it a perfect food for people on sodium-restricted diets.

Tofu’s history goes back to around 200 B.C. Chinese legend has it that the first batch of tofu was created by accident when a cook added nigari to flavor a batch of puréed, cooked soybeans and discovered the resulting curd.

At a recent vegetarian cooking show I did, I introduced tofu to the audience. Of course, the reaction from many was either “What? Tofu?” or “I hate tofu, it tastes like nuthin’” or “No way am I eating tofu”.

Yet as I began to cook the recipe I shall give you here, eyebrows were raised, there was audible sniffing of the air, and I heard remarks such as “That smells great!” People who once swore to never eat tofu were suddenly scrambling to get some of the samples!

More information can be found at this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu

http://www.chefs.com/ search word Tofu

Tofu Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms

8 large Shiitake mushrooms

(about 3” in diameter each)

1 block Tofu, silken if available

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium if available)

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

½ teaspoon kosher salt

all purpose flour for dusting

Sesame oil; for frying

4 shiso leaves shredded (optional)

Wrap the tofu in a paper towel, place a plate on top and refrigerate for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. In a saucepan, mix the mirin and soy sauce, boil for 1 – 2 minutes then set aside. Grind the sesame seeds, and then blend with tofu and salt. Using a food processor, evenly dust the undersides of the Shiitake caps with flour. Fill the Shiitake caps with a generous amount of tofu mixture, and then fry both sides in sesame over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the mirin and soy sauce mixture to the pan. Turn the heat to low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally until the liquid evaporates. Arrange the Shiitake on a serving plate and garnish with the shredded shiso leaves.

Serves 8

Note 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce can be substituted for the mirin and soy sauce.

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