Tofu, Six, Eight, What do We Appreciate?
OK, my title here is a painful stretch. But, nevertheless, it gets to the heart of the matter, namely: A significant portion of our guests are vegan, they are all looking for healthy, protein-rich dishes that surprise and delight, and, surprise-surprise, that means our soul food kitchen has to constantly figure out ways to do tofu anew.
At last count in our larder, we had the following:
Lightly fried tofu in a tamarind and lime glaze (pictured here)
Blackened strips of grilled tofu “chicken” (usually topping a kale pasta pesto)
Grilled BBQ tofu (using one of our homemade sauces) as a topping on Hoppin’ John or Baked Beans
Smoky “bacon” marinated tofu, which Irit and I take on day trips as an alternative to beef jerky, but which we also use with our red bean salad
Pureed tofu, soy milk, and spices as the base for our vegan quiche
Sauteed tofu, as a major ingredient in our Vegan “Beef” Enchiladas and Vegan Sloppy Joes
I could go on and on, but you get the general idea. As anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock for the last 40 years knows, tofu is sort of like the Zelig of the culinary world, taking on whatever character called upon at a particular point in time. I will admit to all sorts of criminal sins in the preparation of tofu dishes, precisely because of this plasticity, because seasonings can mask all sorts of problems with the tofu itself. And you, dear reader, should be aware of this, particularly when ordering vegan fare when the traffic is slow.
Why? Because although tofu has a relatively long expiration date, like everything else in the food world, there is nothing to compare to truly fresh tofu, which jumps on your palate, like an all-star gymnast. Seriously. I had one guest recently, vegan, one who had had numerous meals in our soul food kitchen, all with some element of tofu, asking me what the fuck I had done with the most recent dish he had ordered. I didn’t lie. My friend, I said, I wish I could take credit. But you know what? The tofu was super super fresh today. And that, my friend, makes all the difference.
Truth.
