Friday, February 5, 2010

This Can't Be Tofu!

Well, actually, yes it can.

I picked up Deborah Madison's This Can't Be Tofu! at a thrift store for 2 bucks. I intended on giving it to a friend who can't fathom or figure out tofu, but I wanted to try a few recipes first to make sure it fits her taste and will work for a non-vegan, non-tofu type person. Thus far, I like everything I've tried, but only one recipe really hides the characteristic bland, squishy tofuiness that most people dislike.

1. "Coconut-Red Curry Soup with Butternut Squash and Lime"
Josh loved this soup. I liked it a lot, but you have to be in the mood for something tropical. It calls for the zest and juice from one large lime, so it's definitely citrusy and the cocnut makes it filling. Like the next soup, this calls for diced silken tofu to be added at the end and just warmed through--like miso soup. So, yes, it is tofu and it's exactly what people expect of tofu, but it was a good soup.

2. "Clear Soup with Sweet Potatoes, Silken Tofu, and Mustard Greens"
I love love love this soup. Again, diced silken tofu isn't that exciting, but mustard greens always make me happy. They are probably my favorite greens by far and I love greens in general--we have some version nearly every night. But, the real star here is the broth. It's basically stock cooked with garlic, ginger, cilantro, and garlic, which is then strained. It's a delicate and lovely broth. One I'll keep coming back to.

3. "Green 'Chorizo'"
Shown here in a quesadilla, this green "chorizo" is made of tofu, swiss chard, cilantro, and parsley. Aside from being slightly too vinegary for my taste, this chorizo is actually pretty good and is the most innovative uses of tofu I've tried so far in this cookbook. It is definitely better after it sits for a night or two and the texture is remarkably meat-like (I think because I left the stems on the chard).

Overall, I like the recipes so far, but I'm not sure This Can't Be Tofu! is going to convert anyone who's skeptical about tofu or displeased with the texture.