Thistle's Adventures in Tofu Land

[thistlechaser]

Since I was ordering Chinese food for dinner, I decided to try tofu. I had had it once before, but in a chocolate pie (don't laugh!) and you couldn't taste it or tell the pie was anything but really rich chocolate.

I looked at the menu and picked one that looked good:

Sesame tofu - Golden crispy tofu glazed with a honey sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

When it arrived, it did in fact smell yummy. I took a little bite, and while it didn't taste as strong as it smelled (the taste was really, really mild/bland), it didn't taste bad. The consistency though... that's another story. My first "bite" was really a nibble. It was very spongy, sort of like scrambled eggs. But I like scrambled eggs, so I took a larger nibble. Not great, but okay. Then I made the mistake of taking a normal sized bite. I know a lot of this was in my head, but I almost couldn't swallow it, I literally gagged it down. The texture was just too... "wrong". I don't know how I can say that when I eat scrambled eggs a lot, but in a bigger bite it was different than that. And a whole mouthful? *twitch*

Oh well. I think maybe if the pieces had been a lot smaller (tiny), maybe it would have actually gotten crisp when they fried it? I don't know. I might try it again if it's in front of me, but not if it is... I don't know how to complete that. Not if it's tofu-ish. :) Well, not if it's like today's tofu.

Comments

[wikdsushi.livejournal.com]

Tofu is amazing if handled properly, and the foulest substance ever to grace a plate if it's not. (It's hard to screw it up for me anymore 'cause I'm so used to it, but when I first turned vegan, I treated it like The Enemy.)

Japanese (silken) tofu is easier to start on. It's almost like a firm pudding. (That's probably what you had in the chocolate pie.) Chinese (regular) is what you likely had tonight. It's got a stronger taste, a spongier texture (I know *precisely* what you mean, and it's freaky - somewhere between undercooked chicken and plastic), and is more difficult to work with. It's now my preference, but for about three years I wouldn't touch it.

If you want any tofu recipes or tips, in case you want to give it another shot, LMK. :) I've got some good ones around. (Yoshida-san's original teriyaki sauce-baked tofu... *Homer noise* Gorgeous in sushi. Not that I ever let it survive long enough to get there.)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yep, silken was just what was used in the pie. And I'll let you know if I get brave! Won't be for a (long) while though. I know I'm overreacting, but I'm now playing it up in my mind (or my brain is, I'm not doing it on purpose), and remembering the texture between my teeth... *twitch*

[fealu-bryne.livejournal.com]

Oo! Tofu recipes? You wouldn't want to toss a few my way, would you? I recently started the whole cooking thing, and since my family's not rabidly afraid of tofu it would be fun to try out.

[loup_noir]

I love tofu, but it is an acquired taste. My husband is so-so on it, but I'll eat it all by itself. You can ask them if they'll cut it up small for you.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

That's a good idea, for the next time I'm ready to try it again.

[aretina.livejournal.com]

I find extra firm more to my liking, and I only really like it either in a soup or this one way that is probably an anathema to anyone who really knows how to cook.

1.) Press tofu with 2 plates and heavy book.
2.) Slice thinly with sharp knife into strips, then squares, then triangles. The shape of the block makes this pretty obvious. The peices are rather small.
3.) Heat a little bit of peanut oil in a wok.
4.) FRY THE HELL OUT OF THE LITTLE BUGGERS. When I'm in a lo-fat mood I find spray works alright. The trick is to get the two surfaces of the thin tofu quite rigid with frying.
5.) Either glaze with redpepper sauce from the Asian market (more sweet than hot) or sprinkle with soy sauce. Add to stirfried veggies.

The little chunks of tofu are then not all you are eating, and they're like little treats of fried goodness among the veggies. Not like scrambled eggs-- like a really firm hard on the outside dry on the inside sponge. I love overcooked rubbery and plasticy foods, so maybe I'm not the best one to ask.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

See, that sounds a lot better. My pieces were between one and three inches square in size. The smaller ones (thus with more fried surface) were better. I might have to try this sooner or later.

Thanks!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Brave thistle_chaser!

I think I mentioned this before, and other commenters have, but tofu is a tricky thing. I know I like tofu, and there are still some places which do tofu dishes that I don't like.

The scrambled eggs consistency is about what I expect for tofu, and I'm not entirely sure what kicked off your gag reflex if the smaller bites were okay, but smaller pieces sound like they'd be better for you.