Tofu! Options

[Daria]

I love the consistancy of tofu (it's almost like puffball mushrooms ) but as of yet I haven't found a good way of getting flavour into the middle- I have fried some off in cayenne pepper and chilli before which gave it quite a kick, but it was tasteless in the middle. Any tips?

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

ew...tofu...icky icky icky. I had some once, it was a huge deep fried chunk, I bit into it and instantly regretted it, in short it's ick. As for your problem, maybe try cutting it into smaller chunks...or poke it with something to make holes in it? Can you marinade tofu?

[Daria]

Tried marinating, but perhaps not for long enough...
I think I like the consistancy of Tofu (and big chunks of mushrooms) because however much I hate to admit it, I think my body misses chewing on a bit of meat.
*shudders at the thought...*

[Sir Psycho Sexy]

tofu...reminds you of meat?

[Quoth(The Raven)]

My opinion of Tofu? I once heard it refered to as "Bean Turd", and I heartily agree. Nasty stuff... Bleagh!

[Daria]

Doesn't remind me of meat, I just like chewing on it... :S
And it's bean _C_urd

[Phyllis]

I've found it's good to cut it in long, thin slices. Make sure you rinse it off thoroughly first when you first get it out of the package (it's also good to let it rest for at least half an hour after rinsing it, in a collander in the sink), and always store any tofu that you have left over after getting everything ready to marinade in a container full of water in your fridge.

I've found marinading tofu works best if you leave it in your fridge overnight and poke a few holes in each slice with a fork. Personally I like to cook it under the grill rather than frying it...but that's just because I tend to have problems with it sticking when trying to fry it. Also, if you like garlic...try putting some freshly chopped garlic in with your marinade. That stuff can permeate anything. Also, what firmness of tofu are you buying? If you're buying firm, I'd suggest maybe trying medium-firm instead. It sticks to pans easier, but I've found it takes flavours better.

Tofu is definitely an acquired taste...though if it's been properly rinsed off, plain tofu shouldn't taste of anything really. When properly prepared, tofu only tastes of what you're preparing it in...so if you really thought it tasted of bean "turd," Quoth, maybe you should ask some questions of the person who prepared it.

And I like chewing it too.

[Daria]

Thankyou for your tips, I will have to try them out on my tofu currently residing in my fridge!
Have you ever used Silken (? ) tofu? My mum said you can use it to make milkshake type things with it...

( I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes chewing it)

[Quoth(The Raven)]

Tofu is definitely an acquired taste...though if it's been properly rinsed off, plain tofu shouldn't taste of anything really.  When properly prepared, tofu only tastes of what you're preparing it in...so if you really thought it tasted of bean "turd," Quoth, maybe you should ask some questions of the person who prepared it. 

All I can say is that I'm a Chinese food addict... I could eat it morning, noon, and night, if I could afford it... I'll even eat broccoli, if it's prepared with meat, in sauce, something I'd never do with the steamed vegetable... and the few times I've tried dishes with Tofu in them, regardless of the restaurant, I hated them. It's been said that Tofu is an aquired taste, and I can truly beleive it... and I never want to aquire it.

[Phyllis]

Nope, I've never tried silken tofu. I think someone on here once mentioned that you can make fake scrambled eggs with it, though. I eat eggs, personally, but that kind of intrigues me anyway. I'll have to see if my local grocery store has any when I go shopping later on.

And Quoth, that's fine if you don't like it. No one said you had to! In fact, we never even asked your opinion on it in the first place... (jk) I think anyone who likes tofu already knows that most people dislike it, because they are always quite vocal about it!

[Daria]

I took your advice on cutting it into slices, and it worked well! It could also have been that it was sitting in lime, ginger, garlic and chili for 48 hours...

[Phyllis]

Hehe...yay!

I was at the supermarket the other day, and saw some silken tofu. I decided to try it since I remembered you mentioning it, and it is very yummy!! I got the extra firm kind, which said it was good for grilling and sauteeing. It has a really unusual texture...not like most tofu. I guess "silken" really is the best way to describe it. It's nice though, and doesn't require all the rinsing and stuff that normal tofu generally needs, so it's good for a quick meal. It also seems to take flavours really easily. Wooo!

[Quoth(The Raven)]

Nope, I've never tried silken tofu.  I think someone on here once mentioned that you can make fake scrambled eggs with it, though.    I eat eggs, personally, but that kind of intrigues me anyway.  I'll have to see if my local grocery store has any when I go shopping later on.

And Quoth, that's fine if you don't like it.  No one said you had to!  In fact, we never even asked your opinion on it in the first place...   (jk) I think anyone who likes tofu already knows that most people dislike it, because they are always quite vocal about it!

Well... considering tha fact that I hate the stuff, I'm not likely to have recipes or tips on preparation... the only contribution I CAN make in this thread, is my opinion, negative as it may be...

I'll shut up, now... take it away, Tofu enthusiasts....

[Phyllis]

You could've always just...you know....not contributed if you didn't have any relevant responses to what was being asked. Just a thought

Daria, I was thinking...maybe it was the lime you added that helped it penetrate a bit. I've found that fruit juices really seem to get into the center of tofu really well...so could be a combination of that, and cutting it smaller. *ponders*

[Daria]

Perhaps... I found a book in amongst all the weird and wonderful recipe books my mother has collected over the years. It's entitled "Marvelous things with tofu" and it was printed in 1964

I must have a read...

[snooodlysnoosnoo...]

I had tofu for the first time when I was in Prague last week and I thought it was really nice, they obviously knew how to handle it because it was really well flavoured in the middle as well as on the outside. Dan even said it wasn't bad!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to make anything of it but I might have a go once I get to Norwich... assuming I have somewhere to live.

[Daria]

Are ye comming to land of the strange? (i.e Norfolk )

[Daedalus]

Yeah, I (being snoo accidentally posting as Dan) will be in Norwich for a year doing a work placement for my degree.

I've not been there since I was about 10 though so no idea what to expect...

... and back to tofu!

[Daria]

/snaps back to Norwich for a second/
It is a cool place... Look out for the many gigs at the UEA's LCR venue, and The Waterfront. The Ferry Boat Inn is a great pub, and there are many great cafes (including a vegetarian one above the costume shop which used to be a healthfood shop. Can't remember the name!) around abouts...

And! You must come to the Chihiro gig at Norwich Marquee on the 28th, if you are there by then

Just be warned about the "chav" culture. There is a gang (but yet again I can't remember their name) who are involved in most of the petty crime in Norwich.
Other than that, its great

/and now back to tofu /

[artist.unknown]

I like tofu...

My favourite is to put some thin rectangular slices in a pan with some teriyaki sauce until they get semi-cripsy burnt on the outside. If you can find it, there's a brand called Soy Vey that's absolutely wicked.

On a side note, the very best tofu chunks are to be found in good miso soup. They absorb the broth's flavour very nicely. I don't know how to prepare miso home-made, but good mixes can be found in health food stores/Asian food markets, and any Japanese restaurant should have it. Don't be put off by the fact that it's tofu and seaweed (as admittedly vile as that sounds). It's really, really good.

[Daria]

Actually, as a child (when I wasn't a veggie) I used to eat alot of Japanese and Thai food, and I like seaweed Just haven;'t had it in a long time...